Dr Pingali Gopal uses R. C. Mazumdar's book "History of the Freedom Movement in India" as reference to evoke interest in the truth behind the popularised version of the history of India's independence.
Category: <span>BOOK REVIEW</span>
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“Rama of the Axe” by Ranjith Radhakrishnan – A Review
A comprehensive review of "Rama of the Axe" by Ranjith Radhakrishnan, and his treatment of plots and characters beyond what is mainstream, including but not limited to the protagonist Bhagwan Parashurama and the antagonist Kartyavira Arjuna.
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Aavarana (The Veil) By S. L. Bhyrappa – Translated by Sandeep Balakrishnan – A Review
Rohan Raghav Sharma reviews SL Bhyrappa's "Aavarana - the veil" translated from the original Kannada into English by Sandeep Balakrishnan. He explores the multi-layered plot, the flow of the story, and evolution of the characters while also touching upon salient points of criticism along with his own critique of the book.
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On Audrey Truschke’s “Aurangzeb: The Life and Legacy of India’s Most Controversial King”
"Bridging the chasm between the historical Aurangzeb and this reimagined (and largely imaginary) Aurangzeb is a daunting task, but Truschke makes her case with the chirpy enthusiasm of an Aurangzeb fangirl writing a puff piece in People magazine on her idol.
The received historiography on Aurangzeb is riddled with outlandish hoaxes that have gone unchallenged for decades. Truschke’s book is a worthy addition to this genre since it refreshes our memories of these hoaxes while enthusiastically manufacturing new ones."
An incisive and witty review of Audrey Truschke's book on Aurangzeb, and her source material, by Keshav Pingali.
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“Our Moon Has Blood Clots” by Rahul Pandita – A Review
Mayank Dhar, A Kashmiri Pandit, pens a nuanced and balanced review of Rahul Pandita's book "Our Moon Has Blood Clots", with praises where the author has earned them and pointed questions where the author deserves them.
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“Uttar Kaanda” by S. L. Bhyrappa – A Review
In the novel, Uttara Kaanda, renowned novelist, Shri S L Bhyrappa is on an odyssey. An odyssey through the eyes of his protagonist, Sita; the daughter of Janaka, wife of Rama, and mother of Lava-Kusha but also something more, something that belongs only to herself. Something that makes Sita who she is.
Sita is not ‘Devi’ in Uttara Kaanda, but she is most definitely either our Mata, our Bhagini or our Kanya. That is why our hearts beat with Sita of Uttara Kaanda.
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‘Mahabharata Unravelled’ By Ami Ganatra – A Review
Ami Ganatra's book "Mahabharata Unravelled" is going to be revelatory for those who are used to a steady diet of modern, almost fictitious and agenda driven, retellings, or rather remodellings, of dharmik epics. It must be read as a stepping stone for the study of the source text to understand and absorb the main epic in a deeper manner.
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‘The Imperishable Seed’ By Bhaskar Kamble – A Summary Review
Dr. Pingali Gopal reviews 'The Imperishable Seed' By Bhaskar Kamble, a theoretical physicist from IIT Kanpur and presently a data scientist in Germany.
The linear progression of history from a primitive past to an advanced future, deeply entrenched in western philosophy, embeds itself in Indians even today as a classic case of ‘colonial consciousness’. Bhaskar has done a brilliant job of describing the history of mathematics, a much ignored subject in our educational systems, and tracing the roots of many subjects to the genius mathematicians of ancient and mediaeval India.
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‘Saraswati’s Intelligence’ by Vamsee Juluri – A Review
Vamsee Juluri's book is a page-turner, a great example of creative reimagining done right.
It cannot easily be categorised as per conventional genres. Depending on individual inclination, it can be classified as spiritual, based on passages dealing with the questioning of the nature of Dharma; action-packed thriller, given the battle scene depictions and wars waged; or 'mythological', since despite being based on living Devatas, it is a fictional representation of them; and very different from the stories we were raised on.
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Hindu Love Stories by Aditi Banerjee – A Review
In this review of "Hindu Love Stories" by Aditi Banerjee, we learn about the author's motivation behind writing the book; and her treatment of her characters. She brings forth the popular tales, as well as some lesser known ones; and shows us that some of the lore known to us as tales of duty and surrender can also be viewed from the Hindu view of love, which is very different from the single-hued romantic love marketed by the West.