content: ...this is hardly the most frightening book ever written. I wouldn't even put it in the top 10. That said, Mr. Simmons has crafted a chilling read. Right from the introduction, I found myself completely seduced by his fictional Calcutta as a den of unspeakable evil. This has stayed with me after reading the book, and I find that I am now drawn to Calcutta in the same way I was drawn to New England after reading H.P. Lovecraft, just to see if it is really that disturbing.The book is extremely enjoyable to read, with an almost literary quality. The author is deft at handling the demands of exposition within the constraints of the first person narration. A few moments ring untrue, but others (including the climax) are just fantastic. Overall the book has the messy feel of a true-life story, which of course makes it all the more disturbing.Highly recommended!