Priestley (1894 -1984) was a prolific English author who was very popular and well-known in the post- world war II period. He could write on anything and turn anything into writing with literary worth - that was his reputation.
Bright Day is his famous novel.
Plot: Gregory Dawson, an orphaned young man comes to stay with uncle and aunt in Bruddersford (an imaginary town fashioned after Bradford in northern England by Priestley). He takes up a job as a junior assistant in a wool factory there but his passion is writing.
Mr. Alington is the chief of the wool factory and his large family, particularly his three daughters, cast a spell on young Dawson. He is invited to their house and the acquaintance grows. There are parties, music, conversation and outings.
War clouds are gathering on the horizon and soon that idyllic world is to be shattered. But even before that, misfortune strikes and the most beautiful Alington daughter is killed.
Dawson migrates to USA and eventually becomes a successful script writer in Hollywood. After a long time he decides to visit Bruddersford. Its influence on his subconscious is so great that he has not been able to marry, to settle down. At Bruddersford, he meets some old acquaintances, pieces together what transpired on that fateful day (Eva Alington's death is no accident but a murder) and gets, in today's parlance, a closure.
Novel: The plot unfolds in an unhurried, leisurely fashion over 350 odd pages with detailed descriptions of various characters and places. Many a time, the sketching of characters feels like a flight of fancy. The descriptions are not too great either. There is backward, forward movement as Dawson's memories are awakened. Real action comes towards the end of the novel.
Readers not familiar with the period of 1950s are apt to find the novel boring.
I read its Marathi translation recently. A big book priced at Rs. 400. It does not do justice to the novel as the translator has not worked hard enough to re-create that era for Marathi readers. Many local details, food items and drinks etc. are just written in Devanagari script. Marathi words are used in the place of English words but many a time, the meaning of sentences is lost. There is no introduction to Priestley's world, the era save two sentences in the blurb. Evidently no editing has taken place.
I bought this Marathi book because I had translated a small extract from this novel a few months ago. However, I did not know the plot of the novel. I have a tattered copy of Priestley companion which has his own selection of extracts from his varied writings.
My enthusiasm however, turned to dismay.
I naturally compared my translation of the extract with this book's and must say, with humility, that mine, barring two mistakes, is better.
