Re: Hindu/Indian Fiction?
Namasté,
I have a few recommendations and one anti-recommendation to add to this thread.
My first exposure to Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's writing was through a collection of short stories called Arranged Marriage. As the title suggests, the work is a kaleidoscope of perspectives, giving voice to many different women as they embark upon the joys, trials, pains and delights of married life.
The readers following this thread may wish to consider branching into biography, travel and food writing, as well, as there are some truly lovely books out there, in which writers reveal themselves with all of the poise and grace of well-planned fictional characters. Shoba Narayan's Monsoon Diary: A Memoir With Recipes and Chitrita Banerji's The Hour of the Goddess: Memories of Women, Food and Ritual in Bengal are both cozy, fireside sort of books. (The latter's Eating India is also wonderful for times that you crave different tastes, sights, and smells but can't yet afford a plane ticket...)
Now for the bad: I finally got my hands on a copy of Thundergod, which may be the first novel about Indra I have ever seen. Unfortunately, it has all of the flaws of Meluha, and then some; I'm afraid I rather tore it apart in my (admittedly-biased) review. Suffice it to say that you might want to give this one a pass.
"What was, what is, what will be: I am That." -from BÄá¹£kalamantra Upaniá¹£ad
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