The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divkaruni:Book Review

 

“..Dhri’s tutor was of the opinion that virtuous women were sent directly into their next birth, where, if they were lucky, they reincarnated as men. But I thought that if lokas existed at all, good women would surely go to one where men were not allowed so that they could be finally free of male demands. However, I prudently kept this theory to myself.”

Mahabharata…isn’t it a story we all have enjoyed and we are quite sure we know?

But how far does our knowledge extend, when it comes to Panchaali, one of the protagonists?

About the Pandavas, our knowledge is quite vast, we know everything about their birth, childhood, and every single important moment of their life but when it comes to Panchaali, our knowledge comes to a full stop in a painfully shorter time. Why?

So, here we have Divakaruni presenting us with the same Mahabharata only now, we have Panchaali at the center of action.

We are taken from her fiery birth, to the pain she experienced at the initial rejection from her father, through her childhood, her fantasies, her view of her marriage with the five Pandava brothers, her relationship with the charming Krishna, her secret attraction for Karna, her expectations, her trials and tribulations in a world shaped by the desires and rules set by men.

Narrated entirely in first person, we have Panchaali herself, telling the epic. But this does not mean that she’s justifying herself, nor does it mean that the male characters are in shadows.

It’s just that Panchaali is brought out from the shadows.

Divakaruni entirely takes us by surprise as we find the numerous events we missed and helps us delve deeper into the intricate details as she beautifully unveils the different layers of such a strong woman as Panchaali.

Reading the book is just like holding an intimate conversation with Panchaali as we discover her questioning the innumerable male chauvinist rules of our society, detesting them, and protesting against them.

We discover Panchaali for who she was, a strong woman ready to challenge the world, to rebel against the boundaries society has prescribed for women, for Vyasa himself agreed,"I only tell people what they can stand………But you- I’ve always known you to be stronger than your husbands."

With its amazing dialogues, flowing style, and its precise narration, this book indeed, is a page-turner.

Its alluring cover, depicting the ‘Palace of Illusions’ Panchaali designed  herself (did you know that?), certainly adds to the charm.

I would strongly recommend reading the Palace of Illusions as it unravels a whole new perspective of the timeless tale we have always loved.

The Palace of Illusions, a book by a feminist, about a feminist, indeed deserves to be read by every feminist.

Happy Reading!!