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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
#215
Book 56 of 2023- Asura
Author-Anand Neelakantan
“The rich did not care who ruled, as long as they were allowed to be rich. The poor could not afford to care and nobody asked their opinion in any case. Only the middle class mattered and any half-witted ruler knows how to pamper them. Most humble men are either hypocrites or have much to be humble about.”
Ever since we were a kid, we’ve always been told about how great and noble son/king was Lord Rama and we barely heard about the other side of the story-Ravana’s. This is a fiction novel written from Ravana’s perspective. It’s a completely different take on the epic Ramayana. It is basically the same Ramayana study but from Ravana’s perspective. I really enjoyed this whole perspective and that’s the very reason why I decided to read this book.
First half of the book is so good. I enjoyed reading. But however, the second half of the book is so dragged, I didn’t enjoy the writing style after few chapters. It could definitely be written and portrayed well. The idea of giving voice to the victims and affected is interesting and fresh! Everything written in this book is nee and something we haven’t heard before. But who are we to say what’s real and what’s not? At the end of the day, everything is a story. So I have no issue against this perspective, but the writing style and narration is something I didn’t enjoy at all.
However,the Tamil translated version is extremely well written and I read few chapters only.
Book 56 of 2023- Asura
Author-Anand Neelakantan
“The rich did not care who ruled, as long as they were allowed to be rich. The poor could not afford to care and nobody asked their opinion in any case. Only the middle class mattered and any half-witted ruler knows how to pamper them. Most humble men are either hypocrites or have much to be humble about.”
Ever since we were a kid, we’ve always been told about how great and noble son/king was Lord Rama and we barely heard about the other side of the story-Ravana’s. This is a fiction novel written from Ravana’s perspective. It’s a completely different take on the epic Ramayana. It is basically the same Ramayana study but from Ravana’s perspective. I really enjoyed this whole perspective and that’s the very reason why I decided to read this book.
First half of the book is so good. I enjoyed reading. But however, the second half of the book is so dragged, I didn’t enjoy the writing style after few chapters. It could definitely be written and portrayed well. The idea of giving voice to the victims and affected is interesting and fresh! Everything written in this book is nee and something we haven’t heard before. But who are we to say what’s real and what’s not? At the end of the day, everything is a story. So I have no issue against this perspective, but the writing style and narration is something I didn’t enjoy at all.
However,the Tamil translated version is extremely well written and I read few chapters only.
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Over the centuries, there have been various versions of the Epic Ramayana. Debut author Anand Neelakantan has delivered us with a very refreshing new look at it with his novel ‘Asura’.
The story starts at the point where Ravana is defeated in his battle with Rama and is waiting for death to take over him. Then the story then goes back to Ravana’s childhood and then progresses thereon. It’s almost like a Biography of Ravana that is narrated alternately from the Demon King and Bhadra’s point of views. It was exciting and mesmerizing to meet a poor and ambitious boy who fights his way to ascend to the throne. He seemed more like a common man, with his share of mistakes and darkness in him, than an antagonist who deserved to leave behind a legacy that still has us burning his effigy. The other voice in this novel of Bhadra, a common man, with an extraordinary life. He is probably the most significant insignificant character in this storyline.
‘Asura’ manages to paint a picture in front of its readers that shows that Ravana, in fact, was more human than we imagine. He isn’t the larger than life persona with ten head on his shoulder, instead he is an ambitious person backed by the support of many people. He initially had the best in his mind for his subjects, but power brings corruption with it and like most people we know in the position of power, Ravana too fell for it. Also, I must warn that not all believers of Prince Rama will like this book. Every picture has two sides and this story is told from the opposite end of Rama and not everything we see will paint a pretty picture.
The author’s style of narration is flawless and loved his way of incorporating known information in a new light.
I have to admit that I have often wondered whether Ravana was this big-bad villain that Ramayana made him out to be. The reason being simple enough, even after kidnapping Sita and keeping her captured for so long, Sita’s honour was never compromised. That’s more than what we can say for most men of our generation. On the other hand, Rama is unable to trust Sita on her return as he believed that she had betrayed him which ultimately resulted in Sita taking the ‘Fire Test’ to prove her innocence. I can’t be the only one to have noticed the irony and the unfairness of the situation. I guess that made it easy for me to accept Asura’s story that so much easier.
The author has managed to put a forward an amazing rendition of the epic with finesse and amazing twists.
The story starts at the point where Ravana is defeated in his battle with Rama and is waiting for death to take over him. Then the story then goes back to Ravana’s childhood and then progresses thereon. It’s almost like a Biography of Ravana that is narrated alternately from the Demon King and Bhadra’s point of views. It was exciting and mesmerizing to meet a poor and ambitious boy who fights his way to ascend to the throne. He seemed more like a common man, with his share of mistakes and darkness in him, than an antagonist who deserved to leave behind a legacy that still has us burning his effigy. The other voice in this novel of Bhadra, a common man, with an extraordinary life. He is probably the most significant insignificant character in this storyline.
