Night Theater

October 28, 2019
Paralkar (The Afflictions) draws on his experience as a physician in this fablelike tale that melds the philosophical with the corporeal. After a near career-ending scandal, an unnamed surgeon in India grudgingly figures he’ll finish his career caring for the rural poor, doing his best with the outmoded equipment and minimal supplies at his disposal. One night, he’s visited by a family—a young boy, his father, and his pregnant mother—asking for his help. As it happens, they’re all dead, the victims of an attack by highwaymen. The family claims to have been visited by an angel who has insisted that this surgeon alone has the skills to return them to life—but there’s only one night to repair their bodies. Accompanied by his devout young assistant, the decidedly a-religious surgeon embarks on the greatest challenge of his career, all the while considering questions about mortality, the afterlife, and the challenges of living an upright life. Paralkar’s novel underscores the arbitrary nature of death, the fact that one can neither prepare for it nor, perhaps, cheat one’s way out of it. Metaphysical conversations contrast with the detailed descriptions of surgery on damaged bodies that no longer either bleed or feel pain. Grotesque, strange, and hopeful in turns, the novel will leave readers marveling at the mysteries of death—and the wonders of life.

This fast-paced and deftly narrated medical thriller-cum-parable packs an emotional punch with a side of gore. Raj Ghatak narrates the story of a surgeon in rural India who one night is visited by a murdered family of three. The undead visitors come to the surgeon with a desperate request, and over the course of the long night, a series of decisions is made and secrets are revealed. The story is atmospheric and at times creepy. Paralkar plays up its mythological leanings while also commenting on social and political corruption. The characters are complex and compelling, and Ghatak deftly handles the large amount of dialogue. His captivating narration skillfully carries this visceral story. S.N. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine