“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.”― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons
Written by Sakshi Misra, www.vanityhues.winkl.co | Edited by SSU
Reading is such an extricate hobby that will never leave you lone. One who has this habit will never be isolated and will always find a way to reach his book. Reading as a habit inculcated in me pretty late, till the time, my father lost the hopes that his kids will ever touch books beyond course and curriculum. But once I got hooked to it, I never looked back.
Mythological fiction is one genre that grasps my attention like no other book does. The first book that I ever read from this category was “The Pregnant King”……Astonished?? Right, that is the what the cover of the book reads. SSU today has decided to reward its followers and readers a bunch of 5 Mythological fiction books that are as amazing as the chimaera world of Mythology.
This post does not include The Immortals of Meluha Trilogy by Amish Tripathi as they are well popularized. We will bring to your notice some unsung books, which need a popular reckoning.
What is Mythic Fiction?
Mythic fiction is literature that is rooted in, inspired by, or that in some way draws from the tropes, themes and symbolism of myth, legend, folklore, and fairy tales. (SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA)SSU TOP 5 MYTHIC FICTIONAL BOOKS
1. The Pregnant King By Devdutt Patnaik
Devdutt Patnaik is a genius when it comes to relating Mythology with current ongoing life. He has excelled the art of unravelling the mystic world of mythology and manoeuvres it beautifully in his writings. This book tells the story of a king named Yuvanashva, who accidentally drinks the magic potion meant to make queens pregnant, who otherwise were suffering from some fertility issues. With the king, a man being pregnant starts the dilemma of a male body which not only starts behaving as a female but also how his strong-willed emotions change into a milder one after being a mother. It’s a The beautifully crafted story of a man from the era of exiled Pandavs, some small stories from Mahabharata, makes this book just an irresistible task.
I till date thank my friend from my MBA days, who recommended this book to me. Buy here 2. The Palace of Illusions By Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
You won't believe me this is a love story and a revelation of a kind. A woman writer can delve into those areas of emotions which sometimes a man can’t.
Set up again in the times of Mahabharata, it’s a story from Draupadi’s perspective. She is the soothsayer and predominantly tells how she always loved Karna (Kunti’s eldest son), how she always believed, she will get married to him but fate had another plan. How the destiny was already written and she ends up marrying Arjuna and consequently the other four Pandavas. She earns for Karna even on the battlefield of Kurukshetra and how her soul moans when Karna dies.
Oh God! This book still gives me jitters.
Even Alia Bhatt was recently spotted reading this book and she also exclaimed how much she loved this book.
Read this book to fall in love again and get to know the other side of Mahabharata. Buy here
3. The Difficulty of Being Good By Gurcharan Das
This book is based on the subtle art of Dharma. This book helps us in dealing with an everyday tussle of life, how one is caught up being paralyzed by the fact of what’s wrong and what’s right.
The lessons from The Gita are used to explain how one can lead a guilt-free life. An absolute must-have if you’re a Gothic reader. Buy here 4. The Krishna Key By Ashwin Sanghi
An anthropological thriller revolves around a man Ram Saini who is accused of murdering his childhood friend. The story fares as to how he thinks himself to be the “Kalki” (Lord Vishnu’s avatar) and saves his other friend’s life who is also under the threats of being killed. The author majestically uses the Dwarka and Vrindavan setting, Lord Krishna’s gift of gab and sensibilities to build the plot.
Again an amazing read over a weekend. Buy here
5. Asura By Anand Neelakantan
Moving forward from Mahabharata to Ramayana, this book talks about the Brahmin Asura(devil), Ravana’s servant, Bhadra.
This book explains all the chapters from his life, his intricate relationships with his close family members and his over ambitions to rule an empire.
This book knowingly or unknowingly also talks about the problems of a rich and a poor person.
A treat for any mythological fiction reader as most of the books available in the market focus only Lord Rama or Devi Sita. Buy here
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