Crime Thrillers and The Reading Experience
Also, the post-reading experience
I try to read every day and usually have at least one book on my current reading list. But sometimes I fall into a reading slump and go months without reading even a paragraph, and other times I find it hard to start a new book.
There are hundreds of articles on the internet on how to get out of a reading slump, with the same key points elaborated in different ways and styles of writing. Over the years, I have realised that what actually works for me is the mystery and thriller genre!
Murder mysteries, crime stories, mind games? Well, I’m all in!
So whenever I look for books to buy or add to my wishlist, I have this special slot reserved for mystery and thriller books. The books in this category aren’t meant for immediate reading but for the future, particularly for the times when I feel demotivated to read even a paragraph.
Last year, while scrolling through a bookish meme page, I stumbled upon a Malayalam book titled Oru Police Surgeonte Ormakkurippukal. It's a memoir by forensic surgeon Dr B. Umadathan.
The book felt like the perfect choice to get through a reading slump! The only difference is that I always pick fictional thrillers whereas this one is based on real-life incidents. But hey, that won't make much of a difference, right?
‘Dead Men Tell Tales’ is a translated version of the Malayalam book Oru Police Surgeonte Ormakkurippukal. I read the English version, just in case things were going to be way too scary.
I purchased the book in April and was looking for the perfect time to start reading.
Perfect time: When I’m in a reading slump. And most importantly, when I’m not alone and have people around me for a whole day (just in case things were going to be scary), I don’t like the idea of sitting alone and reading scary stories.
The perfect time arrived in May. I knew I was going to be stuck in a place for two days with people around and nothing else to do, so I took the book with me.
Each chapter in the book describes a different crime. The description isn’t very detailed, but all the necessary information is present (oh wait! I’m not here to write a book review). When I complete a chapter, a case is closed, and in the next chapter, another case awaits.
I read almost half of the book in a single sitting.
I was slightly disappointed. Maybe what others find scary isn’t scary for me? Oh well, says the person who avoids anything horror-related.
Anyway, I resumed the reading the next day.
And then I couldn’t move. Literally.
I wanted to go and grab a glass of water. But I didn’t want to leave the room out of the fear that what if something happened now? Nah, not in the story!
Most of the incidents in the book took place in Kerala, and that kind of made me feel like everything happened in the neighbourhood.
There was this chapter that was particularly scary, sending a shiver down my spine, but at the same time, I didn’t want to stop reading. Even if things are scary, deep down, I’m curious to know what happens next.
Reading fictional stories feels like getting inside a new world.
Reading this book felt like sitting in my own world and experiencing things. Scary!
The first thing I did after completing the book was to stare at the cover for quite a few seconds and think, ‘I wish I could forget everything I just read now.’ Considering that I completed the book at noon, there was plenty of time for me to do other things and distract myself so that I could have a peaceful sleep at night.
The first task was to hide the book from my sight. So I carefully placed the book in the farthest corner of my bookshelf.
Remember that photo of the book you saw a few minutes ago? Slightly unrelated, but does it actually take a few minutes to scroll down to this point from that photo?
Okay, so after reading the book, that was the only time I took the book back from the shelf.
After taking the photo, I placed it back exactly where it was before.
Distracted? Let’s get back to the story.
By evening, I had completely forgotten about the book. But the moment—to be precise, that EXACT second—when I turned off the lights to go to sleep, this incident from the book popped into my mind.
It turns out that all the distractions were of no use.
At 2.00 am, I was wide awake thinking about this particular incident from the book. For two weeks, a peaceful sleep was just a dream for me.
It took me almost a month to forget the details of the book.
At present, I just have a vague idea of the incidents.
I have already set aside another book by a forensic pathologist for the next reading slump (I hope it doesn’t happen too soon).
This post isn't about a specific book or its contents. That's why I haven't included detailed descriptions of the incidents or crimes mentioned in the book. Think of any book that you found scary, and I hope this feels relatable.
Alright, see you all next time with #OldPeopleNames Part IV!
