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nivedhavelmurugan's review against another edition
3.0
Though I couldn't able to connect myself with the book, I must concede that it was indeed, a great novel with plethora of information. After reading, I was sceptical about the research that the author had done. How could a man shower loads of data in just 350 pages? He must have gone through days and nights of ceaseless research. But I would say all those were in vain. All that the book did was to lead me into CONFUSIONS. Mr. Sanghi has done an incredible job of confusing me. Great.
Firstly, this book had the same content as that of The Da Vinci Code, but failed to grip the readers tight, which the latter did well. I prefer The Da Vinci Code to The Rozabal Line.
As a great lover of mythology, I appreciate the author for blending all the religions together. In fact, I loved the way the history of every religion was told.
I don't believe in past-lives. May be, I would have believed if the author had persuaded me. But there were neither scientific explanations nor proof for the past-life hypothesis. Okay. Let's assume that the hypothesis is true. But how could a person born again and again of same gender? I think, that was not convincing and in some way, ridiculous. Also, I believe in 'As you sow, so you reap' not 'Tit for Tat'. Here, the author implies the Tit-for-tat-policy in the name of karma. Well, karma is entirely a different topic.
I also feel that the amount of informations provided was not worthy. To be honest, I don't remember any info given in that book.
But, I really loved his writing. The best part is was the style of writing. Mr. Ashwin Sanghi is really a man of wit and wisdom.
On the whole, the author had tried to convey the oneness of God. And I believe that.
Firstly, this book had the same content as that of The Da Vinci Code, but failed to grip the readers tight, which the latter did well. I prefer The Da Vinci Code to The Rozabal Line.
As a great lover of mythology, I appreciate the author for blending all the religions together. In fact, I loved the way the history of every religion was told.
I don't believe in past-lives. May be, I would have believed if the author had persuaded me. But there were neither scientific explanations nor proof for the past-life hypothesis. Okay. Let's assume that the hypothesis is true. But how could a person born again and again of same gender? I think, that was not convincing and in some way, ridiculous. Also, I believe in 'As you sow, so you reap' not 'Tit for Tat'. Here, the author implies the Tit-for-tat-policy in the name of karma. Well, karma is entirely a different topic.
I also feel that the amount of informations provided was not worthy. To be honest, I don't remember any info given in that book.
But, I really loved his writing. The best part is was the style of writing. Mr. Ashwin Sanghi is really a man of wit and wisdom.
On the whole, the author had tried to convey the oneness of God. And I believe that.
tufriel's review against another edition
I really wanted to like this book and I did, in the beginning. But it became incredibly tedious to keep reading because the author detailed every little unnecessary detail. Events also meshed into a jumble and the back and forth became confusing and a letdown despite the apparently incredible revelations.
himangshu8_'s review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Ashwin Sanghi’s The Rozabal Line is a very fascinating dive into the world's conspiracy and history of religion. I have mixed feelings about this book, hence I will give it a 2.5/5 ⭐ I think this book has a lot of positive features, but there are some areas where it could improve slightly
The large number of characters is like an eager party gathering with invitations for all, but not everyone makes a lasting impact before leaving the scene. Simplifying the characters list might strengthen their bond with a reader since many come across as fading into obscurity without obvious meaning behind them.
There are a large number of characters introduced in the book that don't create any lasting impression—in the very first chapter author introduces us to a lot of people around 4 continents in about 13 different places. Which becomes very chaotic to comprehend, especially when you are listening to it as an audiobook.
Sanghi bombards the readers with a lot of dates, places, and names of many organizations and their members. It somewhat suffers from being an information overload, which made it hard for me as a reader to immerse myself entirely in the story.
The narrative itself is ambitious but somewhat chaotic. Transitions between different time zones in history happen so often that you feel there are gaps in the plot and it resembles a fragmented story.
