Dark Short Stories Recommendation: Instruments of Torture

Posted On March 29, 2024

Hi Readers! I am on a roll and won’t stop saying it! I picked this book randomly because I saw a few bookstagrammers rave about it. Also because the author is my boss’ cousin! How amazing? So, I decided better now rather than later. That was the best decision, I think, because I was completely immersed in it and finished it in a very short time. Yet, it will stay in my mind for not a short time.

~~TRIGGER WARNING~~

Mental illness, physical abuse, emotional abuse, child abuse, rape, suicide.

~~AMAZON DESCRIPTION~~

Descend into the deepest, darkest torture chambers of the soul, where rapacious dreams dwell and nightmares are forged. In these pages, the mind’s darkness lies revealed.

These stories are each named after a medieval torture device, and the true meaning – and impact – of every title bubbles up to the surface as the connection between the various instruments and their psychological counterparts are laid bare: whether it is an anguished man being drugged with hormones to ‘cure’ his dwarfism or a forbidden love affair that takes root in a place of worship.

Torn asunder, marginalized, existing at the edges of our peripheral vision, the people in these tales hold up to the reader the greatest instrument of torture yet: a mirror that looks directly into the subconscious.

~~THOUGHTS~~

Instruments of Torture is a compilation of eight short stories, each talking about a medieval torture device and brilliantly connecting it to modern-day torture. Each story starts with an explanation of that torture instrument. Then, story after story we see how forced physical torture of the past has become self-imbibed mental torture of the now, some times with exact correlation and some times with a subtle parallelism. I thought this dark, twisted & torturous correspondence of a singular concept with stories was ingenious.

With short stories, there is always a hidden theme that connects them together. Like in Murakami’s Men Without Women, there’s the constant loneliness which becomes its own character. In Bora Chung’s Cursed Bunny, we go beyond all realms of normalcy. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s Roman Stories, we quite literally have stories set in Rome. For all these novels, there is a direct relation to the theme. But, what makes Instruments of Torture unique is how loosely the theme of torture is connected in all the stories. When you start reading the story, you would not be able to imagine how it would end. Achieving such unpredictability with short stories is commendable!

The characterization in short stories of an average quality typically seems acceptable in most short stories. But, when it’s a topic like torture and the writing is without any dialogues, the characterization coming across the way it is intended needs courage. And, I loved the way every character was written, however short their arcs were and how the ending in most stories unleashed their real nakedness. Whether it was the boy with breasts, the star-crossed lovers, the model Indian wife or the society-approved couple. The author’s observations of basic human behaviour combined with the knowledge of Indian society and a pinch too much of intrusive thoughts becoming real has what made this into an incredibly horrifying yet an unputdownable book.

To top it all off, it is not just about horror or gore or torture, there is always a message. Firstly, it cleverly depicts how torture can be anything. It can be actual physical torture, yes. But, it can also be your routine that’s torture or your unhappiness or your decision or regrets. This underlying secondary torture plays hide and seek throughout the book, but when it’s prevalent, it speaks volumes. Secondly, something that goes hand-in-hand with torture is coping mechanisms – both healthy and unhealthy, which are also described well. Lastly, there are stories that make us realize the pivotal necessity of mental health resources, awareness of gender identity, inclusion towards LGBTQ+ community and promoting body positivity.

~~EIGHT STORIES~~

The Rack (4/5) is a torture device where victim’s body is stretched until the joints are dislocated. In the story, we see a couple adopt a boy who is quite short. They dose him with hormone injections and pills just to increase his height and to not let him live like a dwarf.

The Pillory (4/5) is where the victim’s head and hands are locked. In the story, it applies metaphorically to the couple because we see Shona’s head locked to schizophrenia and Sumeet’s hands locked to his urges.

The Judas Cradle (3/5) is where the victim is lowered on a tall, thin stool with a metal or wooden pyramid on top which would enter the vagina or anus. The story is of a young Christian boy and a priest in training who have found love for each other. I felt that this was the most simple and cliché story.

The Spanish Boot (4/5) is where wood or iron wedges are hammered inside the boot which is worn by the victim. In the story, we see how the boot has replaced the 6-inch heel and everything that it represents about beauty.

The Iron Maiden (4/5) is like a standing coffin with sharp spikes that would pierce several organs of the body. In the story, we see the boy with tits and how he was always externally tortured by classmates, which was perhaps just as piercing.

The Phalaris Bull (5/5) is a hollow bull-shaped structure in which a victim is place and fire is lit from underneath. In the story, we see one child with a degenerative disease and another child fully healthy forming a bond with each other.

The Scold’s Bridle (5/5) is an iron muzzle in an iron framework that encloses the head to prevent speaking. In the story, bridle is compared to depression medicine and talks about mental health.

The Chastity Belt (3/5) is a metal device that locks around a person’s genital area to prevent sexual intercourse and masturbation. In the story, of course, we have a women who sleeps with different men every day, and her admirer who watches her having sex with all those men.

~~TO READ OR NOT TO READ~~

If you have read this review till now, you must have understood that this book is not for the faint-hearted. For 90% of the story, it’s a normal story, but that last 10% has the potential to destroy you. So, if you are sensitive to any of the triggers, I would suggest not reading this book. If you are a fan of horror and dark book, then you might like this one. If you want to read a very unique book by an Indian author, then you should pick this up. If you want to get out of a reading slump, this book is ideal. I don’t shy away from any genres as such and dark books don’t faze, so reading this was uncomfortable but also thrilling. I have rated Instruments of Torture by Aparna Sanyal at 4.5/5 stars!

Until next time,