Author: Sudhir Kakar
No. of Pages: 251
Year of Publication: 2001
Publisher: Penguin
About the Book:
It is a book about that traces the journey of two mystics who are separated by several years, but connected through a common spiritual quest. Their experiences that lead them to initiation are the fulcrum of the book. Yet, there are several complex characters interwoven into the story that provide valuable insights into the psychological world of the many different kinds of religious Indians. The book present a hallmark picture of the contrasting pulls of the spiritual and the material that characterise life in India.
The story is fairly simple, and as the author acknowledges, inspired by the lives of the great mystics Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Swami Vivekananda. Yet, if you are looking to read biographies of either of the two, this is not the book you should turn to. In classic Kakar style, the interpretation of life events is distinctly psychoanalytic. The writing is lucid and easy to read. The story is a little slow for a novel, with not many twists and turns in the plot.
Final Analysis:
Suitable for serious readers and Kakar fans. Also, important for all those studying the psychology of religion in India.
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