‘Asura’ manages to paint a picture in front of its readers that shows that Ravana, in fact, was more human than we imagine. He isn’t the larger than life persona with ten head on his shoulder, instead he is an ambitious person backed by the support of many people. He initially had the best in his mind for his subjects, but power brings corruption with it and like most people we know in the position of power, Ravana too fell for it. Also, I must warn that not all believers of Prince Rama will like this book. Every picture has two sides and this story is told from the opposite end of Rama and not everything we see will paint a pretty picture.
The author’s style of narration is flawless and loved his way of incorporating known information in a new light.
I have to admit that I have often wondered whether Ravana was this big-bad villain that Ramayana made him out to be. The reason being simple enough, even after kidnapping Sita and keeping her captured for so long, Sita’s honour was never compromised. That’s more than what we can say for most men of our generation. On the other hand, Rama is unable to trust Sita on her return as he believed that she had betrayed him which ultimately resulted in Sita taking the ‘Fire Test’ to prove her innocence. I can’t be the only one to have noticed the irony and the unfairness of the situation. I guess that made it easy for me to accept Asura’s story that so much easier.
The author has managed to put a forward an amazing rendition of the epic with finesse and amazing twists.
Asura- tale of the vanquished, the story of Ravana and his people
A very aggressive and challenging task very well done. Brilliantly conceived eclectic representation of "Mythology". A very bold and seemingly atrocious story.
Finally allows you believe that Indian mythology can actually be history, albeit from a completely inglorious stand point!
Must read, for an open mind, ready to experience a fresh perspective.
Well done Anand Neelakantan!
A very aggressive and challenging task very well done. Brilliantly conceived eclectic representation of "Mythology". A very bold and seemingly atrocious story.
Finally allows you believe that Indian mythology can actually be history, albeit from a completely inglorious stand point!
Must read, for an open mind, ready to experience a fresh perspective.
Well done Anand Neelakantan!
First and foremost, when a book is written and goes through the publishing process, I expect it to be proofread. This book is not. I can understand the occasional misspelling or grammatical error, but when the book seems to be written entirely in incorrect English, it begins to gnaw on my nerves. For example, stuck and struck are two different words. Please do not confuse the two. If one of the characters is trapped behind a chariot, he is 'stuck' behind it, and not 'struck' behind it. This particular error itself has been made at least three times in the book, not to mention innumerable grammatical errors on every second page.
Secondly, the characters. Oh, the shallow, one dimensional characters. You have the characters from one of the greatest epics ever written to work with, and all you do is turn them into self pitying, whiny, one dimensional husks of humanity. You create the character of Bhadra, who is supposed to be shrewd and brave, and is supposed to provide insight and perspective. Instead, all he seems to do is get kicked into ditches. I literally mean to say that almost every significant event in his life seems to end up with his lying in a ditch. Again and again. And still more self pity. After a while, it begins to get sickening.
Thirdly, sometimes writers use great stories and epics from the past to cast a light on modern times. In theory, this is usually a great idea, but much depends on its execution. When the analogy is rich and layered and reveals itself slowly, it is a delight to behold. In this book however, the analogies and references to modern India are so tacky and transparent, they end up looking ridiculous and childish.
I was so full of hope when I bought this book, and for the first few chapters I enjoyed it. I specially liked how cleverly the author explained or accounted for the magical elements of the original story. It was fun, and the characters seemed to be maturing and coming into their own. After a while, however, things simply began to come apart, until by the end of it, I regretted my decision to pick up this book in the first place.
Having said all of this, I still want to say that writing this book was a grand and commendable effort on the author's part. The book is clearly well researched, and the author certainly comes across as very knowledgeable about Indian mythology. His insights and perspectives are very relevant and well thought out, but could have been presented in a better manner. I am sure that given the right kind of support from the publishers, the author's next effort would be much more improved.
Finally, I want to say that if I have been so critical, it is only because I expected a lot from this book, whereas I was disappointed when I actually read it. Nonetheless, it stands far far higher that the other factory manufactured drivel that seems to be churning out at a frenzied place from other authors, cluttering up the best seller lists and bookshelves at chain bookstores.
PS: Saying that a book is ranked 4th on Flipkart in the book description doesn't mean a thing! Seriously!
Secondly, the characters. Oh, the shallow, one dimensional characters. You have the characters from one of the greatest epics ever written to work with, and all you do is turn them into self pitying, whiny, one dimensional husks of humanity. You create the character of Bhadra, who is supposed to be shrewd and brave, and is supposed to provide insight and perspective. Instead, all he seems to do is get kicked into ditches. I literally mean to say that almost every significant event in his life seems to end up with his lying in a ditch. Again and again. And still more self pity. After a while, it begins to get sickening.
