Review of "Half a
Shadow" - Anurag Shourie
My first thought after reading
about this book was, how can Science and Spirituality find common ground; but, hats-off to Anurag for this "Mytho-Medical Thriller" which in his
words is a Medical Thriller with a Mythological bend to it. As interesting as
it may sound, you truly have to delve into the pages to get the drift of it.
I've read my share of medical thrillers, but this mytho-medic angle is just
brilliant. Kudos to the author for delving into the uncharted waters.
The story revolves around (no
prizes for guessing) a doctor, Aditya, who is working as anesthetist in a
cancer hospital. He thinks that at the age of 35 has lived his life. He has
serious drinking issues and in one of his inebriated stupors, he reads a wrong
file for young patient which causes her demise. In his bid to find out more
about it, he chances upon some clues which point towards the recent series of
deaths (read murders) in which the hospital staff might be involved. He is violently
attacked while saving Dr. Ketaki, his lover, but somehow survives. In his PTSD
state he is haunted by Sumitra (The Charioteer of Abhimanyu, son of the Pandava
Arjun) who says that he is in purgatory to atone for his own sins of letting
Abhimanyu die in the Chakravyuha.
Sumitra guides Aditya, who is
still trying to find out about the killings and sends the ghost of Sapna, the
girl who he inadvertently killed, as motivation. Our hero here falls for the
ghost, is unable to express and waiting for Sumitra finally puts life back into
her when all of this to get over. Meanwhile, his uncle Vijay, a hard but caring
police officer, assists his progress. His attempts bear fruit and hidden
secrets fall out from locked closets involving unethical practices, carcinogens,
radioactive elements, bio-hazards etc.
My take: The story keeps you riveted
between the pages. This is one of those books where every piece falls into
place and you get full closure. It was very satisfying to read till the end.
Apart from tiny errors here and there, the book is very well written and the
plots are framed superbly. The characters are described such that you can
actually visualize everything in your mind. The medical jargon won’t be hurdle
for non-medics since most of it is explained alongside. For medics, this might
prove to be tiresome and a bit like textbook reading though.
I am generally not a fan of
bilingual books, but this one was an exception. The Sanskrit Shlokas are found
in perfect harmony with the workings of a doctor’s mind. The mythical elements
are not parallel to the story-line but are entwined with it. The research put into letting this happen needs a resounding applause as well.
Verdict: If you miss it…. Oh no,
you dare not do that, you just cannot.
Book Courtesy: Writersmelon
