and Kolkata to Kishoreganj. Each narrative unfolds geographical, socio-cultural, excellence
of the places. On one hand it reflects the contemporary lifestyle, politics, cultures and
celebrations while on the other hand it echoes a sense of history and tradition associated
with it.
Though this is a travelogue and each story has individual plotline, yet, if observed minutely,
overall there runs a subtle undertone of storyline which achieves its height in the chapters 5
and 6. These two chapters capture the trail back in the heart West Bengal i.e Kolkata and
Bangladesh. It depicts the power structure of society, shed light on the problem of the
homeless, describes the local trains and so much more. Besides, a significant part of the
book consists of reflections on the lives of the migrated families in the post-partition era and
the status of family relationships of the people from both sides of India-Bangladesh border.
Therefore, Slippers is not only a collection of expressions and experiences gathered from
around the world but the essence of the book as a journey lies within the pauses and halts,
during the tea breaks when contemplation creeps in with the mere descriptions.
Manosh Chowdhury teaches social anthropology at Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh. He has taught in some other disciplines such as media studies, literature, architecture, and philosophy. Most of his writings are in Bengali, consisting of various genres. He is mostly referred to as an eloquent critic and polemicist. Besides, he was a visiting professor at Hiroshima University and South Asian University, Delhi, and also served in the editorial panel of the first art magazine of BangladeshâDepart. As a fiction writer, he has six anthologies of short-stories in Bangla along with some academic books.