I know I have been absent from this space for quiet a long time. Life takes its own course and gets busy day after day. But, I am back, and back to review this wonderful book that I got in my mail. This is the third book of the Ramayana series by Shubha Villas. I already read the second book and I was thrilled to get an opportunity to review the third. Thank you BlogAdda.
This book starts with the story of King Danda and his reign over Dandakaranya. This part of the story was totally new to me and soon I was engrossed reading it. Shubha has this unique talent to weave the story nicely, and write it in a very simple yet enchanting way. The way the life of the brothers along with Sita is portrayed only speaks about the strength of the writer. It sums up in a nice way Rama's morality and honesty towards his parents, life, and people of kingdom, it shows Sita's faithfulness, endurance and her love for her family. Ramayana in general plays an important role not only in Indian literature but also in Indian society. It depicts the story of an ideal kingdom with perfect relationships, and talks about ideal characters like the ideal father, son, brother and wife. Ramayana has been translated in various languages all over India.
Shubha has very nicely given us a taste of the hope and desolation, praise and trickery that goes on in a royal family.What I like about the book, is the analogy the writer brings with the modern day life situations and explains it in todays perception. Also, I felt the book dealt with the characters in a more humanly manner and thus one can relate to the emotions and pain of the characters. The writer truly did a wonderful job in depicting this thrilling and complicated family drama. The book ends with Sita been taken away by Ravana to Ashoka vatika, and Lakshmana's diary. It nicely says about Rama's emotion and grief on losing Sita. The picture of Asoka vatika and Lanka has also been depicted nicely. The book gives an account of Sita's feelings, emotions and thought when she was placed in Ashoka vatika. It also shows her strength in the way she spoke to Ravana.
Overall the book is nicely written and makes for a very good read with easy explanation and lucid way of story telling.
