Every Indian I am sure knows the story of Ramayana. At one point or other, I bet every Indian child has seen it play on the Television. Ramayana is like a part of growing up. As a child I always remember myself being bored when Doordarshan played epics like Mahabharat and Ramayana. I somehow have never been a great fan of such genre on the televisoin. But when I started reading epics, they began to show their interesting side. This is the third Epic novel I have read and I now know that I kind of like reading such stuffs.
Details of the book:
ISBN – 9788184955316
Genre: Mythology
Publishers: Jaico Publishing house
Price: Rs. 350/-
About the Author:
The author of the book, Shubha Vilas is a spiritual seeker and a motivational speaker. He is a B.E in
Electronics and Telecommunications and L.L.B Specialist in Intellectual Property Law: Patent Law. Shubha Vilas has conducted various leadership seminars that Focus on relevant and vital themes: ‘Secrets of Lasting Relationships’, ‘Soul Curry to Stop Worry’ and ‘Work–Life Balance’. He believes in that a good teacher sees learning and teaching as integral twin aspects of personal and spiritual growth. When an expert in such genre writes a novel like this, expectations are sure to rise.
The review:
The Game of Life: Shattered Dreams, is the sequel of Ramayana - The Game of Life, both of which re-tell Ramayan in a way you never thought of. The book starts with King Dasratha fighting his fears on deciding who should succeed him. The first chapter clearly indicates love and responsibility and a thousand limitations that accompany power. Plus the author’s inclusion of footnotes makes one take a deeper look into the meanings of the scene playing out in the book. The author uses various analogies to express the reasoning in a very clear way.
I have not been a real fan of Ramayana. Somehow, I always found the characters in it were not strong or, positive enough. Ramanyan posed many a questions to me. Was Kaikeyi really evil or, did she do what every mother would do? Was Ram’s father too week who could not avoid his son being sent into exile? Why did Sita have to undergo the test of loyalty? Such questions never allowed me to appreciate the characters of the book. However, Shubha Vilas using this book paints a different picture. With the help of Valmiki’s Ramayana and other versions of the epic, the author takes the reader to the era when King Rama once ruled the world. Though Ramayana has been told a million times by a million people, what makes this book stand apart is the simplicity of the language and the lucid flow that makes it easy to grasp what the author intends to reveal. I am sure that a school going child will find this version of Ramayana easy to follow and understand. One good thing about the book is the footnotes that elucidate the principles put forth by Lord Rama. It provides an interesting perspective into the teachings that are present in the original story of Valmiki.
The book talks about how Manthara’s poisonous wishes lead the doom of an entire empire. The author dedicates an entire chapter giving a fine view of Ravana’s exploits. Having always disliked the character of Ram, I somehow am biased to the advice given by Ram in the book. The character of Laxman and Bharat has been developed as dutiful.
Should you read this book? Why not? And read it especially if you are a mythological lover. The language is easy and beautiful. It helps you understand Ramayana and how to apply it in today’s world. I give this book a rating of 3.5. It would have got my four but like I said, I have something against Ram.
