- ISBN: 979-8895569573
- Genre: Horror
- Publisher: Notion Press
- Year: 2024
About the Book
Adithya is bitter when he is forced to accept the delivery of an antique bed on behalf of his neighbor. The large and majestic bed occupies his whole bedroom. Every time he sleeps on it, he has nightmares. He dreams about killing different people with whom he had disputes. And at the end of it all, he wakes up devastated, completely drained. When he soon learns that the people whom he had killed in his dreams have also died in real life―passing away naturally in their sleep―he begins to realize the power the bed wields. What follows is a macabre series of events as the monstrosity and deep dark desires of the human mind are unleashed by a power so horrific, that escaping it seems hopeless.
In The Ferryman, Krishnakumar weaves a chilling and thought-provoking tale that delves deep into the shadowy recesses of the human psyche. At the heart of this gripping psychological thriller is Adithya, a seemingly ordinary man who is thrust into a world far more sinister than he could ever have imagined.
Review
The plot kicks off with a seemingly inconsequential event: Adithya is reluctantly tasked with accepting a delivery of an antique bed for his neighbor. What starts as a minor inconvenience soon evolves into a nightmarish spiral, as the bed takes on a malevolent power that transforms his life and mind in ways that defy explanation.
The bed, large and imposing, becomes both a physical and psychological prison for Adithya. Each night, he is plagued by vivid nightmares where he kills people with whom he’s had disputes. As if that weren’t horrific enough, he begins to discover that these victims, after appearing in his dreams, are dying in the real world—naturally, in their sleep. The realization that his dreams may be linked to real-life deaths is both terrifying and fascinating, and Krishnakumar masterfully uses this premise to explore themes of fate, guilt, and the destructive nature of unchecked human desires.
Krishnakumar’s writing in The Ferryman is a great combination of psychological suspense, a taut and gripping exploration of the human psyche that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Each chapter is crafted with precision, layering tension upon tension as Adithya’s once-ordinary life spirals into a waking nightmare. From the very first moments, the reader is thrust into Adithya’s world of confusion and unease, where every night spent in the presence of the antique bed feels more suffocating than the last. Krishnakumar’s prose mirrors this slow suffocation, building suspense not just through the events themselves but through the psychological unraveling of the protagonist. The gradual disintegration of Adithya’s mind creates an atmosphere where every turn feels uncertain, and every action, no matter how small, takes on a profound, haunting significance.
The Ferryman is unsettling because of Krishnakumar’s deft handling of the blurring line between dreams and reality. The bed, seemingly an innocuous object at first, becomes the epicenter of a horrifying, supernatural influence. As Adithya is drawn deeper into his dreams, he becomes trapped in a vicious cycle of violence and death, each act of aggression in his nightmares somehow playing out in the real world. This distortion of reality is not merely a plot device; it is a reflection of Adithya’s inner turmoil. The more he succumbs to his anger and resentment in his dreams, the more these emotions seem to have tangible consequences, forcing him to confront the monstrous impulses he has long tried to repress. It is a nightmarish journey into the darkest corners of the human mind, where guilt, desire, and violence intermingle, feeding off one another until they become indistinguishable.
At the heart of this novel lies the terrifying revelation that Adithya’s greatest fears and deepest resentments are not just figments of his imagination, but have real-world consequences that he cannot escape. The more the bed exerts its influence over him, the more Adithya finds himself confronted with the full force of his own repressed emotions. His nightmares no longer feel like mere dreams; they are a mirror, reflecting the deep, unresolved rage and desires that he has buried within himself for far too long. Krishnakumar’s exploration of this psychological terrain is both chilling and compelling, offering a raw and unflinching look at how the darkest aspects of human nature can be awakened under the right circumstances.
As the bed’s power grows, so too does the gradual collapse of Adithya’s sanity. He becomes a man haunted not only by the consequences of his actions but by the realization that he is utterly powerless to stop them. His inner struggle becomes externalized, with the horrifying consequences of his dreams playing out in the waking world in a devastatingly real way. What was once a mere superstition, a strange occurrence tied to the bed, becomes a terrifying, unstoppable force that threatens to consume him. With every passing moment, the stakes grow higher, and the reader is drawn deeper into a world where every choice is fraught with danger and consequence.
The ultimate horror of The Ferryman lies not just in the supernatural elements, but in the chilling understanding that Adithya’s darkest desires—the hidden impulses that he has tried so hard to suppress—have been given free rein by the bed’s sinister influence. The realization that his inner darkness has manifested itself in such catastrophic ways is both devastating and terrifying, leaving readers to ponder the terrifying implications of his actions long after the final page has turned. In this way, Krishnakumar doesn’t just create a story about a haunted object, but a searing commentary on the destructive power of repressed emotions and the terrifying consequences of giving in to our most primal impulses.
One of the most striking aspects of the novel is Krishnakumar’s exploration of how ordinary people, when pushed to their limits, can harbor monstrous urges. Adithya’s gradual transformation from a man merely inconvenienced by a piece of furniture to a tortured soul who cannot escape the consequences of his actions is both tragic and horrifying. The antique bed becomes a metaphor for the human capacity for destruction and the consequences of harboring unaddressed anger, resentment, and guilt. The novel raises profound questions about fate and responsibility, forcing readers to consider whether we can ever truly escape the repercussions of our darker desires.
The pacing of The Ferryman is relentless, with each chapter propelling the narrative forward as Adithya becomes more entangled in the grip of the bed’s sinister influence. The horror elements are understated yet chilling, focusing more on the psychological torment than on overtly graphic imagery. This allows the novel to slowly creep under the reader’s skin, building a suffocating atmosphere of dread and inevitability.
Ultimately, The Ferryman is a dark exploration of the human mind, a story that will leave readers questioning the nature of fate, guilt, and the consequences of our deepest desires. Krishnakumar’s portrayal of a man who is slowly undone by his own inner darkness is both haunting and mesmerizing. With its unflinching look at the monstrous potential within us all, this novel will stay with readers long after the final page is turned. It’s a story that forces us to confront the terrifying reality that sometimes, the monsters we fear the most are the ones we carry within ourselves.