Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling Of The Mahabharata (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
This re-telling of Vyasa's epic tale is perhaps the most accessible form of the epic available to the modern reader of our age. For someone like me, whose knowledge of the Indian mythology is restricted only to the faint memories of the TV shows watched during childhood, this book was full of surprises and some really good ones. The fact that the writer, Devdutt Pattanaik, writes an unbiased account of the epic is the most impressive aspect of the book. The stories and perspectives collected from various versions of the 'Mahabharata' give you a more holistic view of this tale. You come to realize that there were no heroes or villains in this tale contrary to the popular belief propagated by the TV shows; both Pandavas and Kauravas made their share of mistakes and had to bear the consequences. The story and the characters written in this epic tale are perhaps the most cleverly written ever. Mahabharata - the greatest epic of all time, truly lives up to its reputation and you realize this after reading this book. I would recommend this to everyone whether or not interested in mythology. 'Mahabharata' is much more than just mythology.If you think Game Of Thrones is an epic tale full of violence and profanities, then reading some of the stories in this book will make you think of GOT as a children's book. No wonder that this epic has lived through thousands of years and has served as an inspiration for many of the modern epics. Nothing great to say about this book.It was a plain narration.But the efforts of author should be commended for he read various versions of Mahabharatha written in different languages and also the folk forms in various traditions and presented in a comprehensive yet simple manner.The commentary of author at the end of each tale analysing the inner meaning and presenting different versions of same story as written in different narrations helps the reader grasp the real meaning of our epic and also to understand subtle differences in the characteristics of people of various regions
What do You think about Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling Of The Mahabharata (2011)?
It was a great read. Now I have got a good picture of the entire story of Mahabharatha.
—Angie001
