[34] AN ANALYTICAL STUDY ON BHABENDRANATH SAIKIA’S NOVEL ‘ANTAREEP’

ARTICLE INFO: Date of Submission: Mar 07, 2026, Revised: Mar 19, 2026, Accepted: Mar 20 , 2026, CrossRef D.O.I : https://doi.org/10.56815/ijmrr.v5i3.2026.367-372. How To Cite: Sunita Sarmah (2026). An Analytical Study on Bhabendranath Saikia’s Novel ‘Antareep’. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research & Reviews. 5(3). 367-372.

Abstract

Bhabendranath Saikia occupies a prestigious place in the history of Assamese Literature. The prolific writer’s large body work includes different literary genres like short-stories, novels, plays, children-literature, lyrics, films etc. His all works get great appreciation from the readers. ‘Antareep’, the novel of Bhabendranath Saikia, was first serialized in two magazines, ‘Ramdhenu’ and ‘Prantik’ respectively from 1979 to 1984. It came out as a form of book in 1986 from the publication house ‘Jyoti Prakashan’. The novel tells a story of an aristocratic Assamese family during the last two decades of British colonization of India. Though the general atmosphere of the time might have been politically changed, the novelist only provides glimpses of it in this family drama. The word ‘Antareep’ means “a place of solitude” or “an isolated island”. The title of the novel itself carries deep significance, symbolizing human loneliness and emotional distance. The novel not merely a tale of rebellious woman, it explores so many facts of human psyche, the complex ideas of love, loyalty and revenge; it question our ideas of justice and right or wrong.