Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Relevant to today’s war-torn world, The Palace of Illusions takes us back to the time of the Indian epic The Mahabharat—a time that is half-history, half-myth, and wholly magical. Through her narrator  Panchaali, the wife of the legendary five Pandavas brothers, Divakaruni gives us a rare feminist interpretation of an epic story.  

The novel traces Panchaali’s life, beginning with her magical birth in fire as the daughter of a king before following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of  their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim  their birthright, remaining at the brothers’ sides through years of  exile and a terrible civil war. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her stratagems to take over control of her household from her mother-in-law,  her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husband’s most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female voice in a world of warriors, gods,  and ever-manipulating hands of fate.

The Palace of Illusions

Omar Fernandez

Just as we cast off worn clothes and wear new ones, when the time arrives, the soul casts off the body and finds a new one to work out its karma. Therefore the wise grieve neither for the living nor the dead.

I should have tried to understand what the dreams foretold. I should have discussed them with my husbands and cautioned them accordingly. I should have urged them to step carefully on this road that would soon be strewn with death. But I didn't want to heed anything that might keep me from the revenge I'd waited for so long. When my husbands hesitantly mentioned their nightmares, I laughed.

"No. Teach me how to love my husband, and how to make him love me."

She laughed out loud. "I can't teach you that," she said. "Love comes like lightning, and disappears the same way. If you're lucky, it strikes you right. If not, you'll spend your life yearning for a man you can't have. I advise you to forget about love, princess. Pleasure is simpler, and duty more important. Learn to be satisfied with them.

I should have believed her and modified my expectations. But I didn't. Deep in my stubborn heart I was convinced I deserved more. 

Later I asked Krishna, "What Sikhandi said about his past life, was it really true?" 

Krishna shrugged. "He believes it to be so. Isn't that what truth is? The force of a person's believing seeps into those around him -- into the very earth and air and water -until there's nothingv else." 

Taking us back to a time that is half history, half myth and wholly magical, bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni gives voice to Panchaali, the fire-born heroine of the Mahabharata, as she weaves a vibrant retelling of an ancient epic saga. Married to five royal husbands who have been cheated out of their father's kingdom, Panchaali aids their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war. But she cannot deny her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna—or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy—as she is caught up in the ever-manipulating hands of fate.

A Novel

Caffeinatedbookss

"She who sows vengeance must reap its bloody fruit."

I don’t read much Indian fiction. I think to date, I’ve only read two of this author’s previous works, 

. I mostly enjoyed both of those with some caveats, and I think this one was no exception. I can’t say I know the source material at all, and from a quick glance at the reviews, I can see the low reviews come from a place of not liking aspects of the retelling. I only mention this to say that I don’t know the retelling at all, and I thought this was an enjoyable, flawed story.

Panchaali was born with a destiny to change the course of history. The daughter of King Draupad, she struggles with impatience born from being forced into a female role she doesn’t want to play. Forced to marry five brothers (at once!) instead of her heart’s desire by her family and her friends, she struggles to please her new family while coming to terms with her new lot in life. But even after she (reluctantly) throws herself into married life, she must endure loss after heartbreak after grief as she gains things she loves with all her being and then loses them again.

Panchaali was an interesting character, though I preferred the first half of the book as she figures herself out while growing up more than the second half of the book. Character/ending spoilers: I didn’t much care for the bent-on-vengeance change to Panchaali for losing her house (I know that’s reductive), but because this is a retelling of some very old source material and somewhat key to her story, I understand it’s not really something that can be changed. I did think the author hit the foreshadowing button a bit too much; the ending twist regarding Karna was something I saw coming.

The writing style was fantastic though. The scenes are painted with care and detail, and I loved picturing the places the author takes us to. There’s also references to (what I’m assuming are) other stories within the source material concerning other characters, and I found myself falling down more than a few Wikipedia holes looking these references up. The action near the end does feel a little choppy as well, though. It seems like we fly past key events with just a mention of what happened in intervening years, but I’m not sure if that’s a source material thing or an author thing.

This was an enjoyable fiction read from a country I don’t read too much from. Highly recommend to anyone looking for something new in the historical fiction (fantasy?) genre.

altlovesbooks

"She who sows vengeance must reap its bloody fruit."

I don’t read much Indian fiction. I think to date, I’ve only read two of this author’s previous works, The Forest of Enchantments and Independence. I mostly enjoyed both of those with some caveats, and I think this one was no exception. I can’t say I know the source material at all, and from a quick glance at the reviews, I can see the low reviews come from a place of not liking aspects of the retelling. I only mention this to say that I don’t know the retelling at all, and I thought this was an enjoyable, flawed story.

