Song of Kali by Dan Simmons - Book Review

 Song of Kali 

By Dan Simmons

Rating : 3.75/5

Genres : supernatural, theology, dark fiction, fiction, mystery, suspense, 2021-read. 

This book is extremely gripping - till the end. But I couldn't give it more than what rating I have given it. Why? First, it had me simmering with rage and there is more than one scene which left me cringing - the author is outright blasphemous in using curse words against the deity and over blowing/exaggerating about his experiences in India. Second, I think he is confused between - kali, the demon who defines the age of kali vs Kaali the goddess who is known as all powerful. I had to remind myself that this is not a memoir but only a work of fiction. It felt like a slowly unwinding nightmare. This work of Dan Simmons beats many of the recent works of Stephen King - in horror and in touching the morbid, graphic violence, grisly ideas too deep. 

The narrator is a writer and he gets commissioned to obtain a manuscript of poems written by an Indian poet who has disappeared eight years ago - presumed dead - and resurfaced recently. He makes the trip to Calcutta - of which he develops a deep resentment and critical view - with his British Indian wife Amritha and toddler daughter Victoria. He walks into a perfectly tumultuous situation with little knowledge. He learns queer things, strange and unbelievable events follow and eventually the family - what's remaining of it - runs back to America. He cannot escape his narrow but strongly rooted experiences in Calcutta and they define his rest of life. So what happened?

Edit : This is me revisiting this review five years after posting it for the first time and I must say I have evolved away from my first opinion. Having read many books on horror and gods/evil, I agree this book is one of the most engaging there is. Mr. Simmons is a damn good writer. Sure he got confused a bit between kali and kaali of Indian mythology but I am still glad he penned this book. It not only introduces and puts a lens on Indian culture and our Gods/Satan kali, it also showcases that whatever form they might take, always and always, God will win over evil. This is universal!  I am tweaking my rating from 2.75 to 3.75. Cheers!