Book Review: The Palace of Illusions

Here we go another book of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, though I saw the author of the book after picking the book up because, to be truthful I was attracted by the cover and the description of the book.

From my childhood days the stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata were always coming back to me be it in the form of movies, or tales by my mother or grandmother or books to a most extent.In all these sources the Mahabharata was always said as the life of the Pandavas and Kauravas.So why am I saying this about this book, there is one line on the cover that caught my attention in this book "PANCHAALI'S MAHABHARAT".
The Mahabharata is as much as Panchaali's as much and in fact in my opinion more that either the Kauravas or the Pandavas.As rightly said in this book by the author (although indirectly through the sage Vyasa) Mahabharata is nothing but events caused by the three mistakes or rather shall we say three choices made by draupadhi at different times in her life.
Another interesting aspect to this book is that the author writes it as the narration by draupadhi, which enabled here to describe the Mahabharata from a interesting and hitherto ignored angle 'Panchaali's'.Credit here must be given to the author for remaining true to the facts albeit trying something different.She starts of the story with the birth of draupadhi and her brother Dhristadyumma but not directly, instead as a story told by her nanny to draupadhi.This allowed the author to capture the thoughts of draupadhi and also give an idea of the reason behind the birth of these siblings.
From being born of the sacrificial fire (thus her beautiful name 'Yajnaseni', though the author doesn't use it, preferring 'Panchali'), to her strange, lonely childhood, her tricky marriage to five men with a persecution problem and a control freak mother, her own, lovely home at last, and then the unbelievable traumas that follow that nobody should have to go through.Having her home, freedom and honor gambled away, almost stripped in public, her terrible life of hiding, servitude, evading assault and finally, the grim justice of war and a lonely death falling off a mountain track.
Credit must also be give for the effort put when etching out the different characters, their complex persona's, egos and much more importantly their connection with draupathi.There is also mention of the hitherto unknown characters (to most readers) in the Mahabharata like Sikhandi, Duryodhana's wife etc, these characters might have been heard of but were always limited to the most important role they fulfill in Mahabharata.Also extreme care has been taken in dealing with the more popular ones and their relationship with draupadhi like Bheeshma and more importantly Krishna.
There is nothing much in the story that one does not know but for a few interesting or shall I say creations by the author, like who loves draupti the most.Also while reading a few chapters I got the feeling that I had read something exactly similar but not in English but some regional language (mostly Telugu though...)and the author had exactly translated word to word.But saying that we can also ignore it as this is an epic that most have grown up listening to and maybe if we too sit down to tell it in our words we are bound to be influenced albeit unknowingly by many of them who tried to tell the tale before us.
But as a final word on the book would say that this falls into the category of books when after reading I have no specific opinion as such, but lets just say it was something I got to read, this maybe not so with others but again that was just what I felt on completing the book , even now about a year and half after I read the book.

Book review: The Mistress of Spices

Here is another first time book though quite some time back.This is one such book that has a effect on you when you first look at it, keeps up the effect after you have started reading it but fails to finish off properly.

In The Mistress of Spices, Chitra Divakaruni weaves an enchanting tale of mystery, human nature and risk punctuated by aromatic sorcery. Some may find it difficult reading at first. The unusual sentence structure requires us to slow down. Quickly the lyrical prose becomes a delight to savor like a meal so tasty we hope it never ends.
Tilo (short for Tilotamma), Mistress of Spices, at her fragrant shop in Oakland can see into your heart and determine just what spice is needed to fulfill your desires.She has taken a vow, given her life to the spices residing in a tired, old body hurtled into this modern world only to help others. By obeying the rules, the spices will speak to her. As the story unfolds, the rules need to be broken and we can understand. Or, at other times, Tilo finds herself struggling because she wants to break the rules and again we understand.
Each chapter in the book is the story of a spice --- turmeric, cinnamon, chili, fennel, peppercorn and so may more --- and of the people that consume it.Divakaruni introduces to some of the many people who come in distress or to share their happiness with the helpful old spice lady and delves a little into the backgrounds of the characters, so they come out as realistic and understandable.
For instance, the character of Ahuja's wife, Lalita. We are told of her feeling cheated when the man she weds turns out to be balding and pot-bellied. An unhappy married life follows. She does not want to hurt her parents and jeopardize her younger sisters' marriages by leaving him, so tries to legitimize his abuse and her suffering by blaming her initial unacceptance of him.
Then there is Jagjit, the shy frightened boy transformed to Jag by the endless hostility and abuse he has to bear for his accent and turban. He hits the road with a yearning for the power of the steel blade and gun. But the boy who dreamed of his grandmother's kheti has the desire to start a new life over as he promises Tilo. And Haroun, the cab-driver who fled Dal lake where generations of his family had rowed shikaras for tourists. He lands in America as a illegal immigrant, but he looks forward to riches and happiness in this land.
Not all of the characters are underdogs though. The three generations of the Banerjee family are in a war over their values, only to realise that their love and understanding for each other can overcome every barrier. Unfortunately the book went downhill thereafter. The dire portents all fizzled out -- what happened was far less grim than what one had been led to expect.How Tile copes with her wanning heart towards the sufferings her customers, her blossoming love and the wrath of the spices forms the remaining of the story.
After all this I would say that the book was a disappointment after the initial appeal it gave.An interesting read if you want something out of the ordinary with a hint of good poetic verses, but you might find it slowing you down at a few places owing to the complex sentences and back and forth movement of the story