SHYAM: The artsy illustration of the most beautiful tale from India! By Devdutt Pattanaik #BookReview

SHYAM by Devdutt Pattanaik

Publisher: Penguin Random House

ISBN: 978-0-670-08446-3

Genre: Mythology

Pages: 274

Rating: 4/5

A beautiful Illustrative story of the most loved and adored god in India 

I am not a mythology fan, but I have read Devdutt Pattanaik’s work before and he is excellent at narrating the tales in his own pretty fashion. Having being grown in India in a family that worships Krishna, the story of the god and his tales has been quite familiar. But when you get an illustration copy of this favourite writer to re-read the tale in a new way with a lot of facts stored in little boxes here and there – you sign up for it! That’s what I did!

When I received the book, the cover was just so interesting that I kept turning the pages just to look at the scribbles, and enjoy the beauty of it. One thing that made me love all the art instilled in the book is ‘Shyam’ his portrayal as a dark skinned, big eyes, sharp features and strong built. Every picture seemed to connect to the picture I have in my mind. The reading started from next day and it was a beautiful read!

The book is a tale of Lord Krishna, his life and all the phases that he went through right from his birth. Right from the famous story of how he was born and the way people started worshiping his birth, to his childhood tales where he was the most mysterious and naughty child. His bond with his mother, his popular love story that binds readers even today, and his influence in the war of Mahabharata – everything is portrayed in a special way with reference to historical facts and famous places.  The portrayals of some scenes are very intriguing and bind the reader. I particularly happened to love the special bond shared between Shyam and Arjuna – their friendship, discussion and their roles into the fight for Dharma.

Devdutt Pattanaik is a fine writer who has been known for his huge mythological knowledge. But the fact that it is never boasted in his books makes his books stand out. His portrayal of the god in the form of humans makes the story intriguing and entertaining.

Krishna – the loved one, the worshipped one and the lord who is an inspiration for our living today is brought to life in this book in its own pretty way. He is talked about just like another human being with his own set of problems, powers, weaknesses, love and need. I happened to absolutely love how a very strong connection can be established with this book not just with the characters but also places – some of which I have been to but never connected in a certain way.

Through this book I have come across a lot of new characters that I hadn’t known existed. All mythological books mainly talk about the key characters and their role in the story. In each story I found a new name which indeed widened my knowledge of the Krishna Story in many aspects.

The author, Devdutt Pattanaik, has divided the book into 16 chapters which talk of their own tales. Although connected into a form of a story, these chapters can be read individually to go to a certain phase of Krishna’s life. I loved the ‘lover’, ‘Refugee’, ‘Householder’, and ‘Charioteer’ the most!

Devdutt Pattanaik celebrated the Indian Mythology through his collection of books and his tales aren’t just inspiring and knowledge but also a refreshing take on the god we worship so dearly. Packed in each book s a revelation and connection to the life of today, the places and people with the mighty that existed before us!

I would highly recommend reading Shyam: An Illustrated retelling of the Bhagvata mostly because it’s full of art, humanity and love. It has weaved a known story with so much of facts, understanding and perception – that it becomes a celebration!

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