June 29, 2016

Book Review: Arjun - without a doubt by Dr. Shinde Sweety


Author: Dr. Shinde Sweety
Publisher: Frog Books
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary
“Fate is inevitable. But it is our actions and the perception that pave our path for success.”Much has been read and talked about the mythological characters. Much has been hypothesized. There are beliefs and there are myths. But what if these beliefs help in materializing the character from mythology? But would our perception change if we are introduced to the viewpoint of the characters themselves? Arjun was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, yet he cherished his life. Probably he was the most admirable soul. He faced obstacles at every point of his life and always ended up burying the hatchet and striving to help others. Failing terribly in love, Arjun lived a life full of crests and troughs. “Arjun- without a doubt” is a book that exposes the readers to an untold truth; a truth that could be seen by Arjun, Draupadi and Krishna only.

This is a must read. Grab your copies soon!


My opinion
Personally, Karna is my favorite character from mythology. And the theme of this book caught my attention in a jiffy. Probably the fact that this book makes Arjun- the centre of attraction and discusses his perception of life caught my attention. All this while, Karna was assumed to have suffered the most in the hands of destiny. But who knew what emotional turmoil was within Arjun? The author has chosen a subject that is seldom dealt with. But somewhere the justice was not done with the characters of Mahabharata. Depicting Karna as a villain and emphasizing on the fact that whatever he went through, was just a figment of his cock-and-bull story, unlikable. Although I appreciate the efforts put by the author for crafting the plot so beautifully, yet I did not quite like the labeling. Beginning with the cover, it is mesmerizing. The color scheme and the title are very catchy. But wait, because something else is in store for you. The plot of the story is non-boring, relatable and nicely paced. The author has taken care to avoid long monologues and monotonous descriptions. The blurb is nice and insightful.

There is mythology, there is fiction, there is mystery and there is spiritual aspect associated as well. The plus point of the book is the lucid and easy narration which captivates the reader’s attention. The vocabulary is exemplary. I would like to compliment the author’s ability to use right words at the right time.

One of the drawbacks is the alignment of dialogues. The book lacks proper demarcation of the speeches and this creates a pause- where the reader might be left wondering who is saying what.

The new light, in which Arjun has been portrayed, is something to ponder on. Not only does this book provide an insight into his life but also gives the readers a chance to walk in his shoes.

Overall an unbalanced yet entertaining read with all the essential elements of a good story!

Best wishes to the author!


Drawbacks
There are some printing errors in the book. At some places, comma (s) is missing.


Buy this book from:




2 comments:

  1. Thank you Enakshi for your honest & carefully worded review.
    I've added a note in 2nd reprint which states that Draupadi's narration is marked by *** symbol. This was inserted in view of feedback from 1st print readers.
    However, since you have again mentioned the narration problem, I wanted to ensure whether you received 2nd reprint carrying the note?
    Kindly let me know since it is a vital information I need for my future readers' sake. Thank you again.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello
    You are welcome. I received the first print of the book.

    ReplyDelete