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A review by mayurbahon
Kurukshetra by Krishna Udayasankar
5.0
I have been trying to get my hands on this book for a long time. Almost a year, in fact. But international copyright issues prevented me. But when I got to it at last, it turned out every day waiting was worth it. I consumed it in days. And during 10-hour workdays, that meant sleepless nights. So riveting and engrossing the plot is. A fitting end to the trilogy.
We have grown up hearing about the stories of the Mahabharata. Of Arjun's heroics, Yudhistira's honesty, Duryodhana's scheming and Krishna's benevolence. This book takes all of that and churns it, spins it and dishes out a completely different story from what we know. Correcting the above statement, it does keep the main storyline similar to the epic but situations are created, backstories told, which puts the final actions of the characters in perspective. Makes you see them in a new light. To spin a new story from a well-known one, the author has picked characters who the original epic only mentions skeletally, in their most glorious times. And given them flesh, a Shikhandin and Aswattama Bharadwaja are given important roles. Their heroism gets as much or sometimes more attention than even Partha's.
The battle scenes are definitely the hallmark. I felt a constriction in my heart when young, brave and courageous Abhimanyu falls, heroic till the end. But the book is much more than just a war chronicle. The war is given legitimacy by triumph of democratic values over the older system. This was very much required because the good-evil difference is completely torn down by the author. Neither is Syodhana an evil usurper, nor is Dharma the epitome of virtue. And in the centre of everything is Govinda Shauri.
Govinda's machinations bring the nation on the brink of war. But in the end, its the little push by Panchali that sends the combined forces of Aryavarta hurtling through to death and destruction. The democratic colours given to the struggle justify the participation of almost all major kingdoms in the war. Otherwise, why would anybody be interested in waging war for feuding princes of a family. That definitely requires more than just marriage alliances.
In the end, it was a wonderful read. Definitely worth the wait. Thank you Ms.Shankar. Will certainly be looking forward to more from you.
We have grown up hearing about the stories of the Mahabharata. Of Arjun's heroics, Yudhistira's honesty, Duryodhana's scheming and Krishna's benevolence. This book takes all of that and churns it, spins it and dishes out a completely different story from what we know. Correcting the above statement, it does keep the main storyline similar to the epic but situations are created, backstories told, which puts the final actions of the characters in perspective. Makes you see them in a new light. To spin a new story from a well-known one, the author has picked characters who the original epic only mentions skeletally, in their most glorious times. And given them flesh, a Shikhandin and Aswattama Bharadwaja are given important roles. Their heroism gets as much or sometimes more attention than even Partha's.
The battle scenes are definitely the hallmark. I felt a constriction in my heart when young, brave and courageous Abhimanyu falls, heroic till the end. But the book is much more than just a war chronicle. The war is given legitimacy by triumph of democratic values over the older system. This was very much required because the good-evil difference is completely torn down by the author. Neither is Syodhana an evil usurper, nor is Dharma the epitome of virtue. And in the centre of everything is Govinda Shauri.
Govinda's machinations bring the nation on the brink of war. But in the end, its the little push by Panchali that sends the combined forces of Aryavarta hurtling through to death and destruction. The democratic colours given to the struggle justify the participation of almost all major kingdoms in the war. Otherwise, why would anybody be interested in waging war for feuding princes of a family. That definitely requires more than just marriage alliances.
In the end, it was a wonderful read. Definitely worth the wait. Thank you Ms.Shankar. Will certainly be looking forward to more from you.