But on the contrary, the book has some very strong positive points. The author did a lot of research and hard work in writing this story which you notice when he ventures into the conspiration relating to how Jesus was crucified and that perhaps some believed Mary Magdalene of Egypt had married him. And also the way he included actual historical events in a fictional plot enhances suspense and improves authenticity.
So in conclusion, I will say that it's a historical fiction which is written with immense research and is very information heavy. So I recommend this book which can ignore the negative points that I have mentioned in my review. If these points are not a big deal for you, go for the book you will love.
The large number of characters is like an eager party gathering with invitations for all, but not everyone makes a lasting impact before leaving the scene. Simplifying the characters list might strengthen their bond with a reader since many come across as fading into obscurity without obvious meaning behind them.
There are a large number of characters introduced in the book that don't create any lasting impression—in the very first chapter author introduces us to a lot of people around 4 continents in about 13 different places. Which becomes very chaotic to comprehend, especially when you are listening to it as an audiobook.
Sanghi bombards the readers with a lot of dates, places, and names of many organizations and their members. It somewhat suffers from being an information overload, which made it hard for me as a reader to immerse myself entirely in the story.
The narrative itself is ambitious but somewhat chaotic. Transitions between different time zones in history happen so often that you feel there are gaps in the plot and it resembles a fragmented story.
But on the contrary, the book has some very strong positive points. The author did a lot of research and hard work in writing this story which you notice when he ventures into the conspiration relating to how Jesus was crucified and that perhaps some believed Mary Magdalene of Egypt had married him. And also the way he included actual historical events in a fictional plot enhances suspense and improves authenticity.
So in conclusion, I will say that it's a historical fiction which is written with immense research and is very information heavy. So I recommend this book which can ignore the negative points that I have mentioned in my review. If these points are not a big deal for you, go for the book you will love.
notacreditcard's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Im realizing that I hate the way Ashwin Sanghi writes characters and interactions. The beginning of this is so promising with the worldbuilding but then as soon as dialogue scenes start to happen the writing falls so flat and sounds so bad. As always the research that goes into these is amazing and impressive. A lot of the theological ideas in this get further expanded in The Krishna Key and I'm interested in seeing where he goes with these themes or what else he does with this series.
readsndrants's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Reminiscent of “Angels and Demons” by Dan Brown, but much more complicated, and not in a good way.
Ashwin Sanghi is apparently called the “Indian Dan Brown”, and this books makes it abundantly clear that there are similarities that cannot be chalked up to coincidence. “The Rozabal Line” is a thriller with all the elements that Dan Brown made famous — a main character trying to prevent destruction, religions and links between the past and present, political and terrorist organizations with people in high places, and of course, the Illuminati. However, while the plot had potential and the narration was heavily lacking.
It is a well-researched book, but it is too full of trivia that adds nothing to the story. Sanghi has tried to weave a narrative that all religions have closer origins (and origins in India) than what our Priests, Pandits, Rabbis, or Imams would like us to believe. That these religions, their preachers, had similar thoughts about life, salvation, and karma; but due to political and capitalist motives, religious institutions have distorted teachings and selectively propagated what suited them. In trying to drive this point, Sanghi brings in too many characters in too many timelines linked by too many facts (and speculations). The reader is plunged back and forth in a story which is extremely disorienting and it is impossible to know what is worth remembering. In fact it would be very difficult to follow the book if you have not read Dan Brown because the author uses a lot of elements and concepts without offering any explanations. Top this off with an anticlimactic ending that felt sorely incomplete, you have the recipe of an average book that is good to read but you won’t miss out if you don’t.
Nevertheless, it is a thriller alright that keeps you hooked, just in the hope that some sense will come out of it all. Like I said, the plot did have potential had it been better executed. From what I know, this is the author’s first book, and apparently the worst one(?). So I am not giving up on Sanghi just yet; and after debating between 2 and 3 stars for 24 hours of finishing this book (because it was a 2.5) I am erring on the side of generous.
