Every once in a while you come across a book that goes beyond its words. It migrates into innercapes of bold imagination that gives birth to a brazen perspective. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is one such. The book is back in news for the publication of its tenth anniversary edition by Pan Macmillan India for good reason. Its narration takes a feminine overture to the epic tale of Mahabharata. It’s Panchaali, wife of the five Pandavas, narrating the journey of her tumultous life, yet bravely lived life.
Despite having written a compelling story, Divakaruni was unsure about how her Panchaali would be perceived. “But the book became successful beyond my dreams. This made me thankful to so many readers for their willingness to listen to an alternate interpretation of the ever-relevant Indian epic. For embracing Her Story, which is ultimately, a crucial part of the Human Story. To you, my readers, I dedicate with gratitude and love, this tenth anniversary edition of The Palace of Illusions,” says Divakaruni.
When it was launched in 2008, it broke the old mould of stories being told from a man’s point of view.
The book began with Panchaali’s birth in fire, followed by a mature stance of being a wife to five husbands. It enveloped her trials and tribulations, complexity of her relationships and desire she secretly harboured for another man. The 10th anniversary publication, that has a new author’s note, comes as a subtle reminder that epics are not a thing of the past.
About the book
The book began with Panchaali’s birth in fire, followed by a mature stance of her being a wife to five husbands. It enveloped her trials, complexity of her relationships and secret desires.