This is a spoiler-free summary and review of the book, The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
The Palace of Illusions is one of the most famous works of Divakaruni, which is a modern retelling of the Indian epic—the Mahabharat. The book transports us to a period equally made up of myth and enchantment.
About The Book
Title: The Palace of Illusions
Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Genre: Mythology, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Doubleday
Type: Standalone
Pages: 360
Goodreads rating: 4.19/5
This novel retells The Mahabharata, the Hindu epic, from the point of view of Panchaali, famously known as Draupadi.
Panchaali is the daughter of King Drupad, born out of a magical fire along with her brother Dhri. As she grows older, being a woman, she has no choice but to marry. But fate has it that she marries five men and changes the course of history with her need for revenge for the injustice she undergoes. Her deft manoeuvres with her mother-in-law, her complex friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, and her covert attraction to the enigmatic man, her husband’s most dangerous foe, are all never lost in the background.
Panchaali redefines a universe of warriors, gods, and constantly tinkering fates.
Book Review of The Palace of Illusions
Divakaruni’s writing is for dreamers. It is common to have books where the protagonist goes through hurdles to have their “happily ever after eventually”. But Divakaruni makes her readers earn for it by making you part of their journey. What Divakaruni shows in this book is that Draupadi was just a girl, who had dreams, like all of us, to fall in love, marry him, have her palace, and live on her own accord.
As much as she was shown to have lived this life, the rug gets pulled from her feet, landing flat on her face with the reality of how little in control she is of her life. This is seen when it goes on unquestioned when she is made to marry all the five Pandava brothers and be with one brother each year like she was a toy to be passed around.
Though the story revolves around the happenings in The Mahabharata, this book is fictionalised, which is obvious because women were side-characters in their own lives during those times and, as a woman, you cannot help but feel her pain and read her thoughts.
And though we know what happens even before starting the book, as The Mahabharata has been together for centuries, we cannot help but long for Karna and Draupadi to get together. As a reader, you tend to lose the sense of fiction and reality when you read the aching Karna and Draupadi hold for each other, only to know that this is all made up as this does not happen in The Mahabharata. Though their interactions are not long, and they meet each other once in a while, they leave the readers with nothing but hope and belief in love. One cannot shake off the feeling of helplessness as one reads their story.
Though Draupadi is not ideal, with her anger and tantrums, she is someone we connect with and proves to be a source of power for readers like me. She perseveres after every hurdle, more tired and weak but still on her feet.
Conclusion
Rating: 5 / 5
Recommendation: A beautifully written book that deserves all the recognition. I highly recommend it.
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About the Author
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an Indian-American author, poet, and the Betty and Gene McDavid Professor of Writing at the University of Houston Creative Writing Programme. She is a published author of 21 books, including Mistress of Spices, Sister of My Heart, Before We Visit the Goddess, Palace of Illusions, The Forest of Enchantments, and The Last Queen. She is also an activist and teacher.
Link to buy The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni:
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