Book Review #16 : Whisper of the Worms

Book Title: Whisper of the Worms
Author: Marcardian
Publication: Cactus Publishers
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 317
Price: 240

‘Philosophical, Practical and Insightful.’ - Whisper of the Worms!

First look at the title and you'll get a feel that you are about to undertake a journey in to the world of worms or something like that. But it's not the way it looks. The title and cover are deceptive. Though the book is a piece of fiction with fictional characters. the author has borrowed everything from reality.

‘Whisper of the Worms’ has freshness written all over it. The story is a far cry from chic-lit romances and is a poignant tale of a cancer patient who, during the final days of his life, faces harassment from investigating bureaus for corporate criminal proceedings he has not done.

What I like best about this book is the blending and wonderful portrayal of the philosophy of life all within a bank culture. The gist of the novel lies in its portrayal of a present connecting with its past. No book has explained carrot and sticks in banking industry better. 

The narration is beautiful, since the protagonist is a simple, truthful and innocent person, untouched and uninfluenced by the corruption around him. His character has been beautifully penned.

We never really understand the pain and frustration of people who work in banks, government jobs and when they complain about not getting their due promotions or a junior being allowed to go up the ladder. It was only upon reading this book one can sympathize from the heart all the agony of the stick, carrot and donkey system. Banking industry people can relate to the book easily. 

The author needs to be really appreciated for seeing through the system of working in organizations and he does it with a lot of satirical wit that can cut through the skin so to say. The Kerala backdrop is nicely described.

The flashbacks are introduced at just the right moments. Their beauty lies in the fact that while not all of them might take the story forward, they always succeed in throwing light on the character himself.

The author has refrained from giving the protagonist a physical description, making him a kind of Everyman that could just as easily be one of us.

The story is emotional and heart warming. I liked the way the son and father’s relationship is weaved in the fiction. Despite slow in pace and narration, the book of 317 pages has a beautiful story and with an insertion of a story of vicious corporate banking world. The book is not a predictive.

Many people have suffered injustice at one point of time in their lives -  being made scapegoat just to make way for the corrupt ones. "Whisper of the Worms" brings out a tale of one such injustice and the inside of the banking industry.

The author has created a beautiful imaginary world and a corporate set up and a scandal which goes way too deep beyond anybody's imagination. He is not just intelligent with an excellent command over writing but possesses deep insightful eyes that brilliantly amalgamate the world of reality and fiction.

The author makes another brilliant move towards the climax and simply checkmates you when he lends a refreshing touch to the subjects of death and after-life.

It is, undoubtedly, one of the finest books to have emerged in recent times and deserves to earn the spotlight it has been kept bereft of. The whole story is essentially based on human reaction, emotional experience and complex and frustrated humanity.

P.S: The book sold excellently among banking fraternity in India. Recently Shri P K Sarkar, President of All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) garlanded him for the splendid work.

Ratings - 4/5

The book was received as part of Reviewers Programme on The Tales Pensieve.