Book Review- Winds of Hastinapur




“Don’t judge a book by its cover”. This book has a brilliant cover design. But then, the writing has simply made the cover seem over-rated. It’s refreshingly different in many ways. It’s a unique narration of the Mahabharat-One of the most debated works of Indian mythology. A tinge of retrospective thinking and a vivid role description makes this book stand out from the rest in the book stand. Sharath Kommaraju manages to tickle the right brain of the readers by giving multiple shades to characters like Ganga. Instances, like the rise of Satyavati have been dealt with, innovatively. The readers are bound to ponder over several key points of the story line.  While some parts of the book may seem strange, considering that Mahabharat has several interpretations varying with regions, religions and even castes in India the book surely does not disappoint when it comes to presenting the ‘alter ego’ of the women folk. It may be wrong to compare two different literary works of an author, but in this case, Winds of Hastinapur stands a tad taller compared to ‘Murder in Amaravati’ in terms of intellectual standing.  The creative genius of the author does get showcased in the second half of the work, which is something to look forward to. And for the current generation fed on Batman's savior tactics and deprived of Yudhistra's innate righteousness, texts such as these bring back the revered concept of Dharma and also help people understand and appreciate the nuances of ethics and governance.
All in all, this entire book makes a good quick read for a journey or even a stretched and thoughtful brooding of the great epic.  It’s a brilliant display of the imagination element meeting popular recital. The author surely succeeds in meeting my expectations in most departments and also stuns in the choice of narrative style. A big thumbs up, all the way!!!

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