NYRB Classics discussion

The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian



Publication Date: September 30, 2001
Pages: 560
Introduction by Ian Jack.
Originally published in 1951.

The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian is an astonishing work of self-discovery and the revelation of a peerless and provocative sensibility. Describing his childhood in the Bengali countryside and his youth in Calcutta—and telling the story of modern India from his own fiercely independent viewpoint—Chaudhuri fashions a book of deep conviction, charm, and intimacy that is also a masterpiece of the writer’s art.