It was a long wait so when I finally laid my hands on the book I hoped that it would be worth it. Well......
This is the first book of The Aryavarta Chronicles. Granted that Mahabharata is a complex tale with many characters - many of them playing too significant a role in the epic to be filtered out of the tale, even during its modern retelling. But frankly, the size of the book, and its tiny font, scared me, despite the fact that I have devoured chunkier books without flinching :-)
Jokes apart, given the book's genre, a fresh take on the ancient saga was a foregone conclusion. To site a few examples, Shikandin is depicted as a male - with a 10-year old son - instead of as a transgender. Bhishma looks at Govinda with suspicion. Panchali is won by Arjuna but becomes legally wedded wife of Yudhisthira only. Ssodhyan (the Kuru prince popularly known as Duryodhan) engages in discussions with Yudhisthira instead of plotting against his cousins.
But then there are some twists which are puzzling like e.g. the tender feelings between Shikandin and Krishna's sister Subhadra and her dismay at being forcefully abducted by Arjuna. Like Rukmawati being daughter (instead of sister) of Crown Prince Rukmi and wife of Govinda's son Pradyumna. Like Govinda without any of his 8 Queens. The tale of Ahilya has an angle that makes it sound not only plausible but downright possible.
And some twists are downright - 'revolting' is perhaps a very strong word - disturbing. Like the mutual attraction between Panchali and Govinda which leads her to pleading with him to marry her. I found it disturbing not because of the notion that Krishna - who is revered all across India - is being maligned this way but because I think that using this twist the author has done a great disservice to the idea that a pure platonic friendly relation can exist between a man and a woman. :-( I hope the author has a concrete reason for depicting this the way that she has and that it will become clear in the other books of the trilogy.
Having said that, I am intrigued about the people who keep getting referred to throughout the narrative - the enigmatic Firewrights. I am not sure if they are a figment of the author's imagination or have any roots in the centuries-old Mahabharata tale. I am almost sure I have read the name Devala Asita somewhere but can't quite remember where. Then there are some questions which are left unanswered e.g. why is Shikandin drawn towards the city of Kashi. Of course, we all know the connection between the two as per the epic but that connection doesn't make sense in the author's version of Mahabharata.
All in all, the author has handled the complex web of characters well - obviously not an easy task. Hats off to her for that! Must say that I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Hope I don't have another long wait in store for me. Keeping fingers crossed.
P.S. Surprisingly, the character that I seem to have liked the most is not that of Govinda but that of Prince Shikandin. :-)
This is the first book of The Aryavarta Chronicles. Granted that Mahabharata is a complex tale with many characters - many of them playing too significant a role in the epic to be filtered out of the tale, even during its modern retelling. But frankly, the size of the book, and its tiny font, scared me, despite the fact that I have devoured chunkier books without flinching :-)
Jokes apart, given the book's genre, a fresh take on the ancient saga was a foregone conclusion. To site a few examples, Shikandin is depicted as a male - with a 10-year old son - instead of as a transgender. Bhishma looks at Govinda with suspicion. Panchali is won by Arjuna but becomes legally wedded wife of Yudhisthira only. Ssodhyan (the Kuru prince popularly known as Duryodhan) engages in discussions with Yudhisthira instead of plotting against his cousins.
But then there are some twists which are puzzling like e.g. the tender feelings between Shikandin and Krishna's sister Subhadra and her dismay at being forcefully abducted by Arjuna. Like Rukmawati being daughter (instead of sister) of Crown Prince Rukmi and wife of Govinda's son Pradyumna. Like Govinda without any of his 8 Queens. The tale of Ahilya has an angle that makes it sound not only plausible but downright possible.
And some twists are downright - 'revolting' is perhaps a very strong word - disturbing. Like the mutual attraction between Panchali and Govinda which leads her to pleading with him to marry her. I found it disturbing not because of the notion that Krishna - who is revered all across India - is being maligned this way but because I think that using this twist the author has done a great disservice to the idea that a pure platonic friendly relation can exist between a man and a woman. :-( I hope the author has a concrete reason for depicting this the way that she has and that it will become clear in the other books of the trilogy.
Having said that, I am intrigued about the people who keep getting referred to throughout the narrative - the enigmatic Firewrights. I am not sure if they are a figment of the author's imagination or have any roots in the centuries-old Mahabharata tale. I am almost sure I have read the name Devala Asita somewhere but can't quite remember where. Then there are some questions which are left unanswered e.g. why is Shikandin drawn towards the city of Kashi. Of course, we all know the connection between the two as per the epic but that connection doesn't make sense in the author's version of Mahabharata.
All in all, the author has handled the complex web of characters well - obviously not an easy task. Hats off to her for that! Must say that I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Hope I don't have another long wait in store for me. Keeping fingers crossed.
P.S. Surprisingly, the character that I seem to have liked the most is not that of Govinda but that of Prince Shikandin. :-)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment