The Silent Howl Of Demise - Book Review

The Silent Howl of Demise

By Jyotirmoy Mazumdar

Review by Ila Garg

The story of the novel, The Silent Howl of Demise, is unique and in a way it is a refreshing subject in the midst of all the Chick Lits. It is a fact though that the subject might not tempt all the readers. It is a dark subject and the author Jyotirmoy Mazumdar has well - researched for the contents of this novel.

Readers these days look for an escape from the harsh realities in form of books and movies, so they prefer Rom - Coms and other easier subjects and themes. The Silent Howl of Demise begs to differ in such a scenario. The author has maintained his stand from the cover page to the end of the novel that he isn’t going to give any mushy tale to his readers. He is instead going to serve them with the brutalities of the world we are living in.

The story line, as I felt, is very challenging, intriguing, and, gripping. From the first chapter onwards, the story begins to enthrall the readers and engage them in the process of reading. The way in which Jyotirmoy has crafted the emotions of the brother - sister bond is noticeable too.

The story majorly revolves around Harsh and his family and the desire to take revenge of his sister Rimi’s death and the secrets which unfold one by one in that process. The cruel picture of Guwahati and the raging fire of some anti-national sources provide the backdrop of the story. The bloodshed, blasts, innocent people becoming victims to the growing terrorism is so well written that it touches you and pricks you from within. Harsh's initiative to start a movement against this uncalled for act of blasphemy by some people is the central theme of the book. Politics and terrorism are blended well. What surprised me is the fact that how well has Jyotirmoy handled such an intricate subject! The sensitivity of the subject i.e. Assam and its terrorism prone capital Guwahati makes the story an absolute pleasure to read.

The back side of the books rightly reflects on the contents of the novel and also raises some of the major questions:

Assam, 2002: A young girl, somewhere in her early twenties becomes a victim to her good deeds, in an attempt to save one of the victims of the blast, she lost her own life. Life and death though are the two different sides of the same coin, change human life, very differently. When an innocent heart loses a loved one to the adversities of life and the wrongs of the people, it sows the seed of revenge in the mind, and soul of the one who is affected. The maturity of the heart falls prey to the fury inside the mind of the victim. Harsh, along with his friends, go on an adventurous journey, to find the truth behind the death of his sister, but the venture, wasn’t as peaceful as they expected it to be. In the turn of events, they find out the reality behind the fiction they believed, about their own friends. Revenge, it tastes sweet, verbally, but to attain the actuality of revenge, one needs to risk, everything they ever had. From the deepest parts of their corrupted souls, to the filthiest intentions of their conscious minds, and the luxurious dreams of their illusionary world, revenge takes away, all of it. Revenge, will, not make them surrender, but it might kill their existence. What would this revenge do to the purity of their characters and the poison of revenge in their hearts?

The 204 pages book is an inspiring read for one it inspires you for a cause and two it rekindles the fire in your heart and motivates you to think a little beyond your comfort zones. At several events in the novel, I confess, I was in tears. The choice of words is amazing as it has the power to actually transport you to Guwahati and visualise the whole brutal scene with your own eyes. A sudden and unexpected end to the story keeps the curiosity of the readers alive. We might expect a sequel by the author!

It’s not at all a love story. It defies the latest trends of the market and gives you something new to read. Jyotirmoy has chosen to keep his individual identity intact by opting for the less travelled road.

The only low points of this novel are few of the editing errors. I found as many as 10 errors in the book which could have easily been avoided if the editor had been a little more careful. I being an editor strictly believe that editing plays a very important part in a novel. So my advice to the author will be to pay extra attention to the editing part in his future ventures.

The too many complexities of Harsh’s life is just one of the reasons you want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens in The Silent Howl Of Demise. I finished the novel in one go as it is very hard to put it down once you start the journey. Harsh is determined to fight for the right things and is not ready to give up at any cost. Priyali becomes his silent strength.

To find out whether he emerges out as a fighter or surrenders to the engulfing terrorism, he is able to bust the political racket or not, his dreams of living a happy life with Priyali are fulfilled or shattered, he is finally able to revenge his sister’s death or forced to surrender to fate, he gets a happy ending or not, what happens to his future with Priyali; you will have to read the novel, The Silent Howl of Demise.

Ratings: 4/5.