India’s Most Haunted
Seriously, even my kids were fascinated with the title of the book. The spooky forest picture, on the cover, was apt and stood for all the 50 stories of the book. Perhaps a ‘Yakshi’ could have been amidst the trees to give it a more haunting feel.
Name: India’s Most Haunted
Author: K. Hari Kumar
Format: Hardcopy
Number of pages: 325
Availability: Amazon (Buy it here)
Rating: 4/5
When I received the book, I was immediately interested to know about the haunted dwellings all over India. The author has covered various places right from Delhi to Goa to Kerala. Being half Goan myself, it was interesting to be aware of the supposedly mysterious incidents in my hometown. The subtitles were quite captivating and got me interested in the story that followed each one of them.
The author has written in Indian-English and therefore, this book can be enjoyed by an Indian or someone who knows India well. There were a few negligible grammatical errors and I think some of the words like churels, devas, rakshasas, jejemaa, rishis, munis, sarai, asura, kikar, tharra, etc. could have their closest English meanings in brackets. As hubby is good with Hindi, I began with asking him about the meanings but finally had to resort to Googling whichever I could.
In all the 50 stories, you would find ghosts, demons or living people who are worse than them. These were interesting stories of small and big towns in India, that most of us have heard of, so it makes us curious to visit again and check out the haunted places there. I realized that most of the ghosts appear to people only while it’s raining, freezing cold, stormy or when the person is high, drunk or extremely exhausted. Hehe!
I found the font size and style quite clear and easy to read.
The language used was simple.
It included all religions.
The author has subtly hinted at how harsh realities are twisted to put the blame on the vulnerable.
The stories were short, so, there was no need to remember who was plotting or who the culprit was or who was doing what, etc. from the beginning of the book.
Besides the few grammatical errors I spotted, I found some of the stories to be incomplete. Even though ghost stories have many unanswered questions, I thought that the stories could include certain information for the benefit of the reader. For example; in story number 5, I did not understand how the attacker knew about Seema, the little girl who lured Reema out of the house. Who was the teenager? Also, while Tarun was to go to Chandigarh for a meeting, why did they go to Mumbai? In story 8, why was the ghost waiting to kill only her after all these years? In story 26, I thought that they could have contacted the owner about the things found in his house, but then I guess it would turn into a thriller instead of a horror story. Yet, I felt that the story could have something more to it.
I could predict the twists at the end of some of the stories.
The book did not give me the creeps as promised, though it had good stories inspired by the alleged haunted places in the country.
Though I have watched plenty of horror movies, I don’t really believe in ghosts. Of course, with the sound and camera effects on television, I do get startled easily. But, this was my first ever horror fiction READ. Despite not giving me nightmares, it did include horrible living beings that would creep anyone out. For years, besides Mills & Boons, I have been reading thrillers, mysteries, crimes, etc. so, I was probably looking at solutions for every story in this book, too. Nevertheless, I’m definitely recommending this book to those who love to read horror stories.
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18 Comments
I think the book could have been a notch higher with a round of developmental edit. I had laid hands on the book once and then thought against it. But now after reading your review I feel like reading it.
As a fellow book enthusiast, your review truly encapsulates the essence of this collection. Your critique highlights both the book’s strengths, such as clear prose and inclusivity, as well as its areas for improvement. Your honesty about the inability to elicit ‘creeps’ adds a relatable touch. Overall, your recommendation speaks volumes about the book’s worthiness to those who enjoy delving into the world of horror stories. Well done!📚👻
Thank you, Shibani!
Though horror isn’t my favorite genre to explore. I like your in-detail review. NO wonder I check your blog and book recommendation before I go for bookshopping.!!!!
Grammatical errors can be a major turn off while reading a book. I like reading horror stories. I will check out this one too.
It’s so important for Book reviews to be right from the heart,, and I love how you cover every aspect of it with so much thought. Not a big fan of horror fiction, but I’ll give this one a thought.
Horror is never my genre. I get scared with the slightest glimpse of any horror movie or sound. You have however done a very honest and nice review of this book.
I would love to read this book since I am interested in knowing about Haunted places in India. I love to read and know about supernatural experiences.
I usually stay away from any kinds of horror stories including the movies and the books. I do not know about ghosts but I do not like to read or watch anything related to them. So I may give this book a miss.
I have never really read a horror stories book. But I really like your honest review and opinion.
Sharing this with friends 👍
I am not fond of books that come with grammatical errors! But, the premise of the book sounds interesting.
I love horror stories, shows, books. Although I don’t like bollywood horror films but I love horror stories by Indian writers. This review is really good. I’ll search for it on Amazon.
I have recently read Hari kumar’s when strangers meet. Like the way he xonnects with the readers and keeps them engaged. Will read rhis one soon.
That must b such a good experience. I have never read horror story book & I would like to read this. 4 star u have given, so worth a read.
One of my friend love to read horror stories. As I really don’t like horror stories but my friend will going to love this book. I am sharing with him.
The genre itself is something that is really interesting and piques the interest. Appreciate your candid review. The fact that the stories are not too long is a plus point as it is sure to hold the attention of the reader.
Thanks Cindy for being honest with the review, even though you have given it a high rating, I suspect that I won’t enjoy it by reading between the lines of your review.
Hahahahaha!