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A review by lexlux
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Palace Of Illusions.
A powerful name for a vastly powerful book populated by characters varied and lovable and so ever changing that just as you hate them one moment, your heart weeps for them the very next.
The story is at its heart, one of the two great epics of India through the eyes of the one who was until now only thought of as a pawn in the game, the Pandavas' wife, Draupadi, or as she likes to be called, Panchaali.
We follow this tempestuous princess from the time of her mysterious birth to her early formative relationships with her brother, the people who attend to her, Krishna and various others.
We follow her as the carefree and rebellious girl falls in love but is forced into an unusual marriage situation. Panchaali adapts. Paanchaali influences. Panchaali forgets. We follow her as she acquires all that she has dreamed of, all that she desperately wished for, and then loses it and still stands tall and by her husbands' side, steadfast, despite everything crumbling around her. We follow her as she becomes a queen, a mother, a hermit, a servant and back to a queen again. We marvel at her rage and the depths of the passion she has in her to crave such vengeance. And once, obtaining that vengeance, how peacefully she gives it up again.
This is a story of an endlessly strong woman born into a man's world, years ahead of her time. She struggled and strived all her life to remain relevant in a narrative that focuses on a man and his exploits. But, unbeknownst to her, she is and will always be remembered for the womanhood that she so wished away as a young girl. She will be remembered for her strength, for her fierceness, for her conviction, for inciting five warriors to begin a war that would change the world that even their father's death couldn't.
As the story ends, I was sobbing, a mark of a truly great book. We all get what we deserve in the end, even if that is just what we want.
The story is fast paced, part mythology, part truth, part magic and all of beautiful Paanchali.
Special mention to Karna. Every person in his life failed him. That maginificent man deserved better.
A powerful name for a vastly powerful book populated by characters varied and lovable and so ever changing that just as you hate them one moment, your heart weeps for them the very next.
The story is at its heart, one of the two great epics of India through the eyes of the one who was until now only thought of as a pawn in the game, the Pandavas' wife, Draupadi, or as she likes to be called, Panchaali.
We follow this tempestuous princess from the time of her mysterious birth to her early formative relationships with her brother, the people who attend to her, Krishna and various others.
We follow her as the carefree and rebellious girl falls in love but is forced into an unusual marriage situation. Panchaali adapts. Paanchaali influences. Panchaali forgets. We follow her as she acquires all that she has dreamed of, all that she desperately wished for, and then loses it and still stands tall and by her husbands' side, steadfast, despite everything crumbling around her. We follow her as she becomes a queen, a mother, a hermit, a servant and back to a queen again. We marvel at her rage and the depths of the passion she has in her to crave such vengeance. And once, obtaining that vengeance, how peacefully she gives it up again.
This is a story of an endlessly strong woman born into a man's world, years ahead of her time. She struggled and strived all her life to remain relevant in a narrative that focuses on a man and his exploits. But, unbeknownst to her, she is and will always be remembered for the womanhood that she so wished away as a young girl. She will be remembered for her strength, for her fierceness, for her conviction, for inciting five warriors to begin a war that would change the world that even their father's death couldn't.
As the story ends, I was sobbing, a mark of a truly great book. We all get what we deserve in the end, even if that is just what we want.
The story is fast paced, part mythology, part truth, part magic and all of beautiful Paanchali.
Special mention to Karna. Every person in his life failed him. That maginificent man deserved better.