Book Review: ‘The Other Side’ by Faraaz Kazi and Vivek Banerjee
by Chaarvi Badani on Jan 19, 2014 • 11:50 AM No CommentsFormat: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Mahaveer Publishers
ISBN: 9789350880760
Pages: 320
Price: INR 150
Everyone loves a good horror story, especially our two authors, Faraaz Kazi and Vivek Banerjee. As an idea borne out of a trekking trip, the two decide to write a book of short stories, in the genre of horror. And the result is this book, a collection of 13 fateful stories that aim to leave you shivering, not in a good way.
The stories are a mix, few good and few clichés. They aim to change the way people look at things around them and also to take the paranormal genre to a new level.
‘That Fateful Night’ deals with the idea that not all ghosts are bad; some are just spirits who haven’t received any peace in life and remain wandering around till someone can grant them that reconciliation. It is the story of a newly married couple, living in desolate house, who come across an old man who begs them to help his ailing wife.
‘The Muse Comes Calling’ is an innovative and brilliant story. A young author, who has has just gained fame in the genre of horror and macabre, is haunted by all his creations of his book. The creations, which are figments of his imagination form entities separate from his mind and try to make the author feel the pain that he put them through. A rather chilling story, that makes you wonder much about the creation of ideas and the notion of thought and self.
‘Unfulfilled Desires’ is another story based on the concept of spirits of needing peace. A young doctor in a rural hospital learns that the spirit of a girl who committed suicide a year ago still haunts the place. He discovers the reason and tries to bring peace to the soul.
‘Dream Girl’ is a very macabre Frankenstein-meets- Criminal Minds story. A man is possessed with the idea of creating his dream girl, the most perfect and the most beautiful. To do the same, he begins by collecting various girls’ body parts and assembling them together. If or not the girl comes to life and if or not she would love him as he loves her is what the mystery is all about.
Some stories are set in a very atypical location: deserted villages, deserted mountainside, desolate hill statin houses with banyan trees and wells. There is little left to the imagination, and some feel like typical Indian clichés. Many stories involve a child ghost because, ;et’s face it, there is nothing more scary than a child with black, feeling-less eyes. There are no editing problems in the book, making that a good plus point.
Overall, this book is a light read, which scares occasionally, and sometimes makes you wish people would think beyond RGV movies. A light read, that can be passed over.
Overall Rating: 6/10
If you find the book interesting, buy from Amazon or Flipkart here: