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Darkness
A boy who can predict the exact date a person will die... An elderly woman who knows that death is close, but learns how to cheat it... A child with a dangerous friend who happens to be invisible... A ghost who can't stop reliving his suicide over and over again... People you'll wish you never have to meet, and stories you'll never forget. Skilfully translated into English for the very first time, these chilling tales from master storyteller Ratnakar Matkari are bound to keep readers of all ages up at night. With every page you turn, you'll be looking over your shoulder to make sure no one's there. Look again. Maybe there is!
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2019
12 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Ratnakar Matkari
54 books155 followersMatkari's first work, the one-act play Wedi Manase,was presented in 1955 on All India Radio in Mumbai.His play Pahuni was presented the next year at another venue.
Matkari worked as a columnist for newspapers and magazines in the 1970s. He wrote the column Soneri Savalya n Apale Mahanagar for four years.
Matkari's 98 works thus far include 33 plays, 8 collections of his one-act plays, 18 books of his short stories, 3 novels, a book of poems for children, and 14 plays and three collections of plays for children.His works include Gudha Katha --mysteries—for adults which maintain realism.Matkari wrote a few plays in Indian languages other than Marathi.Many of Matkari's novellas have been adapted for the stage.
Matkari worked as a columnist for newspapers and magazines in the 1970s. He wrote the column Soneri Savalya n Apale Mahanagar for four years.
Matkari's 98 works thus far include 33 plays, 8 collections of his one-act plays, 18 books of his short stories, 3 novels, a book of poems for children, and 14 plays and three collections of plays for children.His works include Gudha Katha --mysteries—for adults which maintain realism.Matkari wrote a few plays in Indian languages other than Marathi.Many of Matkari's novellas have been adapted for the stage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
November 5, 2023
Titulo: Darkness
Autor: Ratnakar Matkari
Motivo de lectura: Letras Macabras (Isla Macabra 2023)
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Mi edicion: Electronico
Puntuacion: 4/5
Esta antologia incluye dieciocho cuentos, los cuales no decepcionan. En general se sabe que en una antologia habra cuentos muy buenos, y otros no tanto, pero en este caso el autor ofrece un excelente nivel.
Ratnakar Matkari explora los sentimientos negativos, como los celos, la envidia, la venganza, todo entrelazado con el terror y una atmosfera por momentos asfixiante, demostrando que el horror no solo son fantasmas, o criaturas deformes, el horror muchas veces esta presente en la esencia de las personas.
Disfruto muchisimo de la literatura asiatica, y esta antologia hace mucho que la tenia en mi tbr, lo unico que lamento es no haberlo leido antes.
Birthday: un niño con una habilidad muy particular. Estoy debatiendo si yo le preguntaria sobre mi fecha..no lo se. El desenlace final es una genialidad. 5/5
Darkness: un cuento complejo, de esos que te dejan elaborando teorias de que pudo haber pasado. Definitivamente el autor juega con la mente del lector. 4/5
By the clock: una genialidad, me encanta el estilo de Ratnakar Matkari para en pocas paginas crear atmosferas terrorificas, el final me dejo boquiabierta! 5/5
The heir: increible! Un cuento que tiene varios giros sorprendentes. Una mansion terrorifica, dos hombres y el secreto que se oculta entre esas paredes tenebrosas. 5/5
Lady of the house: una mujer muy particular, que ama incondicionalmente su casa, y hara lo que sea para conservarla, cueste lo que cueste. 5/5
Monsoon guest: un cuento que aborda lo fantastico, lo misterioso, la transformacion. 4/5
The swing: una historia interesante que aborda la , sumado a un deseo infinito. 3.5/5
I see Vikram: la imagen de un amigo imaginario, y las consecuencias cuando lo real y lo imaginario no conoce de limites ni diferencias. 3.5/5
Followed: la locura irreversible en nombre del amor. Cuando la confusion y la duda es la unica realidad que se conoce. 3.5/5
Between strangers: podrian dos personas que no se conocen estar de alguna manera conectados? Es energia? Es amor? Es locura? Quizas un poco de todo. 3.5/5
Vampire: una historia donde se usa el recurso de "mujer extraña que hace autostop", pero el giro final es excelente! 5/5
Worms: es un cuento que en principio le pondria una estrella, ya que ocurre una pero de este acto detestable surge una consecuencia, y como se suele decir..Karma is a Bitch! 4/5
A house of my own: un excelente cuento, donde la venganza toma el mando, pero mi problema es que el final no me gusto, lo senti injusto para ella. 2.5/5
Prayer: el autor explora el poder de la oracion pero desde una perspectiva absolutamente distinta. La oracion en si esta asociado con un acto divino, de fe, el cual involucra la energia positiva de una persona, y este acto se asocia con el bien, pero que pasaria cuando la motivacion de una oracion nada tiene que ver con la bondad? El autor tambien ahonda en la autosugestion y como la mente muchas veces nos juega malas pasadas. Aqui sin dudas aplica el dicho "el que avisa no traiciona". 5/5
The lost child: uff, tengo una enorme duda si el cuento que acabo de leer es una genialidad o todo lo contrario, la premisa es realmente excelente, pero el final fue demasiado raro.. 2.5/5
The man on the brigde: me encanto la exploracion de la perdida de espacio y tiempo, la perdida del propio ser. Me dejo pensando hasta que punto es realmente posible cometer un acto atroz y no tener plena conciencia del mismo. 4/5
Two kids: excelente! Muchas veces la imagen de los niños esta asociada a la inocencia, en este caso..bueno..si dos niños les piden de pasar a su casa, piensenlo dos veces! 5/5
The hangman's noose: un esceptico que necesita desesperadamente pruebas, que necesita desesperadamente creer. 3.5/5
Autor: Ratnakar Matkari
Motivo de lectura: Letras Macabras (Isla Macabra 2023)
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Mi edicion: Electronico
Puntuacion: 4/5
Esta antologia incluye dieciocho cuentos, los cuales no decepcionan. En general se sabe que en una antologia habra cuentos muy buenos, y otros no tanto, pero en este caso el autor ofrece un excelente nivel.
Ratnakar Matkari explora los sentimientos negativos, como los celos, la envidia, la venganza, todo entrelazado con el terror y una atmosfera por momentos asfixiante, demostrando que el horror no solo son fantasmas, o criaturas deformes, el horror muchas veces esta presente en la esencia de las personas.
Disfruto muchisimo de la literatura asiatica, y esta antologia hace mucho que la tenia en mi tbr, lo unico que lamento es no haberlo leido antes.
Birthday: un niño con una habilidad muy particular. Estoy debatiendo si yo le preguntaria sobre mi fecha..no lo se. El desenlace final es una genialidad. 5/5
Darkness: un cuento complejo, de esos que te dejan elaborando teorias de que pudo haber pasado. Definitivamente el autor juega con la mente del lector. 4/5
By the clock: una genialidad, me encanta el estilo de Ratnakar Matkari para en pocas paginas crear atmosferas terrorificas, el final me dejo boquiabierta! 5/5
The heir: increible! Un cuento que tiene varios giros sorprendentes. Una mansion terrorifica, dos hombres y el secreto que se oculta entre esas paredes tenebrosas. 5/5
Lady of the house: una mujer muy particular, que ama incondicionalmente su casa, y hara lo que sea para conservarla, cueste lo que cueste. 5/5
Monsoon guest: un cuento que aborda lo fantastico, lo misterioso, la transformacion. 4/5
The swing: una historia interesante que aborda la , sumado a un deseo infinito. 3.5/5
I see Vikram: la imagen de un amigo imaginario, y las consecuencias cuando lo real y lo imaginario no conoce de limites ni diferencias. 3.5/5
Followed: la locura irreversible en nombre del amor. Cuando la confusion y la duda es la unica realidad que se conoce. 3.5/5
Between strangers: podrian dos personas que no se conocen estar de alguna manera conectados? Es energia? Es amor? Es locura? Quizas un poco de todo. 3.5/5
Vampire: una historia donde se usa el recurso de "mujer extraña que hace autostop", pero el giro final es excelente! 5/5
Worms: es un cuento que en principio le pondria una estrella, ya que ocurre una pero de este acto detestable surge una consecuencia, y como se suele decir..Karma is a Bitch! 4/5
A house of my own: un excelente cuento, donde la venganza toma el mando, pero mi problema es que el final no me gusto, lo senti injusto para ella. 2.5/5
Prayer: el autor explora el poder de la oracion pero desde una perspectiva absolutamente distinta. La oracion en si esta asociado con un acto divino, de fe, el cual involucra la energia positiva de una persona, y este acto se asocia con el bien, pero que pasaria cuando la motivacion de una oracion nada tiene que ver con la bondad? El autor tambien ahonda en la autosugestion y como la mente muchas veces nos juega malas pasadas. Aqui sin dudas aplica el dicho "el que avisa no traiciona". 5/5
The lost child: uff, tengo una enorme duda si el cuento que acabo de leer es una genialidad o todo lo contrario, la premisa es realmente excelente, pero el final fue demasiado raro.. 2.5/5
The man on the brigde: me encanto la exploracion de la perdida de espacio y tiempo, la perdida del propio ser. Me dejo pensando hasta que punto es realmente posible cometer un acto atroz y no tener plena conciencia del mismo. 4/5
Two kids: excelente! Muchas veces la imagen de los niños esta asociada a la inocencia, en este caso..bueno..si dos niños les piden de pasar a su casa, piensenlo dos veces! 5/5
The hangman's noose: un esceptico que necesita desesperadamente pruebas, que necesita desesperadamente creer. 3.5/5
November 1, 2020
Though not spooky as I expected them to be, these stories are certainly packed with strong local flavors. The distinct rural/suburban Maharashtra vibes are hard to miss. Don't read it just for the thrills. It has much more to offer.
January 9, 2024
Update - 09/01/2024
One of those 2020 favorites I still think about to this day. Bumping the star-rating to a 5, cause I need to stop play-pretending as a critic and have fun again.
Collections like these are rare. Good translation. Weird undertones. Localised Marathi horror. What's not to love? I remember, 'The Swing' being my personal favourite of the bunch. The story follows the trajectory of a girl dreaming of a house she was supposed to be married into. A short, atmospheric read, more chilling than horrifying in nature. Tapping into everything that I love about the genre as a whole.
One of those 2020 favorites I still think about to this day. Bumping the star-rating to a 5, cause I need to stop play-pretending as a critic and have fun again.
Collections like these are rare. Good translation. Weird undertones. Localised Marathi horror. What's not to love? I remember, 'The Swing' being my personal favourite of the bunch. The story follows the trajectory of a girl dreaming of a house she was supposed to be married into. A short, atmospheric read, more chilling than horrifying in nature. Tapping into everything that I love about the genre as a whole.
November 20, 2023
Darkness
Colección de cuentos cortes localizados en la india, que van sobre situaciones cotidianas donde de repente pasa algo que les da un toque de terror o suspenso. Algunas con un giro bastante interesante. Y una colección bastante buena , el cuento con la calificación más baja 3, pero la mayoría entre 4 y 5 estrellas
Los que más me gustaron
- Birthday: sobre un niño que predice cosas con fechas, el giro la final, spooky.
- By the clock: Sobre Mrs. Pirojabai y su solución a las campanadas de un reloj, me hizo reír.
- I see Vikram, sobre un niño y su amigo Vikram.
- Vampyre, es sobre un vampiro, pero tiene su truco.
- Two Kids, sobre dos niños huérfanos.
- The hangman noose, ese si te da ñañaras aunque sabes a donde va.
La verdad, me dio flojera sacar el promedio, por que con lo bueno de los cuentos, para mi da a 4.5 stars
Colección de cuentos cortes localizados en la india, que van sobre situaciones cotidianas donde de repente pasa algo que les da un toque de terror o suspenso. Algunas con un giro bastante interesante. Y una colección bastante buena , el cuento con la calificación más baja 3, pero la mayoría entre 4 y 5 estrellas
Los que más me gustaron
- Birthday: sobre un niño que predice cosas con fechas, el giro la final, spooky.
- By the clock: Sobre Mrs. Pirojabai y su solución a las campanadas de un reloj, me hizo reír.
- I see Vikram, sobre un niño y su amigo Vikram.
- Vampyre, es sobre un vampiro, pero tiene su truco.
- Two Kids, sobre dos niños huérfanos.
- The hangman noose, ese si te da ñañaras aunque sabes a donde va.
La verdad, me dio flojera sacar el promedio, por que con lo bueno de los cuentos, para mi da a 4.5 stars
February 14, 2021
This delectable collection of strange tales took a long time to be completed. So well-written (and obviously well-translated) were the stories, that after a long time I felt like a proper gourmet, not a mere eater.
Why so, you may ask.
First let me list the stories. They were~
1. Birthday
2. Darkness
3. By the Clock
4. The Heir
5. Lady of the House
6. Monsoon Guest
7. The Swing
8. I See Vikram
9. Followed
10. Between Strangers
11. Vampire
12. Worms
13. A House of My Own
14. Prayer
15. The Lost Child
16. The Man on the Bridge
17. Two Kids
18. The Hangman's Noose
Several of these stories were based on fairly common plots, which we sort of expect in ghost stories. Nevertheless, the execution turned them into very disturbing tales. Most importantly, the thoroughly Indan flavour associated with them made them stand apart from the usual lot of over-anthologised English stories. Satyajit Ray used to do this with great panache. Ratnakar Matkari also makes us feel special with his tales.
Here there be ghosts. They are accompanied by stories hinting at science fiction, delusion, hallucination, and the most horrifying monster of all— our minds!
Many of these stories played with my mind as well. They almost challenged me to predict the ending. And here's the twist! So good was the writing and so realistic were the characterisations, that despite my predictions coming true, they left me gasping at the end.
This is a very very special collection indeed.
Savour it slowly. Otherwise this darkness would engulf you.
Good people at Harper Collins and Vikrant Pande have done us a great service, by bringing out this translation of Sri Matkari's selected tales. I hope they wouldn’t allow this to be a one-off case and would follow up by more translations of genre fiction penned in Indian languages.
Highly recommended.
Why so, you may ask.
First let me list the stories. They were~
1. Birthday
2. Darkness
3. By the Clock
4. The Heir
5. Lady of the House
6. Monsoon Guest
7. The Swing
8. I See Vikram
9. Followed
10. Between Strangers
11. Vampire
12. Worms
13. A House of My Own
14. Prayer
15. The Lost Child
16. The Man on the Bridge
17. Two Kids
18. The Hangman's Noose
Several of these stories were based on fairly common plots, which we sort of expect in ghost stories. Nevertheless, the execution turned them into very disturbing tales. Most importantly, the thoroughly Indan flavour associated with them made them stand apart from the usual lot of over-anthologised English stories. Satyajit Ray used to do this with great panache. Ratnakar Matkari also makes us feel special with his tales.
Here there be ghosts. They are accompanied by stories hinting at science fiction, delusion, hallucination, and the most horrifying monster of all— our minds!
Many of these stories played with my mind as well. They almost challenged me to predict the ending. And here's the twist! So good was the writing and so realistic were the characterisations, that despite my predictions coming true, they left me gasping at the end.
This is a very very special collection indeed.
Savour it slowly. Otherwise this darkness would engulf you.
Good people at Harper Collins and Vikrant Pande have done us a great service, by bringing out this translation of Sri Matkari's selected tales. I hope they wouldn’t allow this to be a one-off case and would follow up by more translations of genre fiction penned in Indian languages.
Highly recommended.
November 6, 2023
Una grata sorpresa está colección de historias, no conocía al autor, por lo visto un dramaturgo muy famoso en India, al que pienso seguirle la pista.
Las historias son sencillas pero sorpresivas, todas tienen algo que una siempre quiere saber más.
Misa favoritas son: Birthday, By the clock (que tiene una fina cuota de humor en su final), The heir (excelente giro de tuerca) the swing, Monsoon guest, the lost child (este es más ciencia ficción) y Two kids, aunque ninguno tiene desperdicio. Quizá no me encantó el de Between Strangers muy cursi y The man on the bridge (sorpresivo final pero no satisfactorio)
El toque del autor, de hacer las historias cotidianas con un toque terrorífico de los personajes no podrán escapar.
Recomendable.
Las historias son sencillas pero sorpresivas, todas tienen algo que una siempre quiere saber más.
Misa favoritas son: Birthday, By the clock (que tiene una fina cuota de humor en su final), The heir (excelente giro de tuerca) the swing, Monsoon guest, the lost child (este es más ciencia ficción) y Two kids, aunque ninguno tiene desperdicio. Quizá no me encantó el de Between Strangers muy cursi y The man on the bridge (sorpresivo final pero no satisfactorio)
El toque del autor, de hacer las historias cotidianas con un toque terrorífico de los personajes no podrán escapar.
Recomendable.
November 1, 2019
Rating : 4/❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
An anthology of eighteen short horror stories that hold the mind in vice like grip, till the very last word.The tales riding high on human emotions like friendship, love, hatred, revenge boldly depicts critical issues like exploitation, adultery, class discrimination and deception with the element of horror providing a strong background.A young boy
impassively predicting the death time of fellow guests and host, an unnatural event visible only to the true heir of the manor, the invisible playmate, the sweet revenge of worms, the prayer for death and many such pieces will surely leave the one numb. :
The stories deftly grow on the reader and strike hard when the excitement is on the peak leaving the reader into myriad of thoughts. Narrated in a lucid language, the pace is quite fast I could easily gobble up the collection in a single sitting.The characters are well
developed and the premise is detailed. The style of presentation is a welcoming change from the usual violent spooky tales; the author beautifully explores the psychological working of human mind, its deepest desires and its connection to reality.The climax will leave everyone in a state of shock, grappling for reality.
:
Vikrant Pande has done a splendid job of translation without losing the essence of the
main text. But then too I will love to read the original piece.I would recommend the book
to everyone especially to horror lovers, it is a treasure to relished again and again.
January 8, 2021
Though the short tales were thoroughly entertaining and engaging, I felt a couple of them were rushed and could have been novellas instead of short stories. A couple others seemed a bit confusing and too open ended, or maybe just lost in translation.
October 30, 2024
The stories are spooky and well written. I was able to predict most of them but I would still say it's a good book.
November 7, 2019
'Ghosts aren't monsters. Death doesn't change who we were, only how we exist.'
There're people who've experienced this strange phenomenon & those who haven't. Often these intimate puzzles & intricate questions are divided into many questionable analogies like:
How?
What? &
Why?
and a multitude of other factors.
There're those who rationalise things scientifically & seek a logical explanation to everything.
While there're few who deal such bizarre mysterious circumstances with spirituality - they perceive spirits as people who are deceased humans. To be precise, they are entities way much older than time itself, sometimes negative or otherwise positive, consisted of pure dynamic energy & invisible to the spectrum of the visible human eye.
However, they don't pass through infrared or static mode, as they have auras that interfere with the detection signals. Sometimes in pensive state, being in presence of negative spirit will have lead people to paralysis; sometimes shivers or void of feelings, perhaps dark & mostly evil. In their ominous presence, you may feel their negative energy. Most people have reported seeing a shadow in complete 3-dimension yet transparent in the dark. It's an interesting topic on both aspects of science & spirituality which needs much discussion.
Do you believe in ghosts & paranormal existence? If yes, then this book is perfectly apt for you. It will make you question your very existence & belief in your belief in what's real & unreal or imagination & reality. Adding further, sometimes there're things beyond the human realm which we can't perceive or visualise through our naked eyes. Because as humans, it's a common tendency for us to believe things that we see & those we don't, we tend of disapprove of them or negate them entirely as a mere conjecture.
There're 18 stories in total. Each story is very short & can be finished very quickly. My favourite ones were - 'By the clock', 'Lady of the house', 'I see Vikram' & 'The lost child.'
It ranges from ordinary life to well privileged one, it covers many topics like infidelity, crime, lust, sex, injustice, shape-shifting, romance, love, technology, science, reasoning, logic, unnatural phenomenon, alternate universe, time travel, repetition of events, etcetera & so on... I finished the book in just a few hours.
Though I liked all the stories given in the book, I felt it lacked few things. Firstly, they could've been much scarier. Secondly, some stories ended abruptly or lacked a good strong storyline. Also, there were some instances where the beginning & ending of the stories didn't match with each other. The transition phase across every section lacked something or another.
Cover is beautiful, spooky & well designed.
Title is apt, catchy & sounds interesting.
Theme is appealing & consists of lots of supernatural, mystery, thriller, suspense & mostly spooky! It's well researched & topics vary from scientic to paranormal in most of the cases.
Each story succinctly suffices with a good plot which has been extrapolated well. Writing style is good accompanied with a good command over vocabulary. Narration is also beautiful. The translation from marathi to English have been achieved successfully. The surprising element/factor has been incorporated well & balanced accordingly. For a lover of suspense & thriller. It's a must read for horror lovers.
There're people who've experienced this strange phenomenon & those who haven't. Often these intimate puzzles & intricate questions are divided into many questionable analogies like:
How?
What? &
Why?
and a multitude of other factors.
There're those who rationalise things scientifically & seek a logical explanation to everything.
While there're few who deal such bizarre mysterious circumstances with spirituality - they perceive spirits as people who are deceased humans. To be precise, they are entities way much older than time itself, sometimes negative or otherwise positive, consisted of pure dynamic energy & invisible to the spectrum of the visible human eye.
However, they don't pass through infrared or static mode, as they have auras that interfere with the detection signals. Sometimes in pensive state, being in presence of negative spirit will have lead people to paralysis; sometimes shivers or void of feelings, perhaps dark & mostly evil. In their ominous presence, you may feel their negative energy. Most people have reported seeing a shadow in complete 3-dimension yet transparent in the dark. It's an interesting topic on both aspects of science & spirituality which needs much discussion.
Do you believe in ghosts & paranormal existence? If yes, then this book is perfectly apt for you. It will make you question your very existence & belief in your belief in what's real & unreal or imagination & reality. Adding further, sometimes there're things beyond the human realm which we can't perceive or visualise through our naked eyes. Because as humans, it's a common tendency for us to believe things that we see & those we don't, we tend of disapprove of them or negate them entirely as a mere conjecture.
There're 18 stories in total. Each story is very short & can be finished very quickly. My favourite ones were - 'By the clock', 'Lady of the house', 'I see Vikram' & 'The lost child.'
It ranges from ordinary life to well privileged one, it covers many topics like infidelity, crime, lust, sex, injustice, shape-shifting, romance, love, technology, science, reasoning, logic, unnatural phenomenon, alternate universe, time travel, repetition of events, etcetera & so on... I finished the book in just a few hours.
Though I liked all the stories given in the book, I felt it lacked few things. Firstly, they could've been much scarier. Secondly, some stories ended abruptly or lacked a good strong storyline. Also, there were some instances where the beginning & ending of the stories didn't match with each other. The transition phase across every section lacked something or another.
Cover is beautiful, spooky & well designed.
Title is apt, catchy & sounds interesting.
Theme is appealing & consists of lots of supernatural, mystery, thriller, suspense & mostly spooky! It's well researched & topics vary from scientic to paranormal in most of the cases.
Each story succinctly suffices with a good plot which has been extrapolated well. Writing style is good accompanied with a good command over vocabulary. Narration is also beautiful. The translation from marathi to English have been achieved successfully. The surprising element/factor has been incorporated well & balanced accordingly. For a lover of suspense & thriller. It's a must read for horror lovers.
October 26, 2019
Eighteen short stories to send a chill down your spine, is what Ratnakar Matkari’s Darkness aims to
achieve. And it achieves the objective with literary finesse.
Darkness is the English translation of Ratnakar Matkari’s book of short stories by Vikrant Pande, with supernaturalism as the central theme. Each of the eighteen stories explores various human
emotions like love, revenge, jealousy etc and societal issues like infidelity, class discrimination etc
with horror as the backdrop.
Gaining the reader’s attention through short stories is very tough because of the limited read span
and the changing surroundings. Darkness suffers from the same constraints but overcomes them
problem with the central theme and the punch in the climax. Ratnakar’s stories do not start off creepy but they introduce the reader to a usual mystery setting. When the tension of the mystery reaches an optimum level, the author delivers a supernatural punch which can catch you unaware, thus delivering a satisfying short story. This character over the span of eighteen stories, read in a single sitting, can give the reader tremors at the end of the day.
The writing is master class, which can be experienced in spite of the fact that the book is a translation. The simple setting devoid of the pompousness of usual horror stories forms the beauty of the book. The climax of the stories stimulates the thinking process; sometimes urging the reader to re-read the story.
The book is a must read, irrespective of the reader’s inclination for horror, for its writing and the
setting. To suggest a favorite among the stories would be impossible, but I would go with 'The Heir' if pushed!
Overall, a book to be tasted, chewed and digested.
achieve. And it achieves the objective with literary finesse.
Darkness is the English translation of Ratnakar Matkari’s book of short stories by Vikrant Pande, with supernaturalism as the central theme. Each of the eighteen stories explores various human
emotions like love, revenge, jealousy etc and societal issues like infidelity, class discrimination etc
with horror as the backdrop.
Gaining the reader’s attention through short stories is very tough because of the limited read span
and the changing surroundings. Darkness suffers from the same constraints but overcomes them
problem with the central theme and the punch in the climax. Ratnakar’s stories do not start off creepy but they introduce the reader to a usual mystery setting. When the tension of the mystery reaches an optimum level, the author delivers a supernatural punch which can catch you unaware, thus delivering a satisfying short story. This character over the span of eighteen stories, read in a single sitting, can give the reader tremors at the end of the day.
The writing is master class, which can be experienced in spite of the fact that the book is a translation. The simple setting devoid of the pompousness of usual horror stories forms the beauty of the book. The climax of the stories stimulates the thinking process; sometimes urging the reader to re-read the story.
The book is a must read, irrespective of the reader’s inclination for horror, for its writing and the
setting. To suggest a favorite among the stories would be impossible, but I would go with 'The Heir' if pushed!
Overall, a book to be tasted, chewed and digested.
November 9, 2019
My companion for this year's Halloween was 'Darkness' by Ratnakar Matkari. This book is translated from Marathi to English by Vikrant Pande and he has definitely done an amazing job!
A collection of 18 short stories the theme of the book is horror and mystery. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and spooky! The stories are so well written, they are spine chilling and sound very realistic. The horror element is blended so well, it's nothing like the cliché stories where the ghosts appear from nowhere to terrify the audience.
A child who can predict your death, a woman who can cheat her death and transfer it to others, a woman who loves her house and isn't ready to leave it, a dead man who wants to relive the moments of his life again and again, deadly worms, shapeshifters, vampires and there's much more. Each story is so different, has a different backdrop, different ending and doesn't fail to amaze the readers.
The language is very lucid and easy. The narrative is gripping and transports us to the setup of the story. Definitely a must read for all the horror lovers, also if you aren't a fan of this genre, this would be a great pick to start with. So grab your copies soon!
A collection of 18 short stories the theme of the book is horror and mystery. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and spooky! The stories are so well written, they are spine chilling and sound very realistic. The horror element is blended so well, it's nothing like the cliché stories where the ghosts appear from nowhere to terrify the audience.
A child who can predict your death, a woman who can cheat her death and transfer it to others, a woman who loves her house and isn't ready to leave it, a dead man who wants to relive the moments of his life again and again, deadly worms, shapeshifters, vampires and there's much more. Each story is so different, has a different backdrop, different ending and doesn't fail to amaze the readers.
The language is very lucid and easy. The narrative is gripping and transports us to the setup of the story. Definitely a must read for all the horror lovers, also if you aren't a fan of this genre, this would be a great pick to start with. So grab your copies soon!
August 19, 2020
Darkness by Ratnakar Matkari is an anthology of 18 tales with supernatural and mystery as its central theme. Translated from Marathi to English by Vikrant Pande, the book consists of crisp stories which leaves the readers asking for more.
Ratnakar Matkari was a Marathi writer, a movie and play producer/director, and a self-taught artist from Maharashtra, who passed away in May 2020 due to Covid-19.
The language is lucid and I never felt like I was reading a translated text. The stories explore topics like love, revenge and infidelity among other things. A couple of them followed the same theme but yet were different enough to be enjoyable. The stories mostly scored heavier on the supernatural scale more than it did on the horror scale. Of them my favourites were Birthday, By The Clock, Lady Of The House and The Man On The Bridge.
It was such an engaging read. Although a few stories weren't that impactful and at times predictable, I eagerly waited for the author to deliver the punchline in most of them and get my mind blown away.
My rating: 3.8
Ratnakar Matkari was a Marathi writer, a movie and play producer/director, and a self-taught artist from Maharashtra, who passed away in May 2020 due to Covid-19.
The language is lucid and I never felt like I was reading a translated text. The stories explore topics like love, revenge and infidelity among other things. A couple of them followed the same theme but yet were different enough to be enjoyable. The stories mostly scored heavier on the supernatural scale more than it did on the horror scale. Of them my favourites were Birthday, By The Clock, Lady Of The House and The Man On The Bridge.
It was such an engaging read. Although a few stories weren't that impactful and at times predictable, I eagerly waited for the author to deliver the punchline in most of them and get my mind blown away.
My rating: 3.8
April 10, 2023
3.5
The Darkness horror anthology by Ratnakar is a solid collection of short horrors and mysteries reminiscent of the twilight zone. Many of the stories are cliche relying on predictable, and sometimes confusing, twist endings while few others felt original and steeped in Indian culture. However, I think most of the stories suffer from their short length. The settings and atmosphere felt bland because of the lack description, and most characters had no time to become more than 2 dimensional. Over all though, I still had a good time and two or three of the stories did leave me with my jaw dropped.
I don’t suggest reading all the 18 stories back to back or in a single sitting. Pace this anthology out between other books. Treat it like a bathroom reader, making it less of a tedious read.
The Darkness horror anthology by Ratnakar is a solid collection of short horrors and mysteries reminiscent of the twilight zone. Many of the stories are cliche relying on predictable, and sometimes confusing, twist endings while few others felt original and steeped in Indian culture. However, I think most of the stories suffer from their short length. The settings and atmosphere felt bland because of the lack description, and most characters had no time to become more than 2 dimensional. Over all though, I still had a good time and two or three of the stories did leave me with my jaw dropped.
I don’t suggest reading all the 18 stories back to back or in a single sitting. Pace this anthology out between other books. Treat it like a bathroom reader, making it less of a tedious read.
January 5, 2024
If you go by the title and cover page, you'll feel a bit underwhelmed as there is lack of intense horror and stories are too short without much build up. But still, in that short-ness of stories, the author impresses you with different topics and local flavor he packs in them.
One star extra just because - all the paranormal topics it touches, that too written years back.
One star extra just because - all the paranormal topics it touches, that too written years back.
November 1, 2019
Full review on my blog:
https://blog.medhaapps.com/2019/10/bo...
Darkness is a collection of eighteen short stories all weaved around horror and mystery. Though all of them are translated from Marathi to English, the reader will never realize they are translations, kudos to Vikrant Pande, who translated them perfectly. The stories are a good mix of urban and rural backdrops and my personal favorites are those set up against rural, as they add to the theme with their rustic nature, huge empty bungalows and never-ending forests.
A child who can tell the exact date of death of any person he meets, a ghost that can change form to lead life of a human, a child who comes alive from imagination and what-could-have-been situations, an old woman who predicts her date of death and plans to transfer it to others, future that plays in reverse order as though it is happening for real, a dead person who wants to relive his dead moments again and again, vampires, shape-shifting creatures, worms that can turn deadly — each story has a unique premise and horror element.
The stories are so interesting that the reader cannot stop just with few stories. Though all of them are centered around the same theme, each of them have a different backdrop and a different ending, that keeps the reader guessing, especially since most of them have an inherent mystery inbuilt. Short stories are generally challenging for an author to sustain the reader’s interest and hence a bunch of horror stories are further challenging. The original author Ratnakar Matkari does a fabulous job with fine story telling. Unlike horror stories in recent times which try to cash on only on the sleaze factor, this collection steers away from such clichés. Pick ‘Darkness’ for a collection of spooky stories that are engaging and intriguing.
https://blog.medhaapps.com/2019/10/bo...
Darkness is a collection of eighteen short stories all weaved around horror and mystery. Though all of them are translated from Marathi to English, the reader will never realize they are translations, kudos to Vikrant Pande, who translated them perfectly. The stories are a good mix of urban and rural backdrops and my personal favorites are those set up against rural, as they add to the theme with their rustic nature, huge empty bungalows and never-ending forests.
A child who can tell the exact date of death of any person he meets, a ghost that can change form to lead life of a human, a child who comes alive from imagination and what-could-have-been situations, an old woman who predicts her date of death and plans to transfer it to others, future that plays in reverse order as though it is happening for real, a dead person who wants to relive his dead moments again and again, vampires, shape-shifting creatures, worms that can turn deadly — each story has a unique premise and horror element.
The stories are so interesting that the reader cannot stop just with few stories. Though all of them are centered around the same theme, each of them have a different backdrop and a different ending, that keeps the reader guessing, especially since most of them have an inherent mystery inbuilt. Short stories are generally challenging for an author to sustain the reader’s interest and hence a bunch of horror stories are further challenging. The original author Ratnakar Matkari does a fabulous job with fine story telling. Unlike horror stories in recent times which try to cash on only on the sleaze factor, this collection steers away from such clichés. Pick ‘Darkness’ for a collection of spooky stories that are engaging and intriguing.
November 1, 2019
#bookmail
Title : Darkness
Author : Ratnakar Matkari
Rating : 5/5
Darkness is a Marathi translated novel by
Ratnakar Matkari. The book is collection of 18 short stories - each unique and different that make our heart skip abeat atleast once. You won't be able to put the book down and below are my favourite stories among them.
🕯️Birthday
🕯️By The Clock
🕯️The Swing
🕯️The Man on the Bridge
🕯️ Between Strangers
🕯️ Birthday
Have you seen someone who can predict your death date if he knows your birth date? This boy has the power to predict the day you will die if you tell him your birth date. It was Jeetu's birthday and many kids from the orphanage were invited to celebrate his birthday! Jeetu received a puppy as gift, and then an incident occurs which leaves everyone shocked. Who is this guy exactly? How can he predict the death of a person?
🕯️By the clock
A woman who can deviate her death to someone else. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? This woman invites people to her mansion because she comes to know her death is approaching with the help of a clock. She invites people over for dinner, asks them to stay....what happens next? Find out!
Things I love:
🕯️ Beautiful cover page : Unique and attractive, also it matches the theme completely.
🕯️It's difficult to write short stories according to me, as within few pages the author needs to explain the whole scenario and at the time entertain readers too. He has done both. The writing is terrifying yet makes the book unputdownable.
🕯️ Narration is smooth and lucid. Even a beginner can understand the stories easily. Can complete within one sit.
To know more about all this, grab a copy. I assure you won't regret after reading this.
Title : Darkness
Author : Ratnakar Matkari
Rating : 5/5
Darkness is a Marathi translated novel by
Ratnakar Matkari. The book is collection of 18 short stories - each unique and different that make our heart skip abeat atleast once. You won't be able to put the book down and below are my favourite stories among them.
