Ratings: 4.5/5⭐
Genre: Fiction; History, Mythology
Number of Pages: 380
Format: Kindle
Publication Date: 1st January 2008
Publisher: Picador
The Palace of Illusions
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni which deals with the tumultuous and timeless tale of Mahabharata from Draupadi’s perspective is a masterpiece and a bestseller.
“A situation in itself, is neither happy nor unhappy. It’s only your response to it that causes your sorrow.”
Summary of The Palace of Illusions
The epic is narrated in Draupadi’s (aka Panchaali) voice, beginning right from the magical birth of her brother, Dhristadyumna, and her from the inferno, when she is prophesied to “change the course of history”. Even born in an extensive patriarchal society, Draupadi holds an interest and a keen eye on scholastic studies, which were only allowed for her brother.
“In a society that looked down its patrician nose on anything except milk- and- almond hues, this was considered most unfortunate, especially for a girl.”
A Swaym-var is arranged for Draupadi to choose her husband and the Kings and Princes from all renowned kingdoms come to participate, including Duryodhan, Karna, and Arjun (in disguise). Karna is humiliated by Panchaali in front of everyone else for being a lowborn so he leaves and consequently, she is married to Arjun and eventually to all the five heroic Pandav brothers. Henceforth, her life changes drastically. Soon, they move to Khandav, where Maya creates the most enchanting palace ever for them: THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS (from where the book gets its name).
However, as Krishna says “We are all just pawns in the hand of time”, Yudisthir lost all of the Pandavas’ wealth, their beautiful palace and kingdom, and even Draupadi. Panchaali is insulted in the way no woman should ever be, and in a fit of anger, she curses the Kauravas which leads to the great war of Kurukshetra between the Pandavas and Kauravas after 13 years. The Palace of Illusions is the story of Draupadi, from the little naïve girl who craved nothing but love, to the woman who gouged a deeper mark into history!
“Let the past go. Be at ease. Allow the future to arrive at its own pace, unfurling its secrets when it will.”
Personal Reviews of The Palace of Illusions
I’m simply in love with this rendition of the Mahabharata. What’s best about the book is the writing style of the author. The way she empathized with Draupadi and imagined the full situation of Mahabharata while crafting this unique composition is appreciable. The vivid description and lucid writing help you to almost visualize all that was happening in the past, from the Palace of Illusions to the Vanvaas incidents to the war of Kurukshetra. The actual plot of Mahabharata is extremely complicated, but here she tries to make it as simplified as possible for her readers. The characters are very strong and a bit complex.
I liked all the major characters from Arjun to Karna, from Bheeshma to Parikshit. I fell in love with the characters of Krishna and Draupadi (she might have been the first feminist ever). The bond, love, the friendship these two characters share is impeccable.
“Can’t you ever be serious?” I said, mortified. “It’s difficult,” Krishna said. “There’s so little in life that’s worth it.”
However, the relationship between Karna and Draupadi has been romanticized a bit. Though there is no written evidence of such a thing, nevertheless it only makes the plot more intriguing. I can’t stop myself from thinking that what could have been the consequences if Draupadi had chosen Karna instead of Arjun. The narration is so fast-paced that you can’t keep the book down till you’ve reached the last page. If you’re someone who has even an iota of interest in Hindu mythology, go pick this up RIGHT NOW!
“What is more numerous than the grass? The thoughts that rise in the mind of man. Who is truly wealthy? That man to whom the agreeable and disagreeable, wealth and woe, past and future, are the same. What is the most wondrous thing on earth? Each day countless humans enter the Temple of Death, yet the ones left behind continue to live as though they were immortal.”
About the author of The Palace of Illusions
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni – Author of The Palace of Illusions
Chitra Divakaruni is an award-winning writer, activist, and teacher, and the author of 21 books such as Mistress of Spices, Sister of My Heart, Before We Visit the Goddess, Palace of Illusions, The Forest of Enchantments, and The Last Queen. Her newest novel, Independence, depicts the experiences of three sisters in strife-torn Calcutta as India frees itself from the British yoke. She writes for adults and children.
Her work has been published in over 100 magazines and anthologies and translated into 30 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, Bengali, Hungarian, Turkish, Hindi, and Japanese. Her work has been made into films, plays, and dance dramas, and performed as operas. Her awards include an American Book Award, a PEN Josephine Miles award, a Premio Scanno, and a Light of India award. In 2015 The Economic Times included her in their List of 20 Most Influential Global Indian Women. She is the McDavid professor of Creative Writing in the internationally acclaimed Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston and lives in Houston with her husband Murthy.
Divakaruni has been an activist in the fields of education and domestic violence and has been closely associated with the following nonprofits: Pratham, which educates underprivileged children in India, and Daya and Maitri, which assist survivors of domestic violence in starting life anew.