Author: Surabhi Mathur

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Title: The Palace of Illusions

Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mythological fiction, Novel

Original Language: English

“But by then we would all know this: war is like an avalanche. Once begun, it cannot cease until it has wreaked all the destruction it is capable of.”

I had been thinking of reading this book since it came out (print or digital or even audio version), but I wasn’t too sure about that after reading the blurb. Somehow I was not convinced how Karna’s role would come out in the book. It surely was an ambitious take on a saga as famous as the Mahabharat. I was finally able to find it on libby after I put a long hold on it, though soon I received the print version too, courtesy my local public library. The good thing I find about reading an e-book is that I can annotate as much as I want without actually coloring the book up. Its wonderful to be able to go back to the same spot you left.

Having said that, I mean my patience in getting a hold of this one, I had my hopes high as the sky and the author has lived up to them to some extent. We have all heard the Mahabharata a thousand times, discussed it a million more, also watched the tv series (and watched it over again during lockdown), but nothing astounds me more than this rendition of the great saga mainly because it is from Draupadi’s perspective.

I believe that having an idea and giving it shape visually are too different things. We all get ideas every now and then but not all of us have the art of penning it down. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a good author, her prose are filled with conviction. Panchali’s life and the hardships she encountered, her wit, her arrogance, her journey are well known to those who have read or heard the Mahabharta but to paint a picture of one of the most important female cultural icons in a way that it changes the perspective of the masses at large is no easy feat. Divakaruni, a professor of English at the University of Houston has taken this big leap to recreate the epic from a strong viewpoint which was probably not thought of publicly before.

However, Karna complication in the story does raise an eyebrow in that a lot of people truly believe in this maybe legendary tale and are offended with the creation of fiction based on something that is so close to the hearts of many. After 5000 years, Draupadi deserves the decency of being let alone of whatever feelings she may have had for Karna. It feels like a breach of privacy for any woman dead or alive to poke into their inner feelings which they may have never shared with anyone even if it were there. It does tarnish the image no doubt. But I do respect the author’s point of view too. It is a fictional rendition of a legendary story, so I guess she is allowed to do that in my view.

Other than that, it is a fast paced compendium of an epic, beautifully written, praiseworthy storytelling, a very different point of view, a bold step to question history or mythology if you please but a great effort in all.

Title: My Grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry

Author: Fredrik Backman

Translator: Henning Koch

Original Language: Swedish

Genre: Domestic Fiction, Novel

“Because all seven year olds deserve Superheroes. And whoever disagrees with that need their head examined.”

Elsa is 7 and different and Granny is 77 and crazy. And she is Elsa’s best friend. Granny tells Elsa stories from the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas and several other kingdoms where people have superpowers.

Its one of the kindest, warmest, sweet-like-sugar book I have read in a while. The story gets dark every now and then only to make the light brighter.

This story has a lot of superheroes. Wurse the dog; Monster (an enormous but silent man with a violent past and a marshmallow heart); Britt-Marrie (the bat), Halfie (Elsa’s half brother), the cab driver, mom, dad, George, Maud, Lisette, Kent, the boy with a syndrome, the Pteropist (the woman with the black skirt). They all have their own superpowers of which even they are unaware of. When Granny passes, she leave Elsa on a treasure hunt of finding the superpowers within these people and saving the castle like a knight does. Elsa gets on the quest like a pro and overcomes her worst fears to do what she had to.

This is a fairy tale chock full of wonder, love, friendship, bravery, grief, purity and magnificence for adults and kids alike.

This book really warmed my heart from inside out. I do feel that it is a bit difficult to navigate through the Land of Almost-Awake if you don’t have an imagination like that of Fredrik Backman. But he is a master writer. His creativity is so fluid and vivid that he can take you inside the head of a 7 year old in the middle of an adult fairy tale. That is his superpower.

Claps, claps, claps for this one.