The Immortals of Meluha is amongst those rare breed of novels that dare to delve into Indian Mythology and come out unscathed.
The book's premise is based on the possibility that modern day gods were normal Men during their time and by lieu of their greatness and accomplishments came to be worshiped as Gods. Though the very religious might find it blasphemous, the theory does have it's merits and takers. Amish builds on it and has scripted a wonderful story that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish.
The Immortals of Meluha follows the life of Shiva, a mountain tribesman and his adventures through the country's lands. Shiva obviously is a reflection of Lord Shiva, one of the Hindu Tridev (Three Gods). The author's ingenuity is particularly reflected in the way he makes popular characters and incidents associated with Lord Shiva become a part of the fantasy world he weaves around the mythology. It really is nothing short of genius and very innovative.
Though his writing is not winning The Nobel anytime soon, it is lucid and clear enough to be read at a trot without hiccups. That said, it could do with a bit of refinement that would have raised the book to a higher level.
I haven't been as entertained by an Indian author since Samit Basu got done with his Gameworld Trilogy. Interestingly this one is going to be a trilogy too and Amish runs the risk of having set high expectations to meet. Now that the characters have been fleshed out adequately, I would like the story to pick up momentum and for the author to raise writing quality by a notch as well. I can't wait for Mr. Tripathi to release the next one.
There is a video trailer designed for the book that can be viewed at http://www.shivatrilogy.com
There is a video trailer designed for the book that can be viewed at http://www.shivatrilogy.com
You can also follow the author on twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/amisht
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Although it is a page turner and interesting, It’s difficult to reconcile the fact that book The Immortals of Meluha is set in 1900 BC whereas the language of the book belongs to the 21st century.
ReplyDelete@anon that's a very interesting and relevant information. However, I don't think the author was going for authenticity. The intention clearly is to put across a unique concept that today's book reading generation can enjoy and he seems to have achieved that remarkably well.
ReplyDeleteAn enjoyable read The Immortals of Meluha by Amish . loved the way you wrote it. I find your review very genuine and original, this book is going in by "to read" list.
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