There’s an intensity to Bangladeshi writer Showkat Ali’s novel The Struggle (translated from the Bengali by V Ramaswamy and Mohiuddin Jahangir) that stayed with me well after I had finished it. Set in rural Bengal in the 1940s, the story doesn’t have any dramatic twists; instead, it builds through accumulations of hardship, small indignities, fleeting kindnesses, and most importantly, the will to endure. The result is a novel that feels both real and historically grounded without becoming didactic.This story is about Phulmoti, a young widow navigating a world that is structured to box her in from all sides. Widowhood is not just a personal loss; it becomes a social condition that strips her of protection and rights and exposes her to scrutiny and exploitation. Her relationship with Qutubali, an unexpected ally, is one of the novel’s best parts. The novel as a whole resists easy sentimentality; what emerges is something more fragile and believable, shaped by circumstance rather than idealism.Power dynamicsThe Struggle gets its emotional and narrative depth from how personal struggle is woven into the wider socio-political fabric. This is seen in how there is a backdrop of agrarian unrest, which doesn’t outweigh Phulmoti’s story but is always present – it makes it feel real. This sense of realism also comes from Ali’s skilful use of the idea of power dynamics. Power is present everywhere, in land ownership, in religious authority, in gender roles, and in the everyday hierarchies of village life. Ali doesn’t flatten these into a single message; instead, he lets them emerge through lived experience. This style is part of what makes the novel intense and memorable.The pacing, however, is something some readers might notice. The narrative unfolds slowly, staying with routine actions and moments of tension that don’t resolve quickly. Sometimes, this may feel a bit too slow. But, for me, the slowness isn’t always a bad thing, because it mirrors the rhythms of the world the novel inhabits and creates, where change (and its pace) is incremental and waiting is a part of the day-to-day life in itself. Still, there are stretches where the pacing slightly dulls the emotional impact.A sense of enduranceThe translation by V Ramaswamy and Mohiuddin Jahangir is a key part of the reading experience, as it allows the novel to travel across languages and perhaps even cultures. In my opinion, this translation works effectively in carrying the novel across languages. The prose is clear and not ornamental, allowing the story and characters to take centre stage without distractions. There’s a natural flow to the sentences, and the dialogue feels real and grounded, which helps sustain the emotional core of the narrative.Significantly, the translation doesn’t call attention to itself, as it reads smoothly, which to me is a sign of careful and considered work. For readers, like me, who are unfamiliar with Bengali, it opens up the world of the novel without barriers. While it’s true that certain cultural or linguistic nuances are difficult to fully reproduce, nothing in the text feels awkward or out of place. The translation maintains a consistent tone that aligns well with the novel’s realistic style.What ultimately makes The Struggle impactful and a must-read for me is its use of the accumulation of lived experience rather than the focus on any singular moment. It isn’t the kind of novel I usually gravitate toward; I tend to prefer faster-paced, more plot-driven books. But its slower, more observant rhythm became part of what makes it so memorable. It forces you to live in its world, to pay attention to small shifts and sustained pressures, and in doing so, it creates a very immersive and lasting impact. In the end, what stayed was not just the story of its characters and setting but a deeper sense of endurance. It’s a novel that may require some adjustment in reading pace, but that very difference is what makes it feel distinct and rewarding.The Struggle, Showkat Ali, translated from the Bengali by V Ramaswamy and Mohiuddin Jahangir, Speaking Tiger Books.