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lsparrow's review
3.0
a novel about the wife of siddartha - an interesting historical novel although I felt a little unsatisfied by it.
shree_reads's review
4.0
Mansions of the Moon by Shyam Selvadurai captivated me in a way only a handful of books can. I previously had the pleasure of reading Selvadurai's Funny Boy in 2016 and it was my first book read by the author which left a profound impact. So naturally I started this latest novel with a lot of anticipation and expectations.
In this book, Selvadurai brings to life a character who rarely claims the spotlight in historical narratives – Yasodhara, the wife of Siddhartha, who later became the Buddha. It's through this unique perspective that we're granted a poignant view of Yasodhara's emotional turmoil.
Her life is a poignant reflection on the choices made by not her but by Siddhartha. The narrative is an emotional rollercoaster, leaving me with a deep sense of sympathy for Yasodhara and that is what truly makes this book stand out - the portrayal of Yasodhara's perspective. It's the heart of the novel, revealing her anguish, fury, and she carried on even when everything around her fell apart. Yasodhara became a mother who had to embrace the roles of both parents.
What makes "Mansions of the Moon" even more heart-wrenching is how it portrays Siddhartha, who would become the Buddha failed as a husband and father. Reading about his abandonment of his family felt like peering into the heart of a woman who was left behind, her love discarded. Reading history through the lens of fiction, I felt a mix of emotions – pain, sympathy, and deep respect for Yasodhara.
This is a profoundly touching and unique novel. Shyam Selvadurai crafts a poignant story that's impossible to forget. The pain, love, and strength of Yasodhara's character are bound to resonate with readers. I can't recommend "Mansions of the Moon" enough for its immersive storytelling, depth, and the fresh perspective it brings to the tale of Siddhartha and Yasodhara.
In this book, Selvadurai brings to life a character who rarely claims the spotlight in historical narratives – Yasodhara, the wife of Siddhartha, who later became the Buddha. It's through this unique perspective that we're granted a poignant view of Yasodhara's emotional turmoil.
Her life is a poignant reflection on the choices made by not her but by Siddhartha. The narrative is an emotional rollercoaster, leaving me with a deep sense of sympathy for Yasodhara and that is what truly makes this book stand out - the portrayal of Yasodhara's perspective. It's the heart of the novel, revealing her anguish, fury, and she carried on even when everything around her fell apart. Yasodhara became a mother who had to embrace the roles of both parents.
What makes "Mansions of the Moon" even more heart-wrenching is how it portrays Siddhartha, who would become the Buddha failed as a husband and father. Reading about his abandonment of his family felt like peering into the heart of a woman who was left behind, her love discarded. Reading history through the lens of fiction, I felt a mix of emotions – pain, sympathy, and deep respect for Yasodhara.
This is a profoundly touching and unique novel. Shyam Selvadurai crafts a poignant story that's impossible to forget. The pain, love, and strength of Yasodhara's character are bound to resonate with readers. I can't recommend "Mansions of the Moon" enough for its immersive storytelling, depth, and the fresh perspective it brings to the tale of Siddhartha and Yasodhara.
_askthebookbug's review
4.0
I read Shyam Selvadurai’s Funny Boy back in 2020 and I was instantly taken by his empathetic way of writing. I experienced the same quality still in his latest novel, Mansions of the Moon. In this book that reads gently and deeply, Selvadurai has managed to connect with the readers in a way that is quite hard to explain. This fictionalised tale of Yasodhara’s (Siddhartha Gotama’s wife) journey of becoming a Buddhist nun herself, felt like it was written by a woman because of the compassion and pain that it carries. Yasodhara’s life is a lesser told story and it was hard for me to make sense of why Siddhartha did what he did. How is it fair that right after Yasodhara gave birth to their son, Siddhartha left everything behind in search of enlightenment? This sad tale of love found and then lost stirred up a whirlwind of emotions within me.
Yasodhara and Siddharatha were cousins before they got married at the age of 16. Their sweet friendship and affection blossomed into love as time passed by but the melancholy which always resided within Siddharatha, a quality that at one point of time Yasodhara admired only increased with time. He was restless & desired something more than the usual pleasure of being a family man. Siddharatha and his father, Suddhodana never got along well but old age softened the old man to be a little kinder to his son. But even amidst his family and friends, Siddharatha was always looking for contentment which was found only after he met ascetics. It didn’t take long for everyone to realise that Siddharatha would eventually forsake everything and choose the life of spiritualism.
But this book is more about the wife and mother who was abandoned by her husband. We see Yasodhara’s anguish and fury and her strength to carry on alone when everything else seemed to crumble. This woman, brought up in a royal household even lived a peasant life without complaining about it, forged friendships and companionship with other women who kept her going. It was surprising to see women having more freedom back in 6BCE than they have now. This was a refreshing historical fiction that put things into perspective.
Can’t recommend this enough.
Yasodhara and Siddharatha were cousins before they got married at the age of 16. Their sweet friendship and affection blossomed into love as time passed by but the melancholy which always resided within Siddharatha, a quality that at one point of time Yasodhara admired only increased with time. He was restless & desired something more than the usual pleasure of being a family man. Siddharatha and his father, Suddhodana never got along well but old age softened the old man to be a little kinder to his son. But even amidst his family and friends, Siddharatha was always looking for contentment which was found only after he met ascetics. It didn’t take long for everyone to realise that Siddharatha would eventually forsake everything and choose the life of spiritualism.
But this book is more about the wife and mother who was abandoned by her husband. We see Yasodhara’s anguish and fury and her strength to carry on alone when everything else seemed to crumble. This woman, brought up in a royal household even lived a peasant life without complaining about it, forged friendships and companionship with other women who kept her going. It was surprising to see women having more freedom back in 6BCE than they have now. This was a refreshing historical fiction that put things into perspective.
Can’t recommend this enough.
kelseymck's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
caiterlenbach's review
3.0
"From the bestselling, award-winning author of Funny Boy and The Hungry Ghosts comes a breathtaking reimagining of ancient India through the extraordinary life of Yasodhara, the woman who married the Buddha."
This book was LONG. At times it was hard to continue due to the long chapters and the weight of the subject. But it was beautifully written with vivid imagery and the last few chapters were so empowering that I was glad I powered through it.
This book was LONG. At times it was hard to continue due to the long chapters and the weight of the subject. But it was beautifully written with vivid imagery and the last few chapters were so empowering that I was glad I powered through it.
fionak's review
I got forty pages in and I just don't care. I'm really finicky lately.
electricdryad's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5