Panchaali was born with a destiny to change the course of history. The daughter of King Draupad, she struggles with impatience born from being forced into a female role she doesn’t want to play. Forced to marry five brothers (at once!) instead of her heart’s desire by her family and her friends, she struggles to please her new family while coming to terms with her new lot in life. But even after she (reluctantly) throws herself into married life, she must endure loss after heartbreak after grief as she gains things she loves with all her being and then loses them again.

Panchaali was an interesting character, though I preferred the first half of the book as she figures herself out while growing up more than the second half of the book. Character/ending spoilers: I didn’t much care for the bent-on-vengeance change to Panchaali for losing her house (I know that’s reductive), but because this is a retelling of some very old source material and somewhat key to her story, I understand it’s not really something that can be changed. I did think the author hit the foreshadowing button a bit too much; the ending twist regarding Karna was something I saw coming.

The writing style was fantastic though. The scenes are painted with care and detail, and I loved picturing the places the author takes us to. There’s also references to (what I’m assuming are) other stories within the source material concerning other characters, and I found myself falling down more than a few Wikipedia holes looking these references up. The action near the end does feel a little choppy as well, though. It seems like we fly past key events with just a mention of what happened in intervening years, but I’m not sure if that’s a source material thing or an author thing.

This was an enjoyable fiction read from a country I don’t read too much from. Highly recommend to anyone looking for something new in the historical fiction (fantasy?) genre.

Panchaali, wife of the five legendary Pandavas brothers, offers her own version of the ancient Indian epic, The Mahabharat, as she chronicles the story of her magical birth, the problems of dealing with five husbands who have been cheated out of their birthright, the trials she endures, her friendship with Krishna, and her attraction to her husband's enemy. Reprint. 30,000 first printing.

Teeeeeesha

This is a delicious retelling of Mahabharata from Draupadi's point of view, a woman who has been blamed for generations for the longest war in ancient India. It's beautiful to see into her mind.

Sarthak Verma

I don't have exact words to say, I just completed it and I'm mesmerised!
I want to give it more than just 5 stars.
Loved it.

Vishwa

I LOVED this book. After hearing me rave about Kaikeyi, someone (I've regrettably forgotten) recommended me this book. I read it without putting the book down.

Incredible. I was also partial to Mahabharat as a better story than Ramayan, so possibly a factor, but I loved that Divakaruni remained accurate (as far as my memory serves me) to the most widely accepted version of the story. This was truly a Mahabharat written from the perspective of Draupadi, rather than an invented story based on it. And how pleasant it was to read — though her perspectives and thoughts are obviously newly created by the author, they fit in so naturally in the time and place. The author has done a commendable job at writing Draupadi's story as one that is believable in the context of the Mahabharat but also relatable to the modern reader.

Additionally, the character development was stellar. Taking a female character, assigning her responsibility and blame, and then unraveling how she comes to deal and ultimately accept it, though she makes several selfish decisions along the way knowing their implications... man. Well written character.

*chef's kiss*

Thank you for letting me feel that excitement I had when I first read the Amar Chitra Katha Mahabharat again.

Trish

There are certain books or stories that propel you to delve deeper and seek out more - this is definitely one of those books. Having grown up around multiple tv adaptations of the mahabharata, this was surprisingly refreshing and eye-opening. It was refreshing to hear a familiar tale told from a perspective I hadn't considered before and eye-opening when I realized how much more I wanted to know about this epic. 

Told from the perspective of Draupadi, many of the smaller stories that are central to the greater conflict within the mahabharata are actually told to our protagonist by her nanny, her older brother, her husbands, and her friend Krishna. We learn all about the history of the rivalry between the Pandavas and the Kauravas and how even the gods had their hand in playing with the fates and lives of so many people. Within the greater story, lies the journey one woman makes to fulfill her destiny. This is Draupadi's story, and anyone looking for an accurate and descriptive re-telling of the mahabharata should stop while they're ahead. This novel focuses on the most misunderstood and even wrongly condemned character of the tale and calls to remind everyone of how tragic life really was for a woman and queen like Draupadi.

Overall, there were many quotes and little words of wisdom that I loved. The writing was enchanting, vivid, even poetic at times. It really transported me to another time and I felt for Draupadi quite intimately, as if she were a dear sister or friend of mine. Furthermore, Divakaruni's choice to highlight Draupadi's unrequited passion, love, and desire for Karna throughout the novel gave her the humanizing touch she needed. Despite being born with a monumental agenda (starting a great war) and constantly testing her limits of feminism, her girlish crush on Karna, which later matures into respect and finally love, is what makes Draupadi a relatable and compassionate narrator. While the men spent their lives training with weapons and learning how to rule kingdoms, she too sacrificed something significant in her life in order to play her part in the war.

I really enjoyed this book. I learned that it's the retelling of an Indian epic, The Mahabharata, but told from the point of view of Draupadi, the female protagonist. It's this retelling from a woman's point of view, and the beautiful writing, that made this a very interesting and compelling read for me. 

