Review: Feluda ~ Satyajit Ray

“The only solutions that are ever worth anything are the solutions that people find themselves.” ~ Satyajit Ray

Feluda was one the first novels that I ever read and also one of the books that introduced me to the world of literature. Feluda or Prodosh Chandra Mitter has been an iconic character for many Bengalis be it old or young. Written by Satyajit Ray in the mid 1960s ; Feluda has since become a household name.

The stories revolve around a private investigator in Kolkata, Feluda, who goes through various hairraising adventures to solve uncommon crimes. Also called the Sherlock of India, Satyajit ray is heavily influenced by the world famous deductionist and employs mind boggling ploys to entrap the reader in the world of Feluda.

The stories are written in the view of Topesh the younger cousin of Feluda who along with the apparently famous writer Lalmohan Ganguly provide a comedic trio who tackle everything from lost egyptian statues to benarasi gangsters. Both topesh and lalmohan babu provide a light comedic balance to the otherwise serious plotline full of suspense.

Throughout the books there are hidden gems about deduction and sleuth work, be it tips for topesh to understand human psychology or handy hints about disguising yourself. More than that, the most adhering quality of the books is that you never know what is going to happen next. The entire book is full of unexpected twists and turns, there is always a surprise at the end which makes it even more fun to read.

The part that interested me was that the skills shown by feluda wasn’t science fiction, it was purely based on observational skills. Although I had read other detective stories before ,this was the first time the author did not exaggerate the observational skills of the sleuth. It wasn’t like a god given superpower, it was just paying attention at the right time and trying to piece together the data into credible information. What made this process even more satisfying was that you were the one piercing the information together with the trio. This unique connection with the characters was probably one of its kind,which further enhanced the reading experience for me.

If you are looking for a heavy dose of mystery thriller and suspense with a light sprinkle of comedy here and there then Feluda is almost a godsend for you.

Happy reading !