Great Indian Novel, The (PB)

This was my first Shashi Tharoor novel and I was scared to choose, as it had a complex plot and I didn't know vastly about Mahabharata and Indian political history. I left this behind several times but when I started reading, I fell in love with the way of narration. Three decades of events in one book, with a complex plot, but Shashi Tharoor made it easy to understand and I never felt any sort of unrest while reading. This novel is a mythological retelling from Sasi Tharoor's perspective. He tries to transform Ancient Epic into Modern Politics. The mythical story of India is retold in such a way that the entire novel directs on how India has struggled against colonial rule. After reading this novel, it turns out to be my favourite mythological novel. A single book that entertains and gives us the kind of information we must have.

It is rare to find such imaginative and well-constructed storytelling ✨ Tharoor reimagines The Mahabharata in the setting of India’s freedom struggle, with political leaders recast as characters from the epic. This being a work of fiction, Tharoor never explicitly mentions which character is based on which leader, which makes it all the more fun to find out for yourself. Overall, this was a thoroughly entertaining and insightful read, filled with moments of clever wit that made me chuckle.

The book in question is From one of my most favourite and admired author ," The Great Indian Novel " by Shashi Tharoor . This book is a retelling of Mahabharta ,in contemporary political setting . The whole Mahabharta with it's ups and down , plotting and conspiracy is an epic . And it's so aptly written in accordance with and pre independence & post independence Era . Each character, each incident is narrated in new context and I did not find it even a bit odd. Because every character justified the role and fit in . The language is flourishing and perfect to a T . The narration is quite elaborate and doesn't leave any loopholes . I must say I learnt a great deal about history from this book. The Author has done a tremendous job and rewrite the history . It's a must read book. An amazing Read !!

Thoroughly enjoyable! The Great Indian Novel represents a complete shattering of one-tone saffronisation, and instead, fully absorbs the never-ending contradictions within the epic.

The book is witty, sarcastic, hilarious and pokes fun at everyone relevant to Indian politics. Dr. Tharoor has, as always, written a masterpiece. But you need time, patience and no small amount of understanding of Indian history to really get the innuendos and jokes that make this book what it is. Study your history then read this book.

Delightfully nuts in many parts, this satirical novel is a cocktail of humour and history. The amalgamation of Mahabharata with Indian struggle against imperialism is just so innovative an idea that I would re-read the book for its concept. Tharoor masterfully weaves a story of drama and hope with his brilliant imagination. A must read for any Shashi Tharoor fan. I can say with great certitude that this book is Tharoor's magnum opus. Verdict: Recommended.

Keeping the content aside, certain things really annoyed me to the core. Such as : 1. Frequent use of a word on the same page.(5 to 6 times to be precise) 2. Usage of advance vocabulary seemed redundant at many places..! 3. Dragging of topics, too often. Well, won’t suggest this book to anybody as most of the topics are taken from Mahabharata, some really impressive books are available in the market which talks well of that era!

Ok