Fate vs free will was a strong theme through the story. While from her perspective, the war and loss of lives was due to her, it's unclear whether Draupadi had any real choice on the matter. Was she to blame?

Similarly, good to reflect and think about death and the afterlife. As someone raised Catholic, it's good to reflect on an afterlife that may include other options beyond heaven and hell. Reincarnation came up multiple times. 

The scenes make you think about and reflect on what it's like to live in a world with so many rules, created by men and often for the benefit of men at the expense of women. 

To that point, the book did have many gender roles and gender based expectations or you can say gender stereotypes. 

I really enjoyed this book. I learned that it's the retelling of an Indian epic, The Mahabharata, but told from the point of view of Draupadi, the female protagonist. It's this retelling from a woman's point of view, and the beautiful writing, that made this a very interesting and compelling read for me. 

Some notes from my perspective 

The protagonist shows no growth during the novel. It was frustrating for many in the book club discussion how she didn't seem to reflect and grow from experience, which caused pain and suffering.

Fate vs free will was a strong theme through the story. While from her perspective, the war and loss of lives was due to her, it's unclear whether Draupadi had any real choice on the matter. Was she to blame?

Similarly, good to reflect and think about death and the afterlife. As someone raised Catholic, it's good to reflect on an afterlife that may include other options beyond heaven and hell. Reincarnation came up multiple times. 

The scenes make you think about and reflect on what it's like to live in a world with so many rules, created by men and often for the benefit of men at the expense of women. 

To that point, the book did have many gender roles and gender based expectations or you can say gender stereotypes. 

I have no words! Divakaruni’s storytelling is magical, the way she weaves even the simplest of events and incidents through words leads the reader’s imagination to places unbeknownst to them. And all of this contributes to a reading experience which is nothing if not bewitching :)

Vaishali Batra

Abi Venukumar

** spoiler alert **
           The whole perspective makes you really think and feel for a woman’s place in society and war. The book is beautifully written and was a magical read. 

The only thing that could have been better was I felt that, as the book covered her whole life story, it felt like we had a fleeting overview of most of her life. I also loved the creative freedom the author took with the Karna sub-plot and felt it added a lot to the story as a whole.

kanchan singh

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧s" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni @divakarunichitra is a new version of the great Indian epic of all the time "The Mahabharata". I completed this book last week.

The story of Mahabharta has been told and seen many times since our childhood. This book is an epic retelling of the epic Mahabharta story from a 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗶 perspective.
.
🌺 The author portrayed Draupadi character as a powerful and intelligent woman with shades of grey and white. She carved the character of Draupadi very beautifully, anyone can fall in love with it.
🌺 All the characters are described in a very inventive manner, that they literally come to life in the minds of the readers.
🌺 I got amazed by a conversation between Krishna and Draupadi. Here I am quoting one of my favorite lines
' 𝐀 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨. 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.'

I am not a mythological kind of person but this book makes me spellbound. It's one of must-read the book.

Astha Prakash

A delightful, beautiful read. It makes you get attached to the amazing narrative of Draupadi, and she lingers on long after you finish reading the book.

Sahi K

It’s been years since the first time I read this book and was completely blown away. It was a time when I didn’t know what retellings meant and I don’t think I’d read any (atleast not Indian ones). So, I just thought this would be the same story of the Mahabharata told through the eyes of Draupadi, but I didn’t realize it would totally change the way I thought of this beloved epic. I had never expressed my thoughts about this amazing book before but I recently listened to the audiobook, and I just had to talk about it. 

My love for Mahabharata is as old as myself. The TV show aired when I was too little but my mother insists I loved the title song and would even hum it as a toddler. I got the kid’s version of the book as a six year old and immersed myself in the story. I watched the TV show again and countless other Telugu movies made about it. It’s an epic that’s very intertwined with my life as a whole - it’s an essential part of my reading life, a basis for my faith and spirituality and put simply, an amazing cache of life lessons. But I just took the lessons that I learnt through this epic or what I gleaned from discussions with my family as granted and never really questioned them. I also truly didn’t realize that it’s mostly a tale that revolves around the men of the epic, and the women usually have cautionary tales attached to them. This book completely upended my worldview and made me rethink everything I knew about the Mahabharata.

