Additional information
by Arundhati Nath (Author)
Stories of bhoots are omnipresent in Bengali literature. Written for adults
and children by some of the best writers in the language, these stories have
entertained generations of readers since they first appeared.
Intrigue and horror abound in the pages of this collection where masters of
Bengali literature present a series of spine-chilling-and often bizarre-
encounters with the other-worldly. A half-burnt shadow dances on the walls;
a vain-glorious skeleton reminisces about her past beauty; the lonely spirit of
a young girl forever rows its boat in the marshes; and a proud English ghost
creates trouble on a train from Kolkata to Kashi. There is the cursed bed of a
Chinese man; the possessed pair of boots of a hunter; a Mughal-era house that
wants to suck the soul of its inhabitants; and an innocuous black cloth that
spells danger for all who wave it.
Comprising stories from legendary authors such as Rabindranath Tagore,
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay and Hemendra Kumar Roy, to lesser-
known but equally marvellous writers like Jogeshchandra Bandyopadhyay,
Niradchandra Majumdar and Amarendranath Munshi, The Phantom's Howl
is a quintessential representation of Bengal and its fascination with its many
bhoots and their tales. Arundhati Nath's pitch-perfect translations bring these
household favourites to a new generation of readers.
