To understand mythology one has to have faith in it and Amish Tripathi makes sure that you have it after reading the book. The novel is the transition of a man becoming Mahadev, or God of Gods. One of the most enthralling gods in Hindu mythology is Lord Shiva. Even to my naive mind, Shiva signifies for passion and strength. It is arduous to do justice to such a phenomenon in a few hundred pages. But that’s exactly what Amish has done in the Immortals of Meluha. He directs Lord Shiva into a credible character- one with feelings and faults, with a charisma and a mind that constantly reasons logically. The ace of the book is not the plot but the characterization.
The cabal of the book follows Shiva as he searches for his destiny trying to do what seems to be right. He is curious, virtous and respectful. Concurrently , his flamboyant persona makes him mischievous, adding zing to the novel. He constantly questions the concept of caste divisions in the society. He treats everyone with dignity, honor and a great sense of equality. The novel presents him almost as a contemporaneous. Shiva is the “cool”, marijuana smoking immigrant from Tibet who has a non-biased attitude towards his subordinates. He falls for Sati, the exquisite Suryavanshi princess, as soon he gets a glimpse of her. The idea of “love at first sight” seems to have its roots way in the past. The novel ends out of the blue. At the most crucial hinge, when the readers would be adhering to their books reading intensely, expecting something gigantic to happen, the books ends.
The author has used many techniques of writing to make the book interesting and has succeeded in doing so. The construction of sentences is beguiling, the language simple and scenario setting done with such an elegance that one can almost visualize Kashmir from the eyes of a tribal immigrant. Though the story is based in 1900 BC, it appeals to the contemporary mind because history has been cleverly interwoven with logic and science . It is hard to know where facts end and fiction begins. The author clearly knows what it takes to make a bestseller! A fascinating characterization, simple story that takes the reader with it and an open ending that makes sure that the reader buys the next book. In all, the book is truly a delight to read.
Get the Immortals of Meluha. You won’t be able to put it down!
