My Reminiscences (LibriVox audio reading)

What it is

This is a LibriVox volunteer recording of My Reminiscences, an autobiographical work written by Rabindranath Tagore in his fiftieth year, shortly before he travelled to Europe and America for his health in 1912. The reading is performed by a volunteer and is not Tagore's own voice.

Why it matters

The book marks an important moment: it was around this trip that Tagore first wrote in English for publication, opening his work to a much wider international audience. The reminiscences let readers see how Tagore understood and presented his own life and childhood.

Look closer

• Why might someone choose to write their own life story in their fiftieth year rather than later?
• What might be left out or shaped carefully in an autobiography written by the subject themselves?
• Why does it matter that this audio is a modern reading rather than a recording of Tagore himself?