Feluda series: Satyajit Ray’s "Hatyapuri" - Book review.

Feluda series is one of the significant novels in Bangla literature. No other thriller, spy, adventure, or travel genre can top this Satyajit Ray master creation.

I have been a fan of Feluda from my early teen years, and I believe I have read it all. I have a few in my collection and reread them every now and then.



Hello, book lovers!

I'm Peacefulsoul. This is my first book review and post in this community. I have been around this community for a while but never got the courage to write down something, mainly because most of the books I read are not in English. And I'm not sure if anyone would be interested to read my reviews.

Ok, let's see.



I have recently re-read this famous thriller book. If you are not familiar with Feluda the main character, then here's a short description for you.

  • Feluda is a highly intelligent freelance detective.
  • Topesh is his companion and usually narrates the story.
  • Jatayu is another major character who is a famous novel writer and a companion of Feluda.

They go for travel and adventure, find some clues, and solve the mystery; this is the main story of this series.



Story of Hatyapuri.

Hatya means murder and Puri means a place. You can tell what is this story about.

Feluda, with his two companions, went to Puri Beach for relaxation. There, they come across Dr. Bhattacharya, who can tell/see the future by placing a finger on people's foreheads. Another character was Durgagoti Sen, who was a collector of old manuscripts that got lost, and Feluda dived into the mystery to solve it.

When Durgagoti Sen's driver was killed and found on the beach, it caught Feluda's attention. After some investigation, he caught the main culprit who was the 'mind reader' Dr. Bhattacharya. He was actually a manuscript smuggler. The story ends by handing over the thief to the police.



What I liked about this book and the Feluda series.

The storytelling style of Satyajit Ray is not the only exception, but it's out of the box. The detailing in character, the plot, and the background will make you imagine the story in your head as real.

The way he built the character of Feluda in different books made it a lifetime figure. There are many movies on these stories that we grew up watching. It feels so real.

And about this book- the unique adventure storyline of this novel. The beach trip became exceptional and thrilling with all the thrift, murder, and police sequel, making it a perfect thriller/detective novel.



The biggest strength of this book, like others of this series, is the suspense and twist in the story. This made the reader wonder about the culprit. Unlike many detective books, it's hard to guess the ending because Satyajit Ray never disappoints, he always comes up with something interesting.

Also, most of the story builds up in different places in India. The way the writer gives the details of the historical places will make you grow interested in visiting them.

Most importantly, the small details in the story and character, the dialogue; are so lively. If you skip a single page you will not understand what's happening in the story. I love this fact.



As a Feluda series lover, I would give this book 10/10. But if I would not I would probably not give in less than a solid 8.

This book is in the Bangla language. I'm not sure if this book has a translated version. But there are many translated ones of the Feluda series.

If you are interested in detective or thriller novels, then this might be a good read for you.



As a newbie writer of book reviews, you can suggest improvements and give me your honest opinion about my writing.

All photos taken by me, of the book.



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Congratulations on your first review in the community! 🎉 I love how you describe the dynamic between Feluda, Topesh, and Jatayu… It sounds like that classic trio of characters who complement each other (like Holmes and Watson, but with a unique twist of travel and ancient manuscripts, right?). The plot of Hatyapuri sounds intriguing… Very good review. Cheers!

Thank you for reading my writing.

Yes, you got it right. Like Holmes and Watson, there are adventures, travel, and about antique pieces, museum in the stories.

Feluda series is a masterpiece of our local literature.