Author– Usha Narayanan
Book- Prem Purana
Previous Works–
Publishers- Penguin Random House India
Number Of Pages- 286 Pages
Format– Paperback
Blurb– Pradyumna: Son of Krishna, The Secret of God’s Son, The Madras Mangler, Love lies and layoffs,
Stories of love and extraordinary devotion.
No one is untouched by love, not even devas (gods) and asuras (demons), kings and nymphs. And when they face life’s unexpected tribulations, their love also undergoes trials.
Read how Ganesha took myriad forms to please Riddhi, Siddhi and Buddhi, how Ravana shared an unbreakable bond with his true love, Mandodari and how Nal and Damayanti’s relationship was tested till nothing remained.
Tormented by passion, wracked by betrayal, torn by the agony of separation, love in its many splendored forms is the origin of these incredibly endearing stories of Prem Purana.
Review-
The hindu mythology has been one of the most interesting topics for readers around the country, the sole reason, the stories are fascinating and the way they change from one region to another in terms of folklore and tradition, embarks the reader in a journey to start afresh.
Such is the book Prem Purana by Usha Narayanan.
As the name suggests, it is an abode to three mythological love stories. The story of Ganesha, Buddhi, Siddhi, Riddhi, tells how the elephant headed god fell in love with Brahma’s three daughters and had to woo their heart. The three siblings, though identical, were miles apart from one another in terms of nature and behavior and Ganesha had to pave a way to their hearts.
The story of Raavan and Mandodari is going to fascinate you, it has scenes that a reader would have probably not encountered before. It is the story of a vile asura falling in love with an apsara, and many twists and turns in the story.
The story of Nala and Damayanti, which has been a significant love story of all times, has also been included in this anthology. The love that went against all Gods and won for eternity.
The best thing that the book serves is, the synchronization, the book speaks of events that are written in the scriptures and quite efficiently the events are fit into the stories, no loose ends, making it one hell of a believable story. It leaves you wondering, whether it’s really a work of fiction of cleverly assembled from the Puranas that we youngsters turn a blind eye to.
There are action sequences that are written in such elaboration, the reader gets a clear picture of everything. For example, there is a sequence whether Ganesha is required to fight someone for the well being of the characters, each blow that the God receives and each blow that he gives is visualized by the reader.
The author is well informed about the puranas and that’s a cherry on the top. This book is a clear example of stories that prove the existence of devotion as a form of love. Love so pure that it makes the one in front of you, change their path. Love that makes a way to be expressed itself, love that is untamed and ready to fight the Gods even if its unspeakable.
Usha Narayanan’s language is both easy and adds to the vocabulary, she doesn’t use words that would make you reach for a dictionary to understand every single line, but she does make sure that you get to learn new words. I must say, the book is a treat, both from beginners and seasoned reader.
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The love stories are highly graceful and anyone who has not been reading romance lately, should definitely try this out. They give away a certain aura of skillful description and the courting of those times.
The cover portrays the sketch a man and a woman embracing each other. It is well designed, attracts the attention of a reader, in a single glance.
The title is perfect match for the content.
Ratings-
Cover- 5 stars
Title- 5 stars
Blurb- 4 stars
Plot- 4 stars
Writing and Presentation- 4.5 stars
Overall- 4.5 stars
The book has become one of my best reads of 2017 and would stay a recommendation for romance seekers.
Reviewed By- Banaja Prakashini
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About the – Usha Narayanan
Usha Narayanan had a successful career in advertising, radio and corporate communications before becoming a full-time author. She has written several books, including the suspense thriller The Madras Mangler and the fun office romance Love, Lies and Layoffs.
Her books Pradyumna: Son of Krishna and The Secret of God’s Son have been praised as ‘Indian mythology at its fiercest and finest’.
When she is not travelling, writing or editing, Usha Narayanan reads everything from thrillers to the puranas.