🕯️Birthday
🕯️By The Clock
🕯️The Swing
🕯️The Man on the Bridge
🕯️ Between Strangers
🕯️ Birthday
Have you seen someone who can predict your death date if he knows your birth date? This boy has the power to predict the day you will die if you tell him your birth date. It was Jeetu's birthday and many kids from the orphanage were invited to celebrate his birthday! Jeetu received a puppy as gift, and then an incident occurs which leaves everyone shocked. Who is this guy exactly? How can he predict the death of a person?
🕯️By the clock
A woman who can deviate her death to someone else. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? This woman invites people to her mansion because she comes to know her death is approaching with the help of a clock. She invites people over for dinner, asks them to stay....what happens next? Find out!
Things I love:
🕯️ Beautiful cover page : Unique and attractive, also it matches the theme completely.
🕯️It's difficult to write short stories according to me, as within few pages the author needs to explain the whole scenario and at the time entertain readers too. He has done both. The writing is terrifying yet makes the book unputdownable.
🕯️ Narration is smooth and lucid. Even a beginner can understand the stories easily. Can complete within one sit.
To know more about all this, grab a copy. I assure you won't regret after reading this.
December 23, 2019
This is the first time I read a Horror book and.... to be honest, I am freaking scared. But I enjoyed being scared because the book is an absolute page-turner. Originally written by Ratnakar Matkari in Marathi, the book was translated into English by Vikrant Pande and he has done a hell of a good job.
The book consists of 18 Horror stories, each unrelated to each other. I loved everything about the book be it the storylines, the characters or the climaxes. But what I loved the most is ‘horror’ does not just consist of ghost stories, you will also find stories of Paranormal Activities and those that result as a product of one’s imagination. The stories sometimes feel so real that it’s quite possible we have already experienced one of them but do not remember.
My favorite story is about a spoilt brat coming to live at his ancestral home after the death of his father. The home is situated in an isolated patch and near a bridge which passes over a river. After a few days, he starts seeing someone on the bridge throwing a sack in the river but whenever he tries to follow the person, he/she/it simply disappears. When the story unfolds you will have your mind blown for sure.
I highly recommend this masterpiece for anyone who wants to get pleasantly scared. Even if you don’t it is worth giving a shot, trust me you will be happy that you did. Once you start it is quite hard to put the book down, you will just keep completing story after story and will be wanting more at the end of the book.
The book consists of 18 Horror stories, each unrelated to each other. I loved everything about the book be it the storylines, the characters or the climaxes. But what I loved the most is ‘horror’ does not just consist of ghost stories, you will also find stories of Paranormal Activities and those that result as a product of one’s imagination. The stories sometimes feel so real that it’s quite possible we have already experienced one of them but do not remember.
My favorite story is about a spoilt brat coming to live at his ancestral home after the death of his father. The home is situated in an isolated patch and near a bridge which passes over a river. After a few days, he starts seeing someone on the bridge throwing a sack in the river but whenever he tries to follow the person, he/she/it simply disappears. When the story unfolds you will have your mind blown for sure.
I highly recommend this masterpiece for anyone who wants to get pleasantly scared. Even if you don’t it is worth giving a shot, trust me you will be happy that you did. Once you start it is quite hard to put the book down, you will just keep completing story after story and will be wanting more at the end of the book.
December 29, 2019
Full Review to Follow Soon
Disclaimer: A physical copy was provided via Harper Collins Indiain exchange for an honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.
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November 5, 2019
A very spooky collection of 18 short stories translated from Marathi by Vikrant Pande.
The stories revolve around various characters such as a child who can predict the age of death of a person, a woman who knows the date of her death and sacrifices others to stay alive.
All the stories are scary with a great description of moments of death, worms, vampires and all the other components of horror.
Coming to the language, the translation is perfect. I haven't read the Marathi version but I thoroughly enjoyed the English version of these stories. Generally, the essence of the story is lost in Translation but not in this book.
The narration is exceptional, the forests, the creatures, the bungalows etc. every little detail makes the stories more creepy and mysterious.
I would definitely like to acknowledge,Ratnakar Matkari for such a spine chilling book and Vikrant Pandey for the perfect translation.
Every story was a standout and they had my stomach turning with each word!
The stories revolve around various characters such as a child who can predict the age of death of a person, a woman who knows the date of her death and sacrifices others to stay alive.
All the stories are scary with a great description of moments of death, worms, vampires and all the other components of horror.
Coming to the language, the translation is perfect. I haven't read the Marathi version but I thoroughly enjoyed the English version of these stories. Generally, the essence of the story is lost in Translation but not in this book.
The narration is exceptional, the forests, the creatures, the bungalows etc. every little detail makes the stories more creepy and mysterious.
I would definitely like to acknowledge,Ratnakar Matkari for such a spine chilling book and Vikrant Pandey for the perfect translation.
Every story was a standout and they had my stomach turning with each word!
November 5, 2019
Darkness by Ratnakar Matkari, the English translation published by HarperCollins India and translated by Vikrant Pande is a spooky read which is not to be missed, especially, if you like horror genre.
I picked this book as a Halloweens special read and absolutely fell in love with it. The book consists of 18 short stories. All the stories have a crisp narration. When I say crisp, I mean that these stories are tightly knit. As also there is easy in the words, (the language) and the narration. Most of the stories are written in first person.
All the stories are fast paced and every story leaves you stunned.
More about the book: https://ofbookbabiesandmore.wordpress...
I picked this book as a Halloweens special read and absolutely fell in love with it. The book consists of 18 short stories. All the stories have a crisp narration. When I say crisp, I mean that these stories are tightly knit. As also there is easy in the words, (the language) and the narration. Most of the stories are written in first person.
All the stories are fast paced and every story leaves you stunned.
More about the book: https://ofbookbabiesandmore.wordpress...
November 5, 2019
Spooky, spine-tingling and a brilliant read - these words describe this book the best for me. I'm a fan of this genre whether it comes to books or shows on TV! Hands down, this was a really good read!
