Book Name - JAYA : An Illustrated Retelling of Mahabharata
Author - Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik
ISBN Code - 9780143104254
Genre - Mythology
Book Cover
How many of us have read Mahabharata (excuse me elders, the question was intended for the teenagers and people in twenties) - guess, not many of us. No shame in that - I tried reading bible, trust me I couldn't read it. Truthfully, its not even our age to bury ourselves in religious scriptures - well that was what I thought, till I came across this author and his beautifully written books.
This wasn't my first book and it wasn't the last either. This book was recommended to me by my sister-in-law, who by the way, is 5 years younger to me about an year ago(the reason I mentioned the age difference was to point out how teenagers are finding the book interesting too).
Well, Dr. Devdutt's writing style is so different, that you will get hooked to the book. He doesn't narrate it like a religious scripture, but breaks down the story into smaller anecdotes and passages. What's even more interesting is, he adds his own perceptions and his own ideas at the end of each chapter that makes it an ever more interesting read.
People who have read Mahabharata, the original religious scripture i.e., even they will find some new and interesting bits in this retelling. I read the book and then I asked my mom to read it and trust me, she found it interesting too - and she found something new in there too.
As if, this wasn't an inspiration enough to pick up a copy - reading these books and later discussing them leads to some real awesome discussions and chats.
And to add to the fun, pick up Ajaya (by Anand Neelakantan) before or after reading this one and you would really have some food for thought. Currently I am reading Sita, which is Dr. Devdutt's version of Ramayana. And since I have already read Mr. Neelakantan's version which is called Asura, I am finding Sita a very interesting read too.
So, here's to hoping, these books would get a chance...
Happy Reading!
Book Cover
How many of us have read Mahabharata (excuse me elders, the question was intended for the teenagers and people in twenties) - guess, not many of us. No shame in that - I tried reading bible, trust me I couldn't read it. Truthfully, its not even our age to bury ourselves in religious scriptures - well that was what I thought, till I came across this author and his beautifully written books.
This wasn't my first book and it wasn't the last either. This book was recommended to me by my sister-in-law, who by the way, is 5 years younger to me about an year ago(the reason I mentioned the age difference was to point out how teenagers are finding the book interesting too).
Well, Dr. Devdutt's writing style is so different, that you will get hooked to the book. He doesn't narrate it like a religious scripture, but breaks down the story into smaller anecdotes and passages. What's even more interesting is, he adds his own perceptions and his own ideas at the end of each chapter that makes it an ever more interesting read.
People who have read Mahabharata, the original religious scripture i.e., even they will find some new and interesting bits in this retelling. I read the book and then I asked my mom to read it and trust me, she found it interesting too - and she found something new in there too.
As if, this wasn't an inspiration enough to pick up a copy - reading these books and later discussing them leads to some real awesome discussions and chats.
And to add to the fun, pick up Ajaya (by Anand Neelakantan) before or after reading this one and you would really have some food for thought. Currently I am reading Sita, which is Dr. Devdutt's version of Ramayana. And since I have already read Mr. Neelakantan's version which is called Asura, I am finding Sita a very interesting read too.
So, here's to hoping, these books would get a chance...
Happy Reading!
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