Here’s the conclusion to “I Rode the Death Train to Calcutta,” the first story John wrote after moving to Barcelona in 1955. It’s action-packed!
Happy 2024! Be careful on those trains!
December 29, 2023
6 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL
Thanks again for these, Doug. Hope 2024 is your best year yet!
Comment by Marsh — January 2, 2024 @ 4:40 pm
You’re welcome, Marsh. You too!
Comment by Doug — January 3, 2024 @ 8:24 am
I being an Indian and a bengalee from near Calcutta(now Kolkata) can actually confirm that john’s harrowing experience may actually be true. Our trains were late,dirty and overcrowded then and are that way even now. Thank illiteracy and overpopulation for that. Train journey is really a horror show in india especially near and around calcutta, where no rules of railways apply.
Comment by Diptava Ray — January 12, 2024 @ 6:10 pm
Thanks for the comment! I have no doubt John relied on his own experience for the setting, but I suspect that knife fight is exaggerated. As John said about his men’s magazine work, “I just took some dramatic liberties here and there.”
Comment by Doug — January 14, 2024 @ 2:39 pm
Maybe, but his description of indian climate and people especially those train goers is perfect.
I have read several of his books but i think the mothman prophecies and jadoo are the best.
Comment by Diptava Ray — January 15, 2024 @ 1:11 am
The magazines John wrote for in the ’50s demanded sensationalism, so he always had to mix fact and fiction. The earlier posts I linked to in the last post go more into that part of his career.
Comment by Doug — January 15, 2024 @ 10:29 am