The Mythological Evolution of the UniverseDevdutt Pattanaik2018Penguin This Penguin Petit book talks about the evolution of the universe from the stand point of Hindu mythology. The book is a quick and easy read. It of course has many characters and it would be easier for people who are familiar with Hindu tales. Pattanaik has given…
The Liberation of Sita Volga (translation by T Vijay Kumar, C Vijayasree) 2018 Harper Perennial pp. 128 First, this book acknowledges that Sita needs to be liberated. And right at the outset, the book deserves appreciation for breaking the myth of the ideal image that Sita is used to project. The book thus is a…
Shanta: The Story of Rama’s SisterAnand Neelakantan2017Westlandpp. 34 Ravana’s Sister (Meenakshi)Anand Neelakantan2018Westlandpp. 14 The stories of Shanta and Meenakshi both by Anand Neelakantan are engaging and bring to fore thoughts and ideas that are documented in very few other domains. The trouble with reading popular works is that you are never sure of where these…
Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta Amish 2019 Wesltand pp. 374 The third in the series based on Ramayana, Amish’s Raavan, presents the narrative with primary focus on the life of Raavan. The making of the antagonist in what will be the war between Ram and Raavan has been highlighted through a series of circumstances in Raavan’s…
Kavach of Surya Surendra Nath 2018 Zenith Star pp. 280 This is supposed to be a second part of a series but after the first chapter, I forgot that I haven’t read the first part. The plot revolves around a young man who embarks on an adventure along with his Guru- Karna. The reference to…
Vikram Betal (The 24 Riddles and the Origin of Betal) Sooriyakumar Sivakumaran 2017 pp. 58 The legendary tale of Vikram and Betal captured my imagination as a child. Despite having seen the televised series, I have never got the answers right. I liked the moral fibre,wisdom being imparted through the stories. I also love the…
KRISHNA: The Sovereign of 2050: A Sci-fi Adventure of a GodA Nolan2018AmazonKindle edition The story revolves around what it would be if Lord Krishna was our future, instead of our past. The concept is great. There is science fiction mixed with environmental concerns and some futurism. It is The story has tremendous potential, sadly the…
2002 Lesser Known Tales from Mahabharat Volume IV Sharath Komarraju 2017 pp. 121 (Kindle Edition) The novel is a collection of short stories from the epic Mahabharata. The fourth in a series of books written by Komarraju, the book can be read independently of the other books in the series. The book comprises roughly…
The Queens of Hastinapur Sharath Komarraju 2017 pp. 350 (read kindle edition) Harper Collins (Available on Amazon for preorder) The book is the third in a series of book that Komarraju is writing, presenting the story of Mahabharata from the perspectives of women in the epic. It is quite incredible that Sharath has picked up…
Sita: Book 2 of the Ram Chandra Series Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana Amish Devdutt Pattanaik 2017 2013 pp. 361 pp. 316 Westland Penguin Reading two different versions of Sita’s story in quick succession was a deliberate attempt. We have heard and read Ramayana from a male perspective often. I have read…