Ratnakar Matkari did a fine job in writing this book & the icing on the cake was Vikrant Pande's incredible translation. This book is a collection of 18 short stories, each story more scarier than other! The writing style is fantastic and I loved the flow of words in every story.
The cover of the book is in perfect sync with what the stories have to offer the reader. The narration is superb and every climax leaves you terrified yet addicted!
I'd 100% recommend this book to anyone who loves horror & mystery genre or otherwise also, this book is a must read! I'd rate this one a 4.5/5 read.
Ratnakar Matkari did a fine job in writing this book & the icing on the cake was Vikrant Pande's incredible translation. This book is a collection of 18 short stories, each story more scarier than other! The writing style is fantastic and I loved the flow of words in every story.
The cover of the book is in perfect sync with what the stories have to offer the reader. The narration is superb and every climax leaves you terrified yet addicted!
I'd 100% recommend this book to anyone who loves horror & mystery genre or otherwise also, this book is a must read! I'd rate this one a 4.5/5 read.
April 10, 2020
This book is translated from Marathi to English and has short stories with a paranormal element. Not all stories are horror. Few have very interesting concepts about parallel universe, vampire, premonition, etc. But it were the endings that disappointed me the most.
Out of 18 stories, I found only a few stories interesting and which were able to make me uncomfortable. It's not that the stories were not interesting, but almost all the stories had an ambiguous end. There was no explanation and sometimes the events didn't make any sense, at all! It was like things were just happening. I think that's why I am more disappointed. You know, when the build up is good, the concept is interesting and you are deep into the story, and then it just ends, there is no closure and there is a feeling of incompleteness, most of the stories end like this.
Read if you want to read something different in paranormal genre but be prepared for abrupt endings.
Out of 18 stories, I found only a few stories interesting and which were able to make me uncomfortable. It's not that the stories were not interesting, but almost all the stories had an ambiguous end. There was no explanation and sometimes the events didn't make any sense, at all! It was like things were just happening. I think that's why I am more disappointed. You know, when the build up is good, the concept is interesting and you are deep into the story, and then it just ends, there is no closure and there is a feeling of incompleteness, most of the stories end like this.
Read if you want to read something different in paranormal genre but be prepared for abrupt endings.
January 23, 2021
It's a short story collection. A Perfect gift to a teenager. He/She will definitely love to scare themselves by reading it.
Mystery, horror, crime fiction, sci-fi, suspence, even psychological horror is here.
Writer adds horror elements into the concept of dreams that makes the concept of dreaming more fascinating and mysterious.
The translation makes it very easy to read and get the meaning of the stories. There is no tons of hard words here. It would be a simple quick read.
Few stories are Quite predictable, since the stories are written decades ago and are used again and agin. But still there is a good variety here.
It wasn't that scary but yes it make you suspicious enough to look over your shoulders.
Book cover really made me buy this book. It's a perfect dust jacket for a #horror_lover.
Mystery, horror, crime fiction, sci-fi, suspence, even psychological horror is here.
Writer adds horror elements into the concept of dreams that makes the concept of dreaming more fascinating and mysterious.
The translation makes it very easy to read and get the meaning of the stories. There is no tons of hard words here. It would be a simple quick read.
Few stories are Quite predictable, since the stories are written decades ago and are used again and agin. But still there is a good variety here.
It wasn't that scary but yes it make you suspicious enough to look over your shoulders.
Book cover really made me buy this book. It's a perfect dust jacket for a #horror_lover.
March 15, 2021
This is my first foray into horror by an Indian writer. This is a collection of short stories translated from Marathi and I have to commend the quality of the translation.
I read this as part of a study of horror writing from around the world and there is a very Indian sense to some of the stories while others could be set anywhere in the world. One thing I have noticed is that Indian spirits have more agency and motivation than their western counterparts who are mostly figures of grief or revenge. Dreams also play a larger part in the creepiness of these stories. All in all a good sample of Indian horror.
I read this as part of a study of horror writing from around the world and there is a very Indian sense to some of the stories while others could be set anywhere in the world. One thing I have noticed is that Indian spirits have more agency and motivation than their western counterparts who are mostly figures of grief or revenge. Dreams also play a larger part in the creepiness of these stories. All in all a good sample of Indian horror.
May 14, 2021
Horror is not my favorite genre, but still I decided to read it. Only reason behind that it is a Marathi book. Now a days Marathi film and literature are passing through golden age.
The book contains 18 stories, every story is different from other. Writer write every aspect of horror, from shape shifting to premonition. Some are so beautiful, at the end you will be struck in thought and long time the story murmur in your mind.
you can predict any of the story at the beginning. Every story is ground breaking in horror literature. Writing is so lucid and simple, but end is so different you can't put down the book.
The book contains 18 stories, every story is different from other. Writer write every aspect of horror, from shape shifting to premonition. Some are so beautiful, at the end you will be struck in thought and long time the story murmur in your mind.
you can predict any of the story at the beginning. Every story is ground breaking in horror literature. Writing is so lucid and simple, but end is so different you can't put down the book.
August 10, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book ! The 18 short stories in this book are unique in every sense of the word. They range from horror to mystery and each has been conceived with great imagination. None of them are predictable. The translation is first rate & goes a long way in maintaining the suspense & surprise factor of the original Marathi text without diluting it or losing the central idea in translation. Highly recommended !
August 9, 2020
There is a jarring unevenness in the narration and writing of the various stories. You can tell which ones are older and have a richer lore and flow to them, compared to the newer ones which seem stuck with cheap reveals, flat narrative and abysmal conversations. Still an elevated read compared to most contemporary Indian horror/supernatural literature.
February 27, 2024
What a marvellous book! Gems from Ratnakar Matkari. Vikrant Pande's translation is also lucid like a stream. If supernatural stories have abilty to mesmerize readers, they need not to be spine chilling. In all these stories, I liked 'the swing' most. With a little pinch of supernatural element, this story is so heart warming. Just loved this book.
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