Ramayana - The Game of Life - Shattered Dreams Book Review

I received the book Ramayana - The Game of Life - Shattered Dreams written by Shubha Vilas from BlogAdda. It is the 2nd part of the series written by the writer. The 1st among the series is Rise of the Sun Prince which is a national bestseller. When I first saw the book, I wondered what's so different about the book. It must be the same Ramayana written ages ago except for changes in few words. After all, the base story cannot be changed. But when I started reading the book, within the first few pages I understood that although the story is the same, but the presentation done by writer is completely new. Nobody must have ever written mythological stories in this way.

It keeps you glued page after page. With the amazing writing style, the writer allows the readers to literally visualise the whole scenario they are reading. It fits in well for reader of all ages. The simplicity in language keeps you within the flow of the story, the suspense created throughout the book in every scenario makes it interesting and facts present in the book enlightens you with the truths of Ramayana and Hindu culture. It gives you the truth about origins of modern day facts in an interesting manner – like why is Dasagriva named Ravana, why is Ravana’s son named Indrajit, why does the peacock have a multitude of colours, why the food offered to crows reach the donor's ancestors, why chameleon has the ability to change colours and so on. You'll find answers to many more such ‘WHYs’. Since I have caught my senses and understood the customs that Hindus have to follow, I have always questioned their originality.

I must admit that although I am interested in mythology, this is the first time I have read a whole book on the subject. Usually I just opt to read some parts which interest me or watch it only if enacted in plays or television shows. In such shows, I get entertained with the visualisation and dramatic appearance of the characters, whereas, in books, I always noticed that just series of words and sentences describing the situation didn't bring about much interest in me.

It is not just about the story; the footnotes give an insight about the story being told. It speaks about the implications of the current scenarios. So it is not just the story, there are morals and human behaviour facts too. Human relationships and their nature are given utmost importance and explained how to cope with them. One of the footnotes I liked goes here..

Different words spoken by different people in different situations have different impacts.
When a surgeon says, "Sorry," it evokes fear.
When a pilot says, "Mayday," it creates panic.
When a policeman says, "Stop," it causes anxiety.
When an astrologer says, "But," it elicits concern.

Well all-in-all, a great book and definitely a must read.

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