Penguin 35: The Great Indian Novel Hardcover – 7 November 2022

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 !!

Reading this book was like revising India's history through the lens of Mahabharat. Great story telling, I thoroughly enjoyed it for the first 70 percent. It did become a bit boring after that, and I couldn't understand the context of what was actually going on. But overall a great read, I highly recommend it.

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.

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!

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.

Puns, allusions and witticisms that’s what The Great Indian Novel is made of. The title being a reference to Mahabharata, Sashi Tharoor’s debut novel tells the story of modern India using characters from the epic. Tharoor’s style is engaging, extremely irreverent and incredibly funny. Taking shots at everyone from Gandhi to Nehru to the Indian media with a few self-referential jokes about NRI’s and diplomats thrown in for good measure. After an excellent start, and buildup, the plot sags a bit. Given the subject matter, there probably is no closure possible but the climax does feel a bit week. Overall a decent way to close the year. Would recommend.

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.

I finished the book recently, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, which is saying a lot because my paperback edition is around 600 pages. I wouldn't consider the book a "literary" work, and I'm not sure what genre it can be categorized under (historical fiction?), but it's certainly a one-of-a-kind book, and a masterpiece.The concept behind the book is ingenious. Tharoor uses the great Indian epic, The Mahabharata, as the ground for writing a book on 20th-century Indian history and politics, like a Greek writer using The Illiad as the basis for a novel on modern Greek politics. The importance of that is two-fold: It shows the continuing relevance of this ancient epic in modern times, and it places the history of Indian independence and modern India within a mythic framework, like a continuation of the mythical history of India. The narrator is the original storyteller of the mighty Mahabharata, Vyasa, and, of course, his scribe is a representation of the original scribe, the deity Ganesha.Tharoor weaves the story of the great, mythic Indian struggle for freedom from the largest, most powerful empire in the history of mankind using characters from The Mahabharata to represent independence leaders and modern leaders (you can easily pick out Indira Gandhi). I thought the blending of historical and mythical events to be a really original conception for a novel. The characters are fleshed out well, and Tharoor shows his knowledge of Indian politics and the motivations and flaws of the people enmeshed in it. I also appreciated his empathetic characterizations of the poorer and more downtrodden in Indian society.The book was a masterpiece of satire and wit, and I liked Tharoor's prose style, particularly his penchant for alliteration. For a long novel, the story was well-paced and not difficult to read through. In fact, it moved pretty fast for me. I loved the ending (so Indian or Hindu). Perfect.Personal note: I enjoyed the fact that Tharoor made the character who represented Krishna a Malayali, just like Tharoor is and just like I am. Cool.

Was curious about how this would translate. So far so good! Excellent condition and fast shipping

Oned of the most interesting and amusing books I've read. Had to read it a second I enjoyed it so much.

Un capolavoro letterario poco o nulla conosciuto in Italia. Per apprezzarlo al meglio occorre però conoscere qualcosa sulla storia e i miti dell'India

Great novel.