পাঁচটি রহস্য উপন্যাস

by Anish Deb

সূচি:

সাপের চোখ
তীরবিদ্ধ
সাক্ষী কেউ নেই
কিরাত আসছে
গোলাপ বাগানে ঝড়

388 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Anish Deb (22 October 1951 – 28 April 2021) was an Indian Bengali writer and academic. He was noted for his writings in the science fiction and thriller genre. He received several literary awards including Vidyasagar Award in 2019.

Anish Deb was born in 1951 in Kolkata. He completed his B.Tech. (1974), M.Tech. (1976) and Ph.D. (Tech.) with 1 silver and 2 university gold medals in Applied Physics from the Rajabazar Science College campus of University of Calcutta.

Anish Deb started his writing career in 1968. He also edited a number of collections of popular fictions, novels and detective stories. Some of his notable writings are: Ghaser Sheesh Nei, Saper Chokh, Teerbiddho, Teish Ghanta Shat Minute, Hate Kalome Computer, Bignyaner Dashdiganto, Jibon Jokhon Phuriye Jay.

Reviews

[Supratim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is what I would call a guilty pleasure. I read it because I had not read a Bengali pulp fiction in years.

Panchti Rohoshyo Upanyas literally translates into Five Mystery Novels. The book, written in the Bengali language, has been penned by Anish Deb. I might have read some short story by the author but I can’t recollect the name or the plot. It would be safe to say that he is not some popular writer. Though the title mentions mystery, some of the novels are thrillers and not exactly mysteries. These stories are pulp fiction and provide some cheap thrills only – they read like novelizations of crime/action movies and such stories rarely have any scope for character development. Surprisingly, the author did try to have a few fleshed out characters but all of them were the protagonists.

The book contains the following five novels (some of them are novellas only) which were written between the 1970s and the 1990s (I have tried to translate the titles):

1. Shaper Chook (Eyes of the Snake) – The police try to capture a serial killer, who preys on beautiful women with respectable jobs and who also moonlight as escorts

2. Tirbidhho (Struck by Arrow) – A man tries to rescue a young, friendly girl from a group of psychotic kidnappers

3. Sakhhi Keu Nei (No Witnesses) – A bunch of pampered, rich kids murder their parents and caretakers and flee into what they considered the real world . The author admits that this story has been influenced by the book Running Wild written by J.G. Ballard . The setting has been changed to suburban Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). I haven’t read Running Wild, so can’t comment more

4. Kirat Asche (Kirat-a man’s name, is Coming) – An enigmatic man comes to take down a ruthless crime boss’s money counterfeiting operation

5. Golap Bagane Jhor (Storm in the Garden of Roses) – A software engineer comes home to find his family brutalized. Later shocking truths are revealed and he gets his revenge

The stories have crime, brutality, betrayal, deception, sexual perversion, greed on one hand and on the other side there is bravery, honesty, honour and even patriotism.

Like all pulp fiction novels, these stories are full of crazed serial killer, psychotic murderers, violent rapists, gun-toting gangsters, criminal masterminds, sleazy pimps, perverted old men, kidnappers, traitors, homicidal children, dirty cops and against them you have dedicated cops, shrewd psychologist, patriotic computer programmers, an enigmatic man well trained in martial arts and shooting, lethal RAW (Indian secret service) operatives or the best of all – the common men who become formidable when avenging their loved ones. Beautiful women, innocent young girl, family – wife, children, parents complete the cast.

Needless to say these stories don’t have any literary merit. They are meant for providing cheap thrills and that they did.

Won't really recommend the book to anyone as there are better books in the market and probably you won't find it in the book shops.

[DIPANJAN MUKHERJEE · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novels are a bit predictable but it maintains to keep the thrill alive, with interesting twists.

'Tirbiddho' is my personal favourite. In this story our lead character is a bit troubled with past family problems.He develops a special bonding with a young girl, who gets kidnapped.

In the story 'Saper Chokh' a psychotic serial killer is strangling prostitutes with guitar chords. The story is a standard procedural with a tough no-nonsense cop at its centre.
In the last story 'Golap bagane Jhor' few guys breaks into the house of the protagonist and brutally murders his son and rapes his wife and daughter. Thus he starts seeking revenge and in the process finds out the trail of a huge anti-social organization working just under his nose
Great Read

[Tonmoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a good bangla detective novel- after a long time.

This book have everything a reader seeks from a good thriller. There plots are very good.
Sometime one or two story may look like unrealistic- but without it the book is too good.
If you can turn off the switch of critical thinking- it would be a great enjoyment to you.
I have finished the book only in 2 days, during the SUST conference with such a pressure!! But it enforced me to do it :)

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 3 out of 5]

লেখাগুলো সে-সময় পড়তে বেশ লেগেছিল। তবে মিসোজিনি, সাতের আর আটের দশকের সেক্স-ভায়োলেন্স দিয়ে ঠাসা মার্কিন লেখার প্রভাব বড়ো বেশি পেয়েছিলাম। তাও লেখাগুলো এখনও পড়া যায়। সেই সময়ের অধিকাংশ রহস্য-রোমাঞ্চ উপন্যাসের ক্ষেত্রেই এই কথাটা বলা চলে না।