Scan barcode
_askthebookbug's review
3.0
Some books are good but they just aren't for you. Adbhut was one such book for me. Meena has done incredible research for this book and it shows because bringing forth mythological and folklore creatures spanning across thousands of years isn't an easy task. Indian mythology especially has an array of mystical characters that took form of bizzare and interesting animals to fight off evil or to save the world from the asuras. So you can imagine how tough it is to collate them all into a single book. Although it was an incredible feat, this was exactly the thing that didn't work for me.
Meena has divided the book into the creatures of sea, land and air where she speaks about creatures that are very fascinating to learn about. Although I did know about a few of them, a huge chunk of this book was completely new to me. My mind oscillated between awe and confusion as I learnt more about them. Confused, because after a point it got exhausting for me to keep track of them all. Also, there weren't enough illustrations.
Adbhut is no doubt an interesting book but it can end up being too much at times. If you enjoy mythology and are interested in learning about all these fascinating characters, then there's no doubt about you loving this book. Albeit it didn't work for me, I do recommend it to others who are interested in this genre.
Thanks for the copy @alephbookco ✨
Meena has divided the book into the creatures of sea, land and air where she speaks about creatures that are very fascinating to learn about. Although I did know about a few of them, a huge chunk of this book was completely new to me. My mind oscillated between awe and confusion as I learnt more about them. Confused, because after a point it got exhausting for me to keep track of them all. Also, there weren't enough illustrations.
Adbhut is no doubt an interesting book but it can end up being too much at times. If you enjoy mythology and are interested in learning about all these fascinating characters, then there's no doubt about you loving this book. Albeit it didn't work for me, I do recommend it to others who are interested in this genre.
Thanks for the copy @alephbookco ✨
thebookishtales's review
4.0
I had loved Meena Arora Nayak’s previous, The Blue lotus which was a collection of folklore from India and was very excited to read Adbhut! I have always been enamoured by our Indian folk tales highlighting animals. I have LOVED reading about mythical creatures and their coexistence with humans. Adbhut by Meena Arora Nayak is one such incredible book on mythical creatures.
~
A beautiful anthology of 55 stories, each one will take you on a different ride and introduce you to different mythical creatures. Divided into five sections, Creatures of the sky, Creatures of the Earth, Creatures of Air, water and land worms, insects, reptiles and dragons, Creatures of Amalgam.
Each story is richly researched and beautifully written and it’ll certainly keep you glued to the book. This was a reader’s delight! It introduces us to mystical animals we know of and some lesser known ones from different cultures as well!
~
I really loved learning about tribal cultures of India and the animals they worship. In Indian art forms also, animals play a huge part, for eg Warli and Madhubani art have such lovely motifs of animals. Remember Panchatantra? Moral stories told through animals? How I loved them as a kid! There are so many idioms and phrases associated with animals in India’s languages as well!!
I was reminded of my summer vacations all the while I was reading this book. Kids and adults both will be able to enjoy this one!! Definitely recommended!!
4⭐️
~
A beautiful anthology of 55 stories, each one will take you on a different ride and introduce you to different mythical creatures. Divided into five sections, Creatures of the sky, Creatures of the Earth, Creatures of Air, water and land worms, insects, reptiles and dragons, Creatures of Amalgam.
Each story is richly researched and beautifully written and it’ll certainly keep you glued to the book. This was a reader’s delight! It introduces us to mystical animals we know of and some lesser known ones from different cultures as well!
~
I really loved learning about tribal cultures of India and the animals they worship. In Indian art forms also, animals play a huge part, for eg Warli and Madhubani art have such lovely motifs of animals. Remember Panchatantra? Moral stories told through animals? How I loved them as a kid! There are so many idioms and phrases associated with animals in India’s languages as well!!
I was reminded of my summer vacations all the while I was reading this book. Kids and adults both will be able to enjoy this one!! Definitely recommended!!
4⭐️
More...