Book Review of "The Wreck"

"The Wreck" is one of the full-length novels by Tagore. It is originally titled as "Naukadubi" and appeared in English version in Tagore's life time itself. Source WikiPedia

The Novel, Starts with a Tragedy, the wrecking of two boats. Which plays a large part in future of the novel.
This is one of Tagore’s light and detached social fantasies–perhaps the best among them- says A.     V. KRISHNA RAO

Accident is the starting point of the Novel; the element of chance plays a great role in the development of the plot.     Two marriage parties are drowned in a boat capsizing. Many people die, the only survivors being one of the bridegrooms, Ramesh and the other party's bride, Kamala. Kamala and Ramesh hadn't seen their life partners before, so they think that they are the recently married couple.  They try to forget all the things that gave gone wrong and try to settle somewhere. Ramesh sooner realizes the error,and is full of remorse. Meanwhile he gets attracted to Hemnalini. There starts the gap between them. Kamala atlast meets her real husband, Dr.Nalinaksha. He accepts Kamala thus leaving Ramesh free to marry Hemnalini.

Through this novel Tagore suggests the rift between the reformist and progressive Brahmosamaj and traditional conservatism of Hinduism. The novel is full of improbabilities and coincidences. Yet the novel continues to enjoy popularity. Its popularity can be imagined from the fact that after Gitanjali it is one of his most widely translated novels.

Though the novel begins with a tragedy its good ending is liked by general reader.
But to me, it appears, The Wreck, loose in construction, melodramatic rather than natural or real.
And very different than other works of Tagore, The Wreck is Tagore’s fancy-child, involving no serious moral issue of national importance.

According to Krishna Kripalani a perceptive critic, The Wreck has an ingeniously constructed story unburdened with philosophy and not ending on a tragic note.