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| Arjuna – Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince by Anuja Chadramouli #BookReview |
I am back again, with a review of yet another book from the mythology genre - Arjuna – Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince – by Anuja Chadramouli. If you follow book reviews by on this blog, then you would know that I love books based on the Indian Mythology. That’s why whenever I have the opportunity to read such books, I don’t let that go. I received this book from Leadstart Publishing along with 'Asura' for an unbiased review. You can read my review of Asura by Anand Neelakantan here.
Quoted from the blurb:
Arjuna is the immortal tale of one of India's greatest heroes. These pages retell in riveting detail the story of the Pandava Warrior-Prince who has captured the imagination of millions across centuries. This is the intense and human story of his loves, friendship, ambitions, weaknesses and follies, as well as his untimely death and revival, his stint as a eunuch, and the innermost reaches of his thoughts.
Told in a refreshingly modern and humorous style and set against the staggering backdrop of the Mahabharata. Arjuna’s story appeals equally to the average, discerning reader and the scholar. It spans the epic journey from before his birth, when omens foretold his greatness, across the fabled, wondrous landscape that was his life.
First, let me tell you that I can never get tired of reading books on Mahabharata and Ramayana. That’s why I did enjoy reading this book but not as much as I had expected to. Arjuna, as we know, is one of the Pandava brothers and in this book the author has tried to tell the story of his life. Arjuna is the most accomplished of the five brothers; he like his brothers has a divine origin. He is the most successful archer and is bestowed with celestial powers which proves indispensable in the battle of Kurukshetra.
The author dwells on the various character traits of Arjuna; she explores how despite being invincible, he has his own weaknesses and shortcomings; she treats him like a human. Some specific stories told about Arjuna in the book are not that common. So, you do get to read something new. But, overall the whole story is narrated in the backdrop of Mahabharata and that is why I felt that this book was just another retelling of Mahabharata with a few extra pages about Arjuna. When I first saw the title ‘Arjuna’ I was hoping for an Arjuna’s version of Mahabharata. I thought it would be something like ‘The Palace of Illusion’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. But that’s not the case. A person reading Mahabharata based book for the first time would enjoy it more. On the writing front, I would say that the author did a perfect job. It is lucid and keeps the readers engaged.
Overall, it is a great effort by a debut author. I will certainly look forward to her future works. Anyone interested in Mahabharata can pick up this book.
You can buy the book from here-
Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!
Quoted from the blurb:
Arjuna is the immortal tale of one of India's greatest heroes. These pages retell in riveting detail the story of the Pandava Warrior-Prince who has captured the imagination of millions across centuries. This is the intense and human story of his loves, friendship, ambitions, weaknesses and follies, as well as his untimely death and revival, his stint as a eunuch, and the innermost reaches of his thoughts.
Told in a refreshingly modern and humorous style and set against the staggering backdrop of the Mahabharata. Arjuna’s story appeals equally to the average, discerning reader and the scholar. It spans the epic journey from before his birth, when omens foretold his greatness, across the fabled, wondrous landscape that was his life.
First, let me tell you that I can never get tired of reading books on Mahabharata and Ramayana. That’s why I did enjoy reading this book but not as much as I had expected to. Arjuna, as we know, is one of the Pandava brothers and in this book the author has tried to tell the story of his life. Arjuna is the most accomplished of the five brothers; he like his brothers has a divine origin. He is the most successful archer and is bestowed with celestial powers which proves indispensable in the battle of Kurukshetra.
The author dwells on the various character traits of Arjuna; she explores how despite being invincible, he has his own weaknesses and shortcomings; she treats him like a human. Some specific stories told about Arjuna in the book are not that common. So, you do get to read something new. But, overall the whole story is narrated in the backdrop of Mahabharata and that is why I felt that this book was just another retelling of Mahabharata with a few extra pages about Arjuna. When I first saw the title ‘Arjuna’ I was hoping for an Arjuna’s version of Mahabharata. I thought it would be something like ‘The Palace of Illusion’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. But that’s not the case. A person reading Mahabharata based book for the first time would enjoy it more. On the writing front, I would say that the author did a perfect job. It is lucid and keeps the readers engaged.
Overall, it is a great effort by a debut author. I will certainly look forward to her future works. Anyone interested in Mahabharata can pick up this book.
You can buy the book from here-
Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!
Nice review Jyothi, I too love to read Mahabharata and Ramayana stories, good to know about this book., will try to read this when I get a chance...
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