Book: The House Where a Soul Waited

PANKAJ GIRI

Author: Himanshu Pal

The House Where a Soul Waited revolves around a young boy from a middle-class family in Rongli Gaon, a village in Sikkim, who begins to behave much more maturely for his age and starts speaking of memories that do not belong to him. The story then explores how his parents react to his strange behaviour and how his tragic past life has shaped his soul.

The story is intriguing and gripping till the final page. It is written brilliantly, with its fair share of twists and turns. Despite being a short read, the characters are well-etched and relatable. Mr. Pal delves into the emotions and doubts faced by the characters, making the reader resonate with them deeply, so much so that at one point, my eyes filled with tears.

The language is lucid, but Mr. Pal doesn't shy away from demonstrating his full array of wordplay. But he does it with a skill debut writers rarely possess. Emotion and poetry imbue almost every line; the writing has an admirable rhythm. Occasionally it teeters towards excessive lyricism, but the author pulls it back to simplicity with precision. I also loved that the prose is free from any major grammatical and punctuation errors. The descriptions are also vivid and beautiful.

Until the climax, the book is captivating and near-perfect. The ending is well-written too, and although it is incomplete and some loose ends are left untied, I liked it. I would have appreciated a few additional paragraphs showing the point of view of some other characters, but the ending is satisfying enough as it is.

Overall, The House Where a Soul Waited is an outstanding debut by a phenomenally talented writer. Despite its short length, the story was thought-provoking and moved me profoundly, which is no mean feat for a debut writer. I hope he attempts a longer story next time. I am sure he will do justice to it.