CONCEPT: 3.5/5 WRITING: 2.5/5 RESEARCH: 2/5 OVERALL: 2/5
My musings
I was looking for a horror short story collection, browsing the Kindle Unlimited catalog, when I stumbled upon Chandan Sinha’s Haunted India, a book that, instead of fiction, promised me some real spooky tales from across India. Intrigued by the cover and the idea of the read, I quickly sat down to read it.
Continue reading to know more about my thoughts on the book and my experience of reading it.
What to expect?
Expect a short read of just under 100 pages. Expect a basic read that comes with its own share of language and grammatical issues which may put a regular reader off. Expect a book that has bite-size chapters which are easy and quick to read. Expect a book that is only meant for beginners. Expect a book that is only available in the eBook format.
Who can read?
The language is such that only beginner-level readers and those new to English reading would be able to make the most of it. The editing and grammatical errors might act as a deterrent to regular and voracious readers.
What is the book all about?
Haunted India talks about real places, buildings, and incidents of horror from all over India. In addition to this, the book also covers many mysterious places in India. These lines from the author, mentioned in the beginning, help us better understand the objectives and purpose of the book.
“India is one of the oldest nations in existence, full of magical and enchanting historical sites and mystifying stories that were laid in the foundation of Indian cities, regions, and even buildings. Haunted India is an attempt to uncover these mysterious facts and cultural heritage of India.”
The places covered
The book is divided into two different sections that each enlist 10 different places. The diversity is quite evident as these places come from all parts of India, whether east or west, north or south, big or small, urban or rural.
Some of the places mentioned in the book include Bhangarh, Kota, and Kuldhara in Rajasthan, Banni Grasslands, and Dumas beach in Gujarat, Delhi Cantt. and Agrasen Ki Baoli in New Delhi, Jatinga bird suicide point in Assam, and KongKa La in Akshai Chin, Dow Hill in Kurseong, West Bengal, Shaniwarwada Fort in Pune, and many others.
The writing
The writing is mediocre at best. There is a visible disconnect between the many chapters that the book has. In many places, the paragraphs seem like a cut-and-paste job. Please note, that I say seem like, and not that they irrefutably are. But to say the very least, the writing could have been much better.
Many a time, there is a great deal of unnecessary information that doesn’t add value and only adds to the fluff.
Haunted India also isn’t as scary as I had expected it to be. I believe, in many conversations and urban tales, I have heard of places scarier and more haunted than those mentioned in the book.
What did I like?
I liked that the book introduced me to some places that I had never heard of before. It was certainly interesting to know about The Savoy Hotel in Mussoorie and the Chir Batti phenomenon in the Banni grasslands of Gujarat. The strange occurrences of unexplained flying objects in the Aksai Chin also made for an interesting read.
I also enjoyed perusing the various pictures that the author has provided in the book.
What could have been better?
For starters, the editing could have surely used some help. Also, I would have loved it if the book was better curated.
In the end
In the end, Haunted India is a book that makes use of easy language and short descriptions to bring to us a list of the top 10 haunted and top 10 mysterious places of India. The writing is mediocre and makes use of information readily available on the internet.
Pick the book if
- You are looking for a short read.
- You are a beginner.
- You don’t want a scary read.
- You want to read about haunted places and buildings in India.
Skip the book if
- You are a regular reader of horror fiction and non-fiction.
- You are looking for something in-depth and detailed.
- You can’t stand poor editing.
- You don’t enjoy horror in any form.
- You are looking for something spooky and scary.
Buy your copy of Haunted India using the link below.
Check out other Indian horror books that you may enjoy.