• Song of Kali

  • By: Dan Simmons
  • Narrated by: Mark Boyett
  • Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (677 ratings)

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Song of Kali  By  cover art

Song of Kali

By: Dan Simmons
Narrated by: Mark Boyett
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Publisher's summary

Blood will curdle in Calcutta. In the most crime-ridden city, nightmares become real and evil is defined by frightening occurrences. When an American family finds themselves encircled by the terrors of this land, lurid events befall them and life takes on a new meaning - death. Winner of the World Fantasy Award, Song of Kali will chill the blood and frighten even the most jaded of horror fans.

©1985 Dan Simmons (P)2014 Audible Inc.

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What listeners say about Song of Kali

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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    263
  • 4 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic, Disturbing, Romantic, Horrifying.

simply one of the most terrifying books ever.
a rollercoaster ride of horror not to be missed.
well done.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The plot completeness let it down

I love Dan Simmons but is not his best work. The characters are amazingly rich and the story is very well told. Calcutta was described in incredible depth. The plot was never finished. A lot of events went unexplained as did the role of at least two main characters. They were crucial to the plot but you never found out who they were or why they did what they did. The story just stopped. It ended up being a series of unexplained events rather than a plot.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

very very very disturbing

it was poetic horror, extrely vivid, powerful and sad. a very strong story a very sad tale

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • AE
  • 03-11-19

Terrific performance, uninteresting story

The story itself is much less a horror narrative than it is a mystery/psychological thriller. There are a few gripping parts in the book, but overall I found the story overall to be somewhat dry and boring. The narrator committed to an excellent performance, with well acted accents for the characters. I'd say if mystery/thriller is your absolute favorite genre, this book is worth checking out. But Dan Simmons certainly has better books to offer such as Summer of Night or the Hyperion Cantos.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow

The story grips and keepa your attention the whole time. Dan Simmons is an amazing writer, you can feel yourself in the story its a great book

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Truly immersive horror!

Excellent listen! Dan Simmons captures the essence and atmosphere of Calcutta expertly. A truly horrific story that seems more truth than fiction. The fate of a particular character seems pre-ordained simply that that character's inclusion into the story which is my only criticism of the plot.
The narrator is absolutely superb going from American Mid-West, American-New York, to Indian accents with ease.
A definite recommended listen.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

amazing novel

So far this is the best horror novel I've read. I've read good horror stories, but not a novel quite like this one. Simmons manage to make the vibe of an entire city become haunted and miasmic, and to create horrifying images. This book really is quite exceptional and I don't understand the lack of praise. Very close to Bolano's 2666 in the kind of horror it depicts.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • B
  • 11-19-21

Best Narrator Ever

This was my first Simmons book, and first book read by this narrator. The story was great and addictive, but the narrator was truly something else. Hands down best narrator I’ve ever heard from the 40+ audiobooks I’ve listened to.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

All Violence is an Exercise in Power

Horror is not my normal territory. It isn't my alternate either. As far as genre fiction goes I probably reach for a horror novel as often as I reach for a fantasy novel. But this is Dan Simmons we are talking about. After reading Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, I was intrigued. How poetic could Simmons make horror? How literate?

I liked the 'Song of Kali'. It was a good story. I'm just not sure I'd count it as great horror. It wasn't that scary. It was definitely more psychological and mental than most. It seemed like a strange mixture of H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King, all with a big glob of Calcutta madness and poetic mysticism.

Anyway, I liked it. I'll keep reading Simmons when I want a vacation from the classics or an escape into literary genre fiction, but I don't think I will need to steel my nerves with any tonics or leave the lights on to go to sleep after I close the book at night. I might, however, rethink vacation plans to Kolkata and West Bengal. Screw THAT.

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34 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Creepy but great!

It was much creepier than a lot of Simmon's work, but I personally thought it was excellent. Not for the faint of heart, however.

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6 people found this helpful