Rating: 
Summary: Beautifully written. A haunting masterpiece.
Review: Having read the Hyperion series, I was on the prowl for more Dan Simmons, when I came across Song of Kali. I was very surprised to find that Simmons wrote horror, and proceeded to read this book in one sitting. The lush descriptions and vivid details served to bring realism to the sordid world of Calcutta. I have rarely seen writing of this caliber in works of horror or fantasy. A propos the horror aspect -- I found this to be less of a horror novel than a tragedy. Yes, there were horrific fantastic elements, but these were not as overwhelming as the realistic descriptions of the surroundings. The story is truly tragic, and to me at least, it seemed about as 'horror' as Hamlet. Sure, there's a ghost in Hamlet, but that's not the point. Similarly, the mythos and horror of Kali is merely a vessel to convey a much more important message -- a warning about our society today. Apart from the horrific, this book also contained much of humor (in the vein of the great tragedies). I found myself chuckling out loud in parts, due to the absurb metaphorical juxtapositions the narrator sometimes presents. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys long, beautifully worded descriptions and an insight into violence in the world today.
Rating: 
Summary: National Geographic crossed with Pure Evil
Review: Reading this excellent book, I was swept by the wordly grandeur of exotic (though corrupt and crude) Calcutta, India; and I was swept by the horror and mystery of pure evil as well. This book reads like a real-life story of a professional man who travels to a far away land and encounters the truly evil. The writing is top-notch and conjures up pictures quite deftly. This is a great horror novel. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat and you won't be able to put it down.
Rating: 
Summary: VOICE OF THE GODDESS
Review: First novel of Dan Simmons, SONG OF KALI could be read as the perfect introduction to CARRION COMFORT, another Simmons's effort. According to this writer, the world is threatened by evil forces hidden to the common people but well known by the heroes of these novels. The bloody ritual of the indian goddess, Kali, is one of the roots of the Tree of Evil. The philosophical theory of Manicheism that presents the world as the gigantic battlefield between the Forces of Evil and those of the Good is a theory used, openly or not, by thousands of writers for centuries now. Dan Simmons adds to this pyramidal construction of books his own personal version by associating the Forces of Evil with a city : Calcutta. The descriptions of Calcutta and of its people, strange rites and Kafkaïan administrations are, as far as I can judge, accurate and are certainly not sponsored by the Indian Tourist Office. The story is interesting and you won't leave THE SONG OF KALI before its ending. But there are a lot of weak pages in it ; characters disappearing and leaving the reader unaware of their destinies, multiple hesitations between the social thriller and the pure Fantastic genre, a rather simple explanation of the system of classes and religions ruling the indian society. So I would recommend THE SONG OF KALI only to the readers already familiar with the world of Dan Simmons. The other readers can go directly to CARRION COMFORT. A -stay at home- book.
Rating:
Summary: A Better Travelogue than a Whodunit?
Review: While the author's intense prose descriptions of Calcutta were horrifying enough to keep me away forever, and his story riveting enough to keep me glued for several days, he couldn't seem to figure out how to solve (and thus end) his own mystery. The last 75 pages were a huge let-down. No answers -- simply the "cult of evil" spreading throughout the world, with no understanding of the identity of the mysterious woman who kidnapped the protagonists' baby, the real motivation of the master poet, the cult, etc. etc. A worthwhile read but an ultimate disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Simmons' brilliance begins here
Review: The stench of Calcutta comes right off the pages in this vivid tale of an American family's visit to India. I believe this won the Bram Stoker award for best first novel. It is mesmerizing. The story of the body will stay with me a long time. Highly recommended for any horror fan.
Rating:
Summary: Very good depiction of urban poverty and spiritual terror
Review: If you are intersted in this book, DO NOT READ THE REVIEWS BELOW. The reviews below give away MAJOR plot points and ruined my reading of what would have been a suspenseful book.
Rating:
Summary: Makes you feel bad
Review: I couldn4t help being surprised by this book - it is quite an impressive read - but at the same time I was a little let down, too, for reasons that aren4t all that easy to figure out. I guess the problem is that when we normaly say that a book is "good", what we mean is that "reading this book made me feel good". And when we4re talking about a horror book we mean, by saying that it was good, perhaps that it scared us in some strange, enjoyable sort of way. This book doesn4t do that. It4s scary, yes, but that4s it. For a long period in the first part of the book, nothing happens; all we get to see is some americans loafing around in Calcutta, like so many other tourists, and since Dan Simmons describes it in such an ordinary, credible way, with a great portion of local colour too, you swallow it all - it allmost bores you. All this brings you, without you being aware of it, quite close to the the central character. And so when things start going terribly wrong it doesn4t feel good at all. What Dan Simmons explores isn4t that nice tingling sensation we get from the horror movies, but rather the true feeling of despair, loneliness and anxiety. These are all feelings that rely more on the unseen and imagined than on the present or chockingly visual, and could just as well be explained by the author4s unwillingness to show all that happens to the reader. Though bound to irritate some people, in the end this way of insinuating things rather than showing them turns out to be the most powerful quality of the author. I remember at one point reading a description of the body of a torture victim, where you as a reader get no clues as to how the terrible events took place. All you get is a picture of a dead body - it is perturbing and painful to read. So if i have to summon it all up, I would have to say that this is a very well-written book, but definetely not for all tastes. This is the first book i have read by Dan Simmons (and only, but not for long), and it left me with the impression of an author who promises even better work.
Rating:
Summary: The best Simmons novel so far
Review: I have read a couple of the reviews which complained about the baby dying or the general lack of characterization and I wonder did you get the point. The book was written to make us fear the land of Calcutta and India; it was making a statement about the evils of society and not written as a character driven psychological study. The baby dying was terrible, but though I thought this obvious, the novel is a horror novel and if it is affective it should repulse the reader a little. In conclusion this is one of the three best horror novels I have ever read, the other two being Midnight by Dean Koontz and Animal Farm by George Orwell and yes I regard that novel as horror and if you don't you've begun to take your life for granted. Read this if you have the heart.
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary Writing.
Review: While I cannot say that this was the best book I ever read - I can say that it was very well written, and one of the best. Mr. Simmons had me hooked from the moment I opened the book. As a matter of fact, I stopped reading two other books I was reading to read this book in its entirety. I'm definitely a loyol fan after reading this book. The writing was very unique. I didn't stop reading until the book was over. I will not compare Mr. Simmons with Stephen King. The two writers are stylistically different. Mr. Simmons has earned his Kudo's independently of Stephen King. Mr. Simmons, you are one of the best.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and repulsive - genuine horror!
Review: The author does not only play with his characters but the readers are caught in this sinister atmosphere and the books enigmatic plot as well. There is no dramatic irony, no distance, we have to endure everything just like the protagonist. And we become aware of the terrible fact: it is true - Kali is everywhere, Kali is always. The book is about the immanent desire of man to destroy his own kind, and this is done in most horrorful ways. Repulsive - fascinating - a must!
| 
