Book Review- Terror on the Mountaintops by Sunil Gangopadhyay

About The Author

Sunil Gangopadhyay is a renowned Bengali aut Rishavhor. His most well-known creation is Kakababu or Raja Roy Choudhury.

Main Characters

This story centres around him and his nephew, who accompanies him on adventures. The nephew is called Shontu, short for Sunanda Roy Choudhury.

Background

Kakababu was an officer in the Archaeological Survey of India. But after a harrowing accident, he became disabled, losing a leg. Afterwards, he slowly recovered the strength to walk, obviously, with the help of crutches. This led him to leave the Archaeological Survey of India and move into the ground floor of his family’s house.

Though retired and disabled, Kakababu’s determination to recover lost artefacts and unimaginable will does not desert him. He occasionally goes on trips because of this.

Plot Summary

In this story, the obstinate Kakababu decides to hike Mount Everest. He ventures into the snowy deserts of Nepal, along with Shontu. He stops a little before Kala Pathar, a relatively small mountain on the path to Everest. There, they, along with the sherpas and kulis, luggage carriers in Bengali, set up camp beside a large stone tower. The duo of uncle and nephew stay inside the tower.

Here, Kakababu reveals the actual reason behind the trip. It is a 2-inch-tall, maybe-human tooth. He also explains the history behind it. But I shall not spoil it. They stay a fortnight in the tower. After that, the group trudges on to Kala Pathar.

Midway, they encounter a yeti. A yeti is a mythical creature that lives in the Himalayas. The scared Sherpas, who believe in Yetis, carry the disabled Kakababu and Shontu back to the tower. An enraged Kakababu tells the Sherpas and kulis to leave. Surprisingly, they do.

That night, while asleep, the duo is boarded in and cannot escape the tower. Kakababu sends a distress signal. Two soldiers rescue them. They and the soldiers hike to Kala Pathar to investigate the yeti mystery.

Kakababu, having to walk on crutches on snow, falls behind the group slightly. The group looks back and finds him missing. At the place where Kakababu should have been, they see one of his crutches and blood.

Will they be able to find Kakababu before it is too late? Is the yeti real? Who boarded up the tower?

Everything points to human involvement. But who are they, and where is Kakababu?

Writing Style

Sunil Gangopadhyay’s writing is terrific. He thickens the plot expertly every chapter. The plot is overall excellent. The ending is very unexpected. The climax is exceptionally intense and well-orchestrated. The last few chapters are so compelling that it is nearly impossible to put the book down.

Previously, the Kakababu stories were written from Shontu’s point of view. But this one is written in the third person. This kind of narrative is perfect for this story. The third-person style of narration adds more depth. It does not limit descriptions to the narrator’s understanding and perspective. This, along with the ability to express the thoughts of all the characters, makes it fitting. This gives the author opportunities to give the readers a peek into Kakababu’s thoughts, without contradicting his taciturn nature.

Translation Quality

Being a Bengali and having read both Bengali and English versions, the translator, Rimi, has done a marvellous job.

I shall give Terror on the Mountaintops by Sunil Gangopadhyay, translated by Rimi, a deserved  4/5.

But if I were to review the Bengali version, it would receive a 4.5/5.

Book Rating ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Overall Rating- 4/5

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ✨ — 4.5/5 for the Bengali version

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ — 4/5 for the English version

Age Recommendation : 9+

It is suitable for all above the age of 9 years.

Warning : There are some gory situations in the book.

I must warn that there are some gory situations, mainly towards the end.

***

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Photo Credit – Copyright Free, Royalty Free images from Pexels

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