I really, really wanted to like this book more than I did. The author tackled a difficult challenge: to fit a lifetime into a single book, and to cover a large volume into it as well. Read it, because it’s a valuable interpretation of the Mahabharata, especially for westerners, but don’t read it if you want great characterization.

For me, it fell flat. I didn’t feel that present in the story. It was beautifully described, but I didn’t feel There. It was just too passive for me. My favorite part was in the beginning where Panchaali and Dhri were kids/teens, because that was the only bit that seemed fully-fleshed. There were a couple of heartwarming anecdotes here and there where you could see Panchaali’s and the Pandavas’ intimate relationships, but not enough to really anchor them for me, even in her devotion to duty. I didn’t feel her pain very acutely. I wanted to feel more when her sons died, when Dhri died, but it was just blah. (Not a spoiler— Viyasa prophesies this very early on in the book).

Krishna was the best character in the book by far. I wanted to get to know Bheem better, and Arjun, but I didn’t.