Ashwin Sanghi is apparently called the “Indian Dan Brown”, and this books makes it abundantly clear that there are similarities that cannot be chalked up to coincidence. “The Rozabal Line” is a thriller with all the elements that Dan Brown made famous — a main character trying to prevent destruction, religions and links between the past and present, political and terrorist organizations with people in high places, and of course, the Illuminati. However, while the plot had potential and the narration was heavily lacking.
It is a well-researched book, but it is too full of trivia that adds nothing to the story. Sanghi has tried to weave a narrative that all religions have closer origins (and origins in India) than what our Priests, Pandits, Rabbis, or Imams would like us to believe. That these religions, their preachers, had similar thoughts about life, salvation, and karma; but due to political and capitalist motives, religious institutions have distorted teachings and selectively propagated what suited them. In trying to drive this point, Sanghi brings in too many characters in too many timelines linked by too many facts (and speculations). The reader is plunged back and forth in a story which is extremely disorienting and it is impossible to know what is worth remembering. In fact it would be very difficult to follow the book if you have not read Dan Brown because the author uses a lot of elements and concepts without offering any explanations. Top this off with an anticlimactic ending that felt sorely incomplete, you have the recipe of an average book that is good to read but you won’t miss out if you don’t.
Nevertheless, it is a thriller alright that keeps you hooked, just in the hope that some sense will come out of it all. Like I said, the plot did have potential had it been better executed. From what I know, this is the author’s first book, and apparently the worst one(?). So I am not giving up on Sanghi just yet; and after debating between 2 and 3 stars for 24 hours of finishing this book (because it was a 2.5) I am erring on the side of generous.
sudheerbanu's review
5.0
Reminds a lot about the Da Vinci Code, but oriented more towards India. Still a very interesting and captivating read.
shivprasad_kabir's review against another edition
3.0
It is the only book by Ashwin Sanghi which let my expectations go down. Surprisingly I read this book after completing 'CHanakya's Chant' & 'The Krishna Key'.
latas's review against another edition
1.0
This was before the time when I knew about GR(in 2013). I wish I could have read these reviews before wasting my time and money on this book. This book is often compared to Da Vinci Code. But this is an insult to Dan Brown.
There is a time leap across centuries(from 2000 BC to 2012 AD) after every 2 paragraphs. The plot is a mish mash of religions, illuminati, lashkar-e- taiba terrorists and Opus Dei. He has included past life regression therapy. He has also tried to incorporate Mayan prediction of end of the world in 2012. Then the concept of holy grail, sacred feminine and what-not.
I appreciate the research Ashwin Sanghi has done. He has neatly listed all the references in the bibliography, and that is an impressive list. But then he vomited everything he learnt about religion into one terrible fictional thriller.
There is a time leap across centuries(from 2000 BC to 2012 AD) after every 2 paragraphs. The plot is a mish mash of religions, illuminati, lashkar-e- taiba terrorists and Opus Dei. He has included past life regression therapy. He has also tried to incorporate Mayan prediction of end of the world in 2012. Then the concept of holy grail, sacred feminine and what-not.
I appreciate the research Ashwin Sanghi has done. He has neatly listed all the references in the bibliography, and that is an impressive list. But then he vomited everything he learnt about religion into one terrible fictional thriller.
liatrek's review against another edition
3.0
This book was interesting and started off strong but didn’t know how to end. Which is like most books that try to take a difficult concept and answer questions it just ends up flat. I enjoyed it overall but it’s not a book I feel like I can recommend to everyone.
rubal_mittal's review
1.0
I wish I could review this book and say I am disappointed. No, it's my fault to pick it up and think "maybe it's a good one", it's my fault to continue with the torture and think "maybe it gets better" and it's my fault to continue till the end because "we don't leave the book unfinished, darling"
This is just a pulao of theological mess, which hasn't just gone bad but had all the wrong ingredients in the recipe.
This is just a pulao of theological mess, which hasn't just gone bad but had all the wrong ingredients in the recipe.