Book Review Of Raavan:Enemy Of Aryavarta (Book 3 Of Ramchandra Series)

DISCLAIMER: This book review has not been sponsored by Amish Tripathi, the author or Westland, the publisher. This is the writer’s personal review of the book Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta.

AUTHOR: Amish Tripathi

PUBLISHER: Westland Publications Ltd.

PAGES: 374

PRICE: ₹399

WITHOUT THE DARKNESS, LIGHT HAS NO PURPOSE. WIHTOUT THE VILLAIN, WHAT WOULD THE GODS DO?

Ramayana as we all know is the story of Lord Ram, Lady Sita and the demonic king Raavan. The Ramayana describes Raavan as an asura, a demon but the reality is so much more different. There are very few books on Raavan which are also not popular because we think of Raavan as a demon.we know him as the abductor of Lady Sita and in the end being killed by Lord Ram, the sixth avatar ofLord Vishnu. We forget that Raavan was also a learned scholar, a king and above all a Brahmin.

Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta is the third book of the Ramchandra series written by Amish Tripathi which tells the story of Raavan from his birth till the abduction of Lady Sita. Amish has opted for a hyperlink or in more easy language, multilinear narrative. In such type of narrative there are many characters; and a connection brings them all together. The three main characters in the Ranchandra Series are Lord Ram, Lady Sita and the king of Lanka, Raavan. Each character has life experiences which mould who they are and each has a backstory and these stories converge on the point of kidnapping of Lady Sita.

Here is the trailer:

Raavan is the darkest book that Amish has ever written. The story is set in 3400 BCE, before the events of the Shiva Trilogy. The writer says writing this book was a harrowing and a destructive experience for him. In Amish’s book Raavan has been showcased as an accomplished scholar, a shrewd pirate, a fearless warrior and a great king. His life experiences make him evil. He is a dark person by birth. At a tender age of 4 years raavan had a fearsome intellect. An example of this is when he had dissected a hare for studying its muscles and other tissues at a tender age of 4 years.

This book showcases Raavan’s suffering throughout his life. He was born as a naga( the hated and a cursed tribe which was first showcased in the Shiva Trilogy). This book is racy and fast paced with everything placed at its correct place. This book is a complex but a perfect mix of the ancient indian history and hindu mythology which also addresses thought provoking problems such as the caste system, the sabarimala dispute, poverty, child abuse addiction etc. Although a dark book, Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta is a love story at heart. Losing the only woman he loved from his childhood, the kanyakumari, he is literally so much grief stricken that he becomes a ruthless killer and a bloodlust. But it is in this plainness that readers will probably find the greatest resonance. Amish makes no pretences about his workand his books arenot for the literary elite but for India’s masses, who can delve into hiswriting and by doing so understand themselves,Indian culture and mythology a little better.

Although you can read Raavan first as all three are independent stories but I would personally advice that you read the first two books and then switch over to Raavan because the thrill, excitement and the story would be clearer. But one thing is for sure, once you start reading then it would be difficult to put the book down.

THE LINKS TO MY OTHER WRYTUPS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Life Lessons to Learn from Lord Shiva:

https://wrytin.com/kabirgupta/life-lessons-to-learn-from-lord-shiva-jxcwgbtr

Art of Living and Significance of Lord Shiva's Attire:

https://wrytin.com/kabirgupta/the-art-of-living-and-significance-of-lord-shivas-attire-jxe8jk4c

Most Powerful Weapons of Lord Shiva (Part 1):

https://wrytin.com/kabirgupta/most-powerful-weapons-of-lord-shiva-part-1-jxif3s8t

Most Powerful Weapons of Lord Shiva (Part 2):

https://wrytin.com/kabirgupta/most-powerful-weapons-of-lord-shiva-part-2-jxsgyqda

Most Powerful Weapons of Lord Shiva (Part 3):

https://wrytin.com/kabirgupta/most-powerful-weapons-of-lord-shiva-part-3-jycjwooi