Shadow Town – grave encounters with the other world

Sreemati Sen’s ‘Shadow Town – grave encounters with the other world’ delves into Bengali folklore. The author’s penchant for writing horror is clearly evident in the book, particularly in the second half of the book where the climax and the denouement startle the reader.

The book starts off with the doctor protagonist opting to take a posting in the rural, tribal belt of West Bengal. Sreemati’s settings are vivid. Her description of the life of the tribal folk, their trials and tribulations w.r.t access to emergency/other medical care, are apt and informative. If the first half of the book acquaints the reader with the different tribal/rural supernatural beliefs and rituals, the second half of the book smacks the reader with the realism of those beliefs.

Sreemati makes us question – If we cannot see something, does it mean that it does not exist? If we cannot apply logic or rationale to an act, then does it mean that it is supernatural? In today’s world of science and Ai driven technology, does a parallel world exist where dwell supernatural forces that cannot be explained by science?

Not all of the supernatural phenomenon catalogued in the book are explained as supernatural acts. Sreemati has been impartial in calling a spade a spade. She uses science to explain some phenomenon and the chapter on Aleya – the fireball, is proof of this. However, in this chapter, I did find myself needing a slightly more detailed explanation than the mere mention of it being a scientific occurrence. I would have loved a mention of methane and disphospane here, I guess only because this is my fav part of the book. But, it’s a minor thing.

Things that are noteworthy in the book:-

1. The co-existence different beliefs has been very aptly handled in the book. Sreemati deftly shows us the paradoxical worlds of science and belief. That was a mean feat! Kudos!
2. The research and detailing about the different tribal beliefs, the other worldly mentions, etc has been handled beautifully. Congrats!
3. Dr Deesha’s character has been etched well. The writer is able to make the reader understand her as a person and as a doctor. Well done!
4. The plotline in the second part of the book is scarier than the initial part. I don’t know if that was intentional but it worked for me. I liked the introduction of Kaal and the ensuing chaos.
5. The language of the book is simple, fuss-free. It would be easy to read for anyone.

Things that are cautionary or could be better:-

1. The story between Dr Deesha and Nikhil left me wanting for more. To satisfy my illusions of romanticism, I needed them to maybe (and, this is just my wish), exchange a few more covert glances, a few more simmering eye-locks. Lol.
2. This book may not be suitable for a younger readership. Children may find it scary, especially if they are not acquainted with horror.
3. In the initial part of the book, the excessive use of inverted commas to portray ‘stories within a story’, was a little bit confusing. I think the editor of the book could have handled that better.

All in all, if you like horror then I would recommend this book to you and not just because I know the author. This is a smashing debut for a horror writer because writing horror requires a lot of focus and depth. It’s not something that comes as easily as writing drama or humour. I salute the author on her work. Do pick this one up!