One of the
omnipresent questions people tend to ask, “Suggest some
good books to read.”
(I get to hear/see
(on online chats/forums) this a lot)
In a sea of books, it’s hard to dole out
suggestions that which ones are the best and for whom they are the best because
there are so many. But when it comes to suggesting books it is noticed that the
Indian authors are mentioned less as compared to the foreign ones. So, here are
a few books that were written by the Indian authors and are a must read. Their
writing and the content is cherished by many around the globe.
And so, here are
the books that deserve a mention:
The Palace Of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
A reimagining of the world-famous Indian
epic, the Mahabharat—told from the point of view of an amazing woman.
Relevant to today’s war-torn world, The Palace of Illusions takes us back to a time that is half history, half myth, and wholly magical. Narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the legendary Pandavas brothers in the Mahabharat, the novel gives us a new interpretation of this ancient tale.
The novel traces the princess Panchaali's life, beginning with her birth in fire and following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war involving all the important kings of India. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her strategic duels with her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female redefining for us a world of warriors, gods, and the ever-manipulating hands of fate.
Relevant to today’s war-torn world, The Palace of Illusions takes us back to a time that is half history, half myth, and wholly magical. Narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the legendary Pandavas brothers in the Mahabharat, the novel gives us a new interpretation of this ancient tale.
The novel traces the princess Panchaali's life, beginning with her birth in fire and following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war involving all the important kings of India. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her strategic duels with her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female redefining for us a world of warriors, gods, and the ever-manipulating hands of fate.
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Mr. Kapasi, the protagonist of Jhumpa
Lahiri's title story, would certainly have his work cut out for him if he were
forced to interpret the maladies of all the characters in this eloquent debut
collection. Take, for example, Shoba and Shukumar, the young couple in "A
Temporary Matter" whose marriage is crumbling in the wake of a stillborn
child. Or Miranda in "Sexy," who is involved in a hopeless affair
with a married man. But Mr. Kapasi has problems enough of his own; in addition
to his regular job working as an interpreter for a doctor who does not speak
his patients' language, he also drives tourists to local sites of interest. His
fare on this particular day is Mr. and Mrs. Das--first-generation Americans of
Indian descent--and their children. During the course of the afternoon, Mr.
Kapasi becomes enamored of Mrs. Das and then becomes her unwilling confidant
when she reads too much into his profession. "I told you because of your
talents," she informs him after divulging a startling secret.
I'm tired of feeling so terrible all the
time. Eight years, Mr. Kapasi, I've been in pain eight years. I was hoping you
could help me feel better; say the right thing. Suggest some kind of remedy.
Of course, Mr. Kapasi has no cure for what ails Mrs. Das--or himself.
Lahiri's subtle, bittersweet ending is characteristic of the collection as a
whole. Some of these nine tales are set in India, others in the United States,
and most concern characters of Indian heritage. Yet the situations Lahiri's
people face, from unhappy marriages to civil war, transcend ethnicity. As the
narrator of the last story, "The Third and Final Continent,"
comments: "There are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled,
each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have
slept." In that single line Jhumpa Lahiri sums up a universal experience,
one that applies to all who have grown up, left home, fallen in or out of love,
and, above all, experienced what it means to be a foreigner, even within one's
own family.