Thirdly, sometimes writers use great stories and epics from the past to cast a light on modern times. In theory, this is usually a great idea, but much depends on its execution. When the analogy is rich and layered and reveals itself slowly, it is a delight to behold. In this book however, the analogies and references to modern India are so tacky and transparent, they end up looking ridiculous and childish.
I was so full of hope when I bought this book, and for the first few chapters I enjoyed it. I specially liked how cleverly the author explained or accounted for the magical elements of the original story. It was fun, and the characters seemed to be maturing and coming into their own. After a while, however, things simply began to come apart, until by the end of it, I regretted my decision to pick up this book in the first place.
Having said all of this, I still want to say that writing this book was a grand and commendable effort on the author's part. The book is clearly well researched, and the author certainly comes across as very knowledgeable about Indian mythology. His insights and perspectives are very relevant and well thought out, but could have been presented in a better manner. I am sure that given the right kind of support from the publishers, the author's next effort would be much more improved.
Finally, I want to say that if I have been so critical, it is only because I expected a lot from this book, whereas I was disappointed when I actually read it. Nonetheless, it stands far far higher that the other factory manufactured drivel that seems to be churning out at a frenzied place from other authors, cluttering up the best seller lists and bookshelves at chain bookstores.
PS: Saying that a book is ranked 4th on Flipkart in the book description doesn't mean a thing! Seriously!
Fresh perspective on the Ramayana - my favorite Indian epic. I must have been 10 when I read the Ramayana for the first time. Since it was an abridged version meant particularly for children, it was a flowery depiction at best and I remember being highly amused and captivated by the story of Rama and his brothers defeating the evil Ravana. Back then I obviously wouldn’t have seen the story of the Ramayana in the context of the caste system which this book thoroughly explores. Though it still remains my favorite mythological story, I now see the story in a very different light than I did at age 10 - especially the troubling treatment of Sita at the hands of Rama.
Ravana has always been a character of great intrigue for me except that for the longest time I never came across any writing that told his story. I had only heard that the significance of his 10 heads was his measure of intelligence. This book gives a different explanation of the 10 heads and it’s an explanation I can get behind.
There could be some facts in this retelling that may not align with what we have always known about the Ramayana but my takeaway from this book has been that maybe Ravana wasn’t the demon he was always made out to be and if he was, he was a demon with a conscience who had started out with good intentions but was led terribly astray by his advisors, his temper and his pride.
Ravana has always been a character of great intrigue for me except that for the longest time I never came across any writing that told his story. I had only heard that the significance of his 10 heads was his measure of intelligence. This book gives a different explanation of the 10 heads and it’s an explanation I can get behind.
There could be some facts in this retelling that may not align with what we have always known about the Ramayana but my takeaway from this book has been that maybe Ravana wasn’t the demon he was always made out to be and if he was, he was a demon with a conscience who had started out with good intentions but was led terribly astray by his advisors, his temper and his pride.
dark
tense
medium-paced
It just breaks my heart when a fresh idea is implemented in such a crude manner. It has really been a while since I came across such a terrible piece of writing and it really disappoints me because the story had so much potential. I guess it serves me right for expecting so much from a book.
From the very first page, the book spews hatred against the Brahmins and Aryans way of life. There came a point in the book where I felt I was reading some Pro Dravidian propaganda, which is not what I had signed up for. I believe the author wanted to showcase the evils of caste system but the whole point is lost when the entire book is full of anti-Aryan/fair skinned overtones. I do not know if it was intentional but the narration itself is very self-contradictory. The protagonist,Ravana says that the Asura clan respect their women because unlike the white skinned Devas, they don’t force the widows to practise Sati; but earlier in the book the same protagonist is shown raping a maid just because he was pissed off with his wife.(I mean what the hell!!!)
In my opinion,Ravana was a great emperor and deserved a much better story-a story that was at least proofread(I really don’t want to get started on the innumerable grammatical and vocabulary usage errors). The traditional version of the epic does more justice to this magnificent character.
From the very first page, the book spews hatred against the Brahmins and Aryans way of life. There came a point in the book where I felt I was reading some Pro Dravidian propaganda, which is not what I had signed up for. I believe the author wanted to showcase the evils of caste system but the whole point is lost when the entire book is full of anti-Aryan/fair skinned overtones. I do not know if it was intentional but the narration itself is very self-contradictory. The protagonist,Ravana says that the Asura clan respect their women because unlike the white skinned Devas, they don’t force the widows to practise Sati; but earlier in the book the same protagonist is shown raping a maid just because he was pissed off with his wife.(I mean what the hell!!!)
In my opinion,Ravana was a great emperor and deserved a much better story-a story that was at least proofread(I really don’t want to get started on the innumerable grammatical and vocabulary usage errors). The traditional version of the epic does more justice to this magnificent character.
A refreshing perspective to the Ramayana that we all are already very familiar with. Telling the story from the "villain's" perspective is very unique and innovative. No magic, demons or superheroes in this version - had to finish the second half in one sitting.