STORIES: 4.5/5 WRITING: 4.5/5 SPOOKINESS: 3/5 ENTERTAINMENT: 4.5/5
“There is a Latin proverb – Ars longa, vita brevis… Art is long, life is short.”
Ruskin Bond, The Shadow on the Wall
My musings
Reading Ruskin Bond is always a source of great pleasure. Over the years, my reading tastes have changed, my love for some authors has reduced, and the craze for some others has gone up, but one constant on my list of favorite authors has always been Mr. Ruskin Bond. I will never outgrow his books, of that, I am one hundred percent sure.
One recent addition to the list of my ‘Ruskin Bond reads’ is The Shadow on the Wall, a collection of 21 short horror stories published recently by Aleph Book Company. Read on to know more about the book and about my experience of reading it.
What to expect?
Expect a comparatively short read (under 200 pages). Expect a collection of short horror stories written in the classic Ruskin Bond style. Expect a collection that serves horror in mild to moderate doses but one that is quite varied in its theme and the choice of supernatural.
Who can read?
The language is simple and easily relatable. A beginner-level reader would find no difficulty in enjoying this one.
What did I like?
A short and sweet introduction kicks off the journey and acquaints you with some rather unknown literary gems who come recommended by the great Ruskin Bond himself. Some of these, I would certainly love to explore. These include Voodo Tales by Henry S. Whitehead and J.H. Riddell’s whimsical Irish ghost stories ‘Night Shivers’.
Another surprise is the twisty little ending to his classic horror story ‘A Face in the Dark’, which also finds a place in the introduction. Mr. Bond, you never really fail to amaze me.
The writing
For me, the inherent magic in Mr. Bond’s books comes from the things that he writes about. Small hilly towns, simpler times, a frugal but fulfilling life, the India of a lifetime ago, and the many wonders of nature.
This collection, though comprising of all things supernatural (ghosts, spirits, and things that go bump in the night), doesn’t lose sight of its classic Bond ingredients.
But while this was about the writing in general, in the below paragraphs I talk about the stories that captivated me the most.
The Shadow on the Wall, a story just like many others, that the author writes with himself as a character. It is a short story that gives some, hides some, and teases some more. Not the least bit spooky but surely full of those classic Bond twists.
The Overcoat talks of the Englishmen who once lived on the many hill stations that dot the Himalayan landscape. Mansions that spoke of luxury and power, but now reek of stale air and dampness that arise from years of reckless abandonment. But while the people who once thrived in these fancy mansions have surely moved on, their ghosts still linger. The overcoat is the story of one such ghost.
Susanna’s Seven Husbands is the iconic story whose fame multiplied manifold after the Priyanka Chopra starrer Saat Khoon Maaf became a box-office hit. It is yet another intriguing story full of surprises and mystery. Its beauty resides in not what is revealed and said about the murders but in what is left unsaid of them. Needless to state, it is a masterpiece. Bond at his best!
The Skull is about a creepy and sinister-looking skull that lands up in Mr. Bond’s study by a series of chance events. But as fate would have it, it soon becomes an essential but notorious part of the Bond house.
Ghost Trouble is about a mischievous pret who lives in the peepul tree right outside the writer’s grandfather’s house. After a tragic disaster, this restless spirit decides to take shelter in their household, soon becoming a source of constant irritation for its members. Ghost Trouble is a wholesome story, which reminds you of the good old childhood days and all the ghost stories you may have heard as a child.
The Doppelganger deviates from the regular supernatural themes and talks of a rather unheard creature – the doppelganger. The story tries to explore this concept and gives us a sneaky-creepy peek into the world of doppelgangers and the people who get to experience them. More than horror, this story has a rare intrigue factor that enthrals, threatening the reader with the other-worldly possibilities laid bare before them.
The Whistling Schoolboy reminds you of the many ghost stories that one hears about the ghostly entities and encounters with them that happen in and around our famous hill stations.
While Some Hill Station Ghosts talks to you about popular paranormal urban legends and ghosts that are known to inhabit hill stations like Lansdowne, Mussoorie, Dehradun, Landour, etc in real life.
In the end
The Shadow on the Wall is an eclectic mix of tales of the supernatural, serving horror with variety, spice, and a pinch of salt. Though you cannot call them scary or spooky, there’s no denying the element of intrigue and fascination that these stories serve.
My verdict
Go for it!
Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of The Shadow on the Wall using the link below.
Other horror story collections that you can check out –
Ghost Stories of Shimla Hills by Minakshi Chaudhry
More Ghost Stories of Shimla Hills by Minakshi Chaudhry