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City of Dreadful Night is an astonishing work of fiction, a tangle of tales that transports the reader from the Medieval India of magicians, witches, and vampires, through the British colonial period with its culture clashes and simmering unrest, into the chaos and political terror of contemporary India. Flesh-eating demons, Rajiv Gandhi's assassin, even Bram Stoker and Dracula populate the serpentine narrative, which intermingles stories about the characters with the terrifying tales they tell. At the heart of the book is an itinerant teller of ghost tales called Brahm Kathuwala, an old man wearing amulets around his neck and a silk top hat with peacock plumes. As Siegel follows him all over north India, Brahm's life story is revealed through countless interlocking tales. We learn of his two mothers - one the destitute floor sweeper who bore him; the other a wealthy Irish woman who read and reread to him the story of Dracula. We hear of his marriage to the daughter of a cremation ground attendant and his battles against her demonic possession. We come to understand the strange life of this man who uses terrifying tales to ward off the evil he himself fears.
A tapestry of interconnected tales unfolds across centuries of Indian history, centering on a mysterious storyteller who uses his own terrifying narratives to confront the darkness within and around him. The book follows Brahm Kathuwala, an old man adorned with amulets and a distinctive silk top hat, as he travels across North India. His life story is revealed through a series of interlocking tales, exploring his origins with a destitute mother and an Irish woman who introduced him to Dracula, his marriage to the daughter of a cremation ground attendant, and his battles against demonic possession. Brahm's unique method of using frightening stories to ward off his own fears forms the core of this serpentine narrative, which weaves together personal history with the supernatural and historical events.
The book is described as an astonishing work of fiction, characterized by its intricate tangle of tales that span vast historical periods and diverse cultural landscapes within India. Its serpentine narrative structure, which intermingles personal stories with supernatural and historical elements, is a key feature. The reception suggests a rich and complex reading experience, drawing readers into a world populated by a wide array of characters and creatures. The author's skill in weaving these disparate elements into a cohesive whole is highlighted as a significant aspect of the work.
Page Count:
255
Publication Date:
1995-01-01
ISBN-10:
0226756882
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