Whispers in The Dark

by Ruskin Bond

Within these pages you will befriend Jimmy the jinn who has trouble keeping his hands to himself, be witness to the mischief of the pisach and churel who live in the peepul tree, and find yourself in the company of a bloodthirsty vampire cat, besides other tales and curiosities that are guaranteed to send a delicious shiver down your spine!

Written in Bond's inimitable style and riveting to the core, this beautifully illustrated book is a must-have for anyone with a taste for the macabre.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction

234 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2016

About the author

Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. He is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and children's authors and a top novelist. He wrote his first novel, The Room on the Roof, when he was seventeen which won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then he has written several novellas, over 500 short stories, as well as various essays and poems, all of which have established him as one of the best-loved and most admired chroniclers of contemporary India. In 1992 he received the Sahitya Akademi award for English writing, for his short stories collection, "Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra", by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters in India. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 for contributions to children's literature. He now lives with his adopted family in Landour near Mussoorie.

Reviews

[Aishu Rehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Books For all time. I like key it a lot. A wonderful pass time of people who want to see more to the spooked wonders of the Spooky world.

'Whispers in the Dark: A Book of Spooks' is an anthology of strange and dark stories. Some of them are all-time favourites while some have been exclusively written for this collection.

[A Reading Head · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great classic for children and it truly justifies its title a book of spooks 🤘🏻.Some of the stories are truly fascinating and fantastic.Some of the stories are not horrifying though they are quite dark and intense.You will definitely get goosebumps.If you like horror genre then it's worth reading

[Prashant · Rating 5 out of 5]

More ghosts, apparitions and supernatural things assemble in this spooky collection by Ruskin Bond.
Scary, chilling but not mind disturbing, these supernatural stories give you an idea of after-life. Especially the chilling short story - The dreadful gurgle is more scarier than the Conjuring series. Read it to believe it. I highly recommend this to all the Ruskin Bond fans as well as the readers who love reading ghost stories.

[Saisudha Acharya · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is worth reading for the first two amusing short stories, and then it gets rather boring... the old timey British stories are so prim and unscary. It is almost cosy-horror, if such a sub genre exists, and it is really as tame as it sounds.

[Vidya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great mixture of ghost stories by Mr. Bond. Will narrate these stories if any of my friends want new ghost stories. Scary enough to haunt you in dreams.

[Vagisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

To pamper the child in you 😄

[Malcolm Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bearing all the hallmarks of Ruskin Bond's signature story-telling style, tone, and perspectives, this book is a compilation of short ghosts stories, and there are some of my absolute, all-time favorites in here. As with all his work, Bond's mastery is in how he weaves words, characters and plot arcs to tell captivating tales AND how he always allows his own personal life and roots to shine through. I've always been fascinated with cultural anthropology and cultural mixing through human history, and this is a great book (though fiction) that showcases, in pure literary terms, the differences and commonalities we all share as human beings. There are plenty of cultural (and historical) references in these stories that are very "Indian" in nature, but without a doubt, this book is great for any horror fan from around the world.

For a full in-depth review of this book and breakdown, go here: https://www.malcolmfernandesbooks.com...

[Jailaxmi Vinayak]

Ruskin Bond creates an ambience of ghoulish nights, dilapidated houses, haunted hills and headless faces. India is rife with stories of Prets, Bhooths, Pishach, Churel and Munjia. Bond has associated Peepal trees with ghosts though Hindu scriptures cosider them as abode of lord Vishnu. Some stories have small seeds but enough to make the chill run down the spine. Bond's ghosts are scary and also mischievous playing pranks. 'Sussanas Seven husbands' has been picturised as 'Saat Khoon Maaf'. The book is an interesting read for all those who look for macabre and fearsome stuff.

[Krishnakumar Muraleedharan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this one from the library out of pure nostalgia. Then came the realisation that the stories haven't aged so well (personal opinion). But sometimes a book serves a higher purpose - here it stirred up a lot of pleasant school time memories, especially the ones with our English classes. The face in the dark, the Pret in the house, the munjia and the dimwit to name a few.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

35 spooky stories by the master storyteller, though some of the stories are published in his earlier collection, worth spending time rereading the stories.

[Ayati Choudhary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular collection of dark and spooky stories 💜

[Suhana Sharma]

How to read?

[Sohanur Rahman Hridoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story with mysterious stuff !

[Akshay Shahare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Mr. Bond’s writing style. Effortless

[Diya Ramwani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mixture of ghost stories...if anyone like ghost stories just go for it...

[Manoj Unnikrishnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond, known for his love of ghost stories and his own contributions to the genre, has carefully curated this collection of classic and contemporary ghost stories to showcase the best of spooky fiction. His introduction provides context for the stories and offers insights into the enduring appeal of ghost stories.

The anthology includes stories by renowned authors like Algernon Blackwood, E. and H. Heron, Perceval Landon, and Alice Perrin, among others. These stories delve into the supernatural, exploring themes of mystery, suspense, and the uncanny. The stories are:

1. One Summer Night - Ambrose Bierce
2. Death in the Kitchen - Milward Kennedy
3. The Dead Man of Varley Grange - A Victorian Ghost Story by Anonymous
4. Hoichi the Earless - Lafcadio Hearn
5. The Empty House - Algernon Blackwood
6. Mrs Raeburn's Waxwork - Lady Eleanor Smith
7. The Vampire - Sydney Horler
8. Coroner's Inquest - Marc Connelly
9. The Story of the Spaniards, Hammersmith - E. and H. Heron
10. A Worm's Turning - John Eyton
11. The Decoy - Algernon Blackwood
12. The Phantom 'Rickshaw - Rudyard Kipling
13. Night of the Millennium - Ruskin Bond
14. The White Tiger - Alice Perrin
15. The Doctor's Ghost - Dr Norman Macleod
16. Thurnley Abbey - Perceval Landon
17. The Thing in the Upper Room - Arthur Morrison

If you're a fan of spine-chilling tales and enjoy the thrill of the unknown, give it a try.

[Radhika Chauhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure bliss

[Amit Sailan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the book becuase of the choice of stories. These stories will take you to your world of imagination in such a smooth way that you start living them for a moment. My favourite one is Rudyard Kipling’s writing. Some stories can be said average but overall the book is fantastic.

[Rima Kar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classically horrifying, and thoroughly enjoyable.

[Saikat B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good one

[Krishna Jayaraj · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good... Reminded me of Dracula... A good collection of spooky stories

[Adrija · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. I like key it a lot. A wonderful pass time of people who want to see more to the spooked wonders of the Spooky world.