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Thread: Hindu/Indian Fiction?

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    Hindu/Indian Fiction?

    Namaste all,

    This may sound like an awkward request, but hopefully this will be taken in the right context: I'm looking for fiction out there that has Hindu and/or Indian themes to it. I tried reading The Life of Pi recently but it just didn't grab me at all, as I got bored of it a few chapters in. (And the fact that there's a movie coming out based on it that looks pretentious doesn't help.)

    I'm looking for something that would be a definite page-turner that adheres to Hindu/Indian themes...and something in English of course. Anyone on this forum have any ideas? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

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    Re: Hindu/Indian Fiction?

    Vannakkam: There is a huge need for this, and I believe, a waiting marketplace. Unfortunately, I have nothing to recommend, but I am working on some children's books. I really liked the young adult novel titled Ganesh. I think the author was Bosse ... something like that anyway.

    We should start a list on here, with reviews, etc.

    Aum Namasivaya
    Last edited by Eastern Mind; 12 November 2012 at 07:46 PM.

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    Re: Hindu/Indian Fiction?

    Namasté,

    One of our members is an author; he has mentioned on the forum before that his books have Hindu themes. I unfortunately have not read them to offer a review, but his website may be found here.

    A work of fiction I quite enjoyed was Ashok Mathur's Once Upon an Elephant. It's based on the event of Gaṇeśa's murtis drinking milk in 1995, and follows various characters as they react to - and are acted upon by - the extraordinary things happening. The book is whimsical and humorous, a little irreverent at times but never disrespectful.

    Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Palace of Illusions follows the events of Mahābhārata from Draupadī's perspective. It was an interesting read, to be sure, and I liked it though didn't absolutely love it.

    A bestseller I personally despised was Amish Tripathi's The Immortals of Meluha. I've already written my opinion of it - along with several others who felt similarly - in the comments of this review.

    I'll keep thinking, and post as I remember more.
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    Re: Hindu/Indian Fiction?

    Namaste,

    I have also been wondering about this. I have been looking for a well illustrated version of the panchatantra tales, but I haven't been thrilled with anything I've found.


    EM - Do you mean you are writing some children's stories? Need an illustrator?


    I'm wracking my brain but I honestly can't think of anything I've read with SD or Hindu/Indian ideas or influences. Good question. I hope someone can provide a few titles


    Peace!
    Last edited by Jodhaa; 12 November 2012 at 07:31 PM. Reason: font size
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    Re: Hindu/Indian Fiction?

    Vannakkam: Its sad, really, that the only stuff we have are collections of ancient myths or legends retold. There is very little modern stuff that really highlights and glorifies our beautiful faith. Given some of the depressing or shocking themes people seem interested in, publishers probably figure nice clean Hindu stuff wouldn't sell, and they might be right. Still Ithink there would be a market, however niche it might be.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Hindu/Indian Fiction?

    Namasté,

    I thought of a few more that are definitely worth a mention.

    Parashuram's witty, acerbic Puranic Tales for Cynical People places characters in "stories that might have been" with fantastic results. You can read one of them, Striptease in Heaven, here. (Don't be fooled by the title; it's a mockery of man's obsession with external beauty.)

    Subodh Ghosh's Love Stories from the Mahabharata explores twenty lesser-known or forgotten tales from the great epic, and does so with such lush, exquisite, heartbreaking description. This is one of my favourite books, and one of the few fiction works I own. (Edited to add: the translator's note is available here, which discusses the book brilliantly.)

    Finally, William Buck's novel-versions of both Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata are wonderful. He writes with such reverential detail, in such elevated and poetic language, of these events, as if he had himself seen them.
    Last edited by Arjuni; 12 November 2012 at 08:21 PM.
    "What was, what is, what will be: I am That." -from BÄá¹£kalamantra Upaniá¹£ad

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    Re: Hindu/Indian Fiction?

    Quote Originally Posted by Indraneela View Post
    A bestseller I personally despised was Amish Tripathi's The Immortals of Meluha. I've already written my opinion of it - along with several others who felt similarly - in the comments of this review.
    Namaste Indraneela,

    At first, before you posted that link to that blog post, I was honestly considering The Immortals of Meluha, but now thanks to you I can safely say I dodged a bullet. The book sounds terrible even from a pure fictional standpoint - it sounds like the author tried to turn Shiva into Conan, and tried to make the story sound edgy for the sake of edginess. Can you say cliche? Once I heard that characters in the book shouted IN ALL CAPS, that convinced me that the only reason I would ever read this book is for, to use internet slang, "the lulz."

    Thanks for the other recommendations, though, I'll try to check them out at my earliest convenience.

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    Re: Hindu/Indian Fiction?

    Namasté,

    Webimpulse, I'm afraid that I chose to read Meluha on a trip, and got a few strange looks after chortling aloud - I honestly couldn't help it - when Sati shrieked, "IT IS A BIG DEAL!!" The whole thing was too ridiculous to keep my laughter inside anymore. After that I was mentally attaching emoticons to all of the characters' dialogue:

    "He is the Neelkanth. "

    "Why didn't you tell us about all this? "

    I'm paraphrasing on those last two; I don't remember the book in that much detail. Anyway, it is high in lulzability. (Which saddens me as I can't imagine how non-Hindus would view Hinduism after reading it.)

    I hope you enjoy what you find. The Divakaruni is widely available, the Mathur and Buck are not hard to acquire; I had to order the other two after a fruitless search locally (in Canada).
    "What was, what is, what will be: I am That." -from BÄá¹£kalamantra Upaniá¹£ad

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    Re: Hindu/Indian Fiction?

    Try Ashok Banker's brilliant books at www.akbebooks.com
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    Re: Hindu/Indian Fiction?

    Quote Originally Posted by Omkara View Post
    Try Ashok Banker's brilliant books at www.akbebooks.com
    Looks interesting, could you upload them?

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