The writing in this book is just stellar and I frankly have no adjectives to describe it. The author gives us a Draupadi who is well rounded, passionate, resilient, sometimes selfish, impulsive, calculating - ultimately a dynamic but flawed woman. As a product of the times, she doesn’t get to make many choices but she makes most of the options she has. And many times, she has to bear the brunt of the consequences of actions taken by others - whether it be her marriage to the Pandavas, her utter violation in the Kuru court or the 13 years of exile which lead to more humiliations. We are so used to hailing the Pandavas for their heroics and obviously, they are heroes for being on the dharmic side of the war, but we whitewash a lot of their flaws. This book really opens our eyes to their faults, seeing them as more than just their heroic acts through the eyes of Draupadi. A recurrent theme of the book is her feelings about Karna, and while I was initially skeptical about this storyline because I’d never read something like it before, I accepted it as artistic license. It’s also such a sensitive portrayal of Draupadi’s unrequited and mostly confusing feelings that I couldn’t help but completely immerse myself in the author’s version of the story. However, the best part of the book for me was the exploration of her relationship with Krishna. The bond they share is full of love and immense trust and so many unexplainable things, it’s just utterly beautiful. I could have read a book about just the both of them and be completely satisfied because that’s the kind of eternal bond they share.

There is nothing I can really say about this magical book other than go ahead and pick it up. If you love the Mahabharata, then I would call this one an essential reading. It really makes the epic feel much more human, and gives a well rounded nuanced portrait of all the characters who make up this epic, especially Draupadi. Just pick up this book and be prepared to be mesmerized by the beautiful writing.

Jennifer

This novel is a mythology retelling from the perspectice of a powerful yet vulnerable goddess who has 5 husbands. The chapters are sectioned in a relatively figurative way and the writing style is pretty gorgous. I also relished that the female voice is emphasised here. However, I found the names a bit tricky to follow through (as I'm reading on an electronic version where the family tree diagram is pretty pixelated) and the intense focus on Panchaali results in me not completely engaging with the other supporting characters as much as I've wanted to. But this is nevertheless a decent and beautifully written novel which introduced me into Hindu mythology.

Aparna Eeshwar

** spoiler alert **
           I was very intrigued to read this book since it was a retelling of Mahabharat from Panchaali’s point of view because I love mythology and what’s better than reading it from a woman’s point of view from a time when women had few choices of their own. 

The first few chapters of the book were captivating. An insight into Panchaali’s childhood, her bond with her brother Dhrishtadyumna and her thoughts regarding their prophecies. I enjoyed the way her character was portrayed. Her teenage curiosity and rebelling nature were very well painted with words. My hopes were up to read about swayamwar and what follows.

But in my opinion, I felt that as the story progresses to post swayamwar chapters her forbidden love for Karna is stretched unnecessarily. Even at events that are of great importance are occurring, the story directly goes to Paanchali thinking about Karna’s opinion. Once or twice initially it was acceptable however the writer can’t stop linking everything back to Karna. Panchaali picks out a dress, she’s thinking of his opinion. She’s being insulted, she’s thinking of him. Her husbands leaves her a step behind while walking, she thinks how Karna would do it differently. Even after the war during her final hours, she thinks of Karna. When Abhimanyu is dead, she’s thinking about how Karna had remained righteous in war all these years but has to stand by while Abhimanyu is murdered unjustly. It’s honestly tiresome.

If I could use a quote from the book to describe my feelings after reading, it would be “Expectations are like hidden rocks in your path—all they do is trip you up.” I was excited to read this but I’m so disappointed with the second half of the book. I expected more grandeur from a Mahabharath retelling. Instead, the lines were very simple and straightforward. I wanted more than “She who sows vengeance must reap its bloody fruit.” is all I'm saying. Panchaali’s thoughts didn’t seem to age much in time. Ending the book with her reaching her hands out for Karna was the last straw.

P.S.: This is a subjective opinion. I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it.

Bhagya

a 3.5/5 actually 
a retelling of Mahabharata through the eyes of Draupadi! that's the only ting i knew when i picked up the book. I was really excited to see how this one would go! 

but it felt like , the author took the story line of Mahabharat and added up somethings here and there. specially the relationship between Karna and Draupadi. as much as I remember , their relationship was concerned only till her swayamwar , but that wasn't the case in this book. I wouldn't say I know the whole real Mahabharata , I might have been in shadow about this , or this was an extra addition. 

However , if i open up my mind and read this book as a standalone fiction and not with the idea of Mahabharata , then this is a really beautiful read , with strong thoughts , opinions and actions of Draupadi even if she is a woman of the olden era. the character growth of her , from a mere unwanted princess to the Great cause of the Mahabharata war which wiped almost whole of the country

the book voices Draupadi's need of acceptance from people she love , to be the only important person , her jealousy , her self pity , her strong emotions , her mistakes and her realizations. A story about how humans fall prey to their own emotions and materialistic love. Though its said in the POV of a woman ,there are some situations, that hold true to both men and women alike. For instance , Draupadi's fierce love of her palace of illusions , which made her feel she belonged , that she owned it and that she is the queen there . But isn't it because of her pride and ego to overpower her mother in law and control her husbands ? 

here definitely are instances where I felt , she was overtook by her own emotions and self pity that slowly led to the apocalypse. 

to end , I felt this as a serious read rather than a light one and this has a dystopian tinge to it.

The Palace of Illusions

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