Title:
Ramayana - The Game of Life : The Shattered Dreams
Author: Shubha Vilas
Publisher: Jaico Publishing House
First edition (23 January 2015)
Binding:Paperback
Pages:404
Language:English
I am happy to be chosen by blogadda to review this book. Yet again a first of a kind read by me. I don’t read mythology. This being my first book in that genre I took a keen interest in it. The book’s summary was as follows:
Now, in Shattered Dreams, Shubha Vilas
narrates the riveting drama of Rama’s exile. Through tales of Rama’s unwavering
and enigmatic persona, the book teaches us how to handle reversals positively;
through Bharata’s actions, it teaches us to handle temptation; and through
Sita’s courage, to explore beyond our comfort zone. This complicated family
drama provides deep insights on how human relationships work and how they fail.
With Valmiki’s Ramayana as its guiding light,
Shattered Dreams deftly entwines poetic beauty from the Kamba Ramayana and
Ramacharitramanas, as well as folk philosophy from the Loka Pramana tales, to
demonstrate how the ancient epic holds immediate relevance to modern life.
Experience the ancient saga of the Ramayana like never before.
This book is the second book in the series after Rise of the Sun Prince, one which I have not read. Almost everyone has heard the story and most of us have read it or watched Ramayana on television. But this book turned out to be innovative and introspective.
Shattered Dreams describes the time when Dasharatha wanted to
crown Rama as king of Ayodhya. Unfolding the journey of Rama, Sita and
Lakshmana leaving Chitrakoot for Dandakaranya forest. Kaikeyi chooses to redeem
her two boons and Bharata pays for his mother's sinful behaviour in this
captivating story. The opening chapters also takes one to journey
of past. The past when the Ikshvaku dynasty had a King named Nemi, who later on
named Dashratha. How a person got transformed from Dasagriva to Ravana. How
Ravana got encounter with the god of death - Yama himself. The
author has put down Raavan’s thought pretty well inside the book.
I assumed it would be the
same as witnessed earlier but I found out something more. A thorough research has been done to pen
down this book. It is filled with tales and anecdotes which are probably not
heard or unknown to us. Like Jayanta's shameful act and Manthara's reason for revenge
were not known to me.
It provides deep
insights on how human relationships work out and how they might also fail. Like
the relationship between a father and son, two brothers, husband and wife,
mother and son are all explained very well. It speaks of values and virtues that
if followed can make us a better human being.
The
emotions and character description inside the story was wonderfully done. It
was as if a old story being read out in a new way. Shubha Vilas did
total justice while describing the scenarios right from the beginning till the
end. The narration done is
seamless.The language is simple and easy to read through. The additional
footnote feature was a new thing for me so I enjoyed that as well. The virtues
followed by Rama and his honesty were evident throughout the book. The only
thing that I did not find quite to my liking is that it is slow paced.
I would say it is good to read it at least once. And I would
rate it 3 out of 5.
