NEW DELHI, March 16: A spooky collection of ghost stories from Bengal, titled “The Phantom’s Howl”, brings together some of the scariest and humorous tales of hauntings by masters of Bengali literature to a new generation of readers.
Written for adults and children, the collection, touted to be a quintessential representation of Bengal and its fascination with its many ‘bhoots’ and their tales, is a series of spine-chilling and often bizarre encounters with the other-worldly.
Translated by debutante Arundhati Nath, the anthology comprises stories from legendary authors such as Rabindranath Tagore, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay and Hemendra Kumar Roy, to lesser-known writers like Jogeshchandra Bandyopadhyay, Niradchandra Majumdar and Amarendranath Munshi.
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“Translating these stories for a modern readership was both an act of nostalgia and rediscovery – I reread works by many known authors and stumbled upon several lesser-known ones; each one of them spoke to me in their unique way blending suspense with intrigue, and subtle foreboding with mystery. I hope modern readers find these treasures enigmatic and engrossing,” Nath told PTI.
So, be it a half-burnt shadow dancing on the walls, a vain-glorious skeleton reminiscing about her past beauty, the lonely spirit of a young girl forever rows its boat in the marshes, or a proud English ghost creates trouble on a train from Kolkata to Kashi, intrigue and horror are abound in the pages of this one-of-its-kind collection.
“There is the cursed bed of a Chinese man; the possessed pair of boots of a hunter; a Mughal-era house that wants to suck the soul of its inhabitants; and an innocuous black cloth that spells danger for all who wave it,” reads the description of the book.
“The Phantom’s Howl”, priced at Rs 399, is currently available for purchase across online and offline stores. It is published by Speaking Tiger. (PTI)
