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The Serpent's Revenge : Unusual Tales from the Mahabharata by Sudha Murty (Book Reviews: 4/5)


Sudha Murty's books have always been a delight to her readers, and The Serpent's Revenge: Unusual Tales from the Mahabharata is no exception. Fascinating, light, and smooth to read, this 200-page short- story collection comprises less-known folk tales from the epic Mahabharata. While some of them are popular in different parts of the country, some of the stories are a pleasant surprise to the readers.

I have been a major fan of the Hindu epic Mahabharata since childhood and love reading every story and folk tale related to it. Dozens of titles have been released revolving around the lives of the main characters of the epic, most popularly of those including Draupadi (Princess of Panchal, wife of the five Pandavas), Karna (best friend of Duryodhana and son of Kunti and Lord Surya), and Arjuna (the mighty archer Pandav and Krishna's beloved.) Most of the stories in the book belong majorly to the above characters and some are quite unheard of.

My personal favourite and a bit-forgotten over the course of time story was of 'The Udupi King.' The story flow is quite smooth and is suitable for all age groups. For an ardent reader, TSP is a three-hour congenial read, entwining and relating different stories with one-another from the same collection.


I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Title: The Serpent's Revenge
Author: Sudha Murty
Genre: Mythology, Fiction, Short story collection
No.of pages: 200
Suitable for age group: All age groups, kids preferably
Publishing House: Penguin Random House India

Find the book: Amazon | Flipkart | Goodreads

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