Friday, December 31, 2021

The Palace of Illusions - Chitra Banerjee Devakaruni (2008)

The book is described as Panchali's Mahabharata. The whole of Mahabharata is described from Draupadi's viewpoint. If you know the stories, you may find them at places biased. Not how it's described in other renditions of Mahabharata. The book has so many details on Karna as if Draupadi was obsessed with him. There are stories of Draupadi's attraction to Karna described in other Mahabharata-related literature but this book stretches it a bit too far. Towards the end, the book moves quite fast and the battlefield gets some mention not too many details. Nor has Bhagavad Gita explained in many details. 

One can think of the book as inclined to the modern feminist viewpoints at places. There are places where Draupadi laments the injustice done to her. There are a bit of MIL and DIL differences. It's well known that Draupadi desired Arjuna, but Bhima loved her most and she was neglected by Yudhishthir by his actions. Krishna was her true friend while Karna remained as an enigma to her. 

Easy read. Great storytelling but has little emphasis on the spiritual aspects of Mahabharata. Should be read like fiction and not for any spiritual upliftment.

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