Prema [Paperback] Premchand

This year I planned to read more Hindi books but it got sidelined so I decided to add it in my monthly reading challenge. The title of this book makes me choose this book. After reading Nirmala, I had a high hope with this book.Amritrai is a rich, highly educated man in the town. He loved to don shirt and pant, unlike the other people. But he is a calm natured man who wants to reform the society from its old age norms and customs.People loved this idea but they never actually participate in this. Even his friends find it ridiculous and don’t provide support. Amritrai’s marriage is fixed with another rich upper caste girl named as Prema. For Prema there is one person, who can be her husband and i.e. Amritrai she actually worships her.Busy in his work and the future reforming activities Amritrai has pushed the marriage since four years. Amritrai’s friend Daannath also loves Prema. One day, news broke that Amritrai has accepted Christianity. This was rumor which occurred due to misunderstanding but this was enough for Prema’s father to break this marriage.On the other side, Prema’s doesn’t able to accept this fate and her condition gets worsened day by day. In this comes Prema’s friend Poorna, a 20-years-old married Brahmin girl. She tries her best to comfort Prema.While all this, on one unfortunate day of Holi, Poorna’s husband accidentally found death in Ganga. A widow Poorna have to follow all the harsh rules made for a widow. She can’t comb her hair, she can’t talk to anybody, and she is not invited to anyone’s house.Amritrai is a friend of Poorna’s husband and out of sympathy, he starts helping her. Amritrai starts loving Poorna and proposed her to marry. Widow Remarriage was a taboo at that time and with lots of trouble and criticism Amritrai manages to marry Poorna. Here Prema is wedded to Daannath.How does this odd marriage going to work? What fate is looming on the head of these four people? Read this book to know further.The characters are very well-developed and interlinked to each other. The language is very beautiful and the use of ‘Awadhi’ words makes it more amazing. The narration is engaging making you finish this book two sittings.My perception:This book is a masterpiece, written by the genius. With this story, the writer has also showcased the dark rules in our society. The character of Amritrai is very powerful but I didn’t like the way he chose to remain silent for Prema. This story shows a love story, friendship, betrayal and also gives a message. The author has kept the ending open with an unexpected twist. This book is truly touching and I recommend this book to each and every reader.

After reading the story the reader can appreciate the depth of Hindi literature. Munshiji"s stories have a touch of life and reality. 'Prema' is one amongst them.A story of the triumph of love over circumstances in a narrow-minded society. Amrutrai is an eligible bachelor. He was also patriotic. It was his wish to reform the society that discriminated between men and women and believed in other social evils like the persecution of widows. He was to marry Prema, daughter of Lala Badriprasad. Prema and Amrutrai were fond of each other and used to exchange love letters and photos. After Amrutrai joins the reformists, there are fake rumors that he has converted to Christianity. Thus he is ostracized. Since he joins the reformists, her father refuses to give her hand in marriage to Amrutrai.Poorna was Prema’s best friend and well wisher. They were like one soul in two bodies. She marries Pandit Bansalkumar. But by accident, he dies within two years of their marriage. As his widow, Poorna had no other relative to care for her. It is at this time that Amrutrai gives her a helping hand. They fall in love with each other, and Amrutrai wants to marry Poorna. Since Poorna was a widow, there is an objection from society to their marriage. However, Amrutrai marries her despite all the obstacles created by the people.Meanwhile, Prema marries a boy called Dannath, Amrutrai’s best friend. But she still cannot forget Amrutrai. Dannath becomes frustrated, he goes to kill Amrutrai. In gunfire, Poorna kills Dannath and saves Amrutrai but dies herself. In the end, fate unites Amrutrai and Prema in marriage. Thus their love triumphs finally.

This story shows the stereotype mind of the society. This story infers the sorrow of a widow and true love of a girl.I will recommend this to my sisters and friends. It was also suspenseful story. I really liked the story.

Most part of the kindle e-book have typing error.Couple of areas are wrongly repeated. The story is awesome and i can say that it was one of the masterpiece of munsi premchand. I am only disappointed with the level of typing, tons of errors. If want to read, buy the paperback not the kindle edition.

Each and every work of munshi premchand is exceptional you are just glued to what he has written. This story is about a reformists who marries a widow and all the struggles he goes through . Untimely death of that lady and again remarrying a widow

Content 90% matching from pratigya ( another novel by premchand)... if u have read pratigya then avoid it .and if not then goooo for it....

प्रेमा , नाम की तरह प्रेमा नाम की लड़की की कहानी है , पर प्रेमा का खुद का किरदार या व्याख्यान काम है , पुस्तक की शुरुवात में थोड़ा बोर हुआ पर 5 अध्याय से कहानी में आनंद आने लगा , अगर समय हो ओर उपन्यास पड़ते हो ओर उसमे भी मुंशी जी के प्रशंसक हो तो आप पड़ सकते हैजय हिन्द🇮🇳

The book is a timeless classic narrating the journey of a social reformer in British ruled India. But what spoils the fun are the publishing errors. Too many misprints, typos and grammatical errors in this version of the book.