The Great Indian Novel, known by everyone as the Mahabharatha set in current times, TGIN is one piece of intelligent creativity and it is hard to believe that Shashi Tharoor wrote it in his twenties. It is now 25 years since the book came out but the writing is still fresh!
After completing this book, I came to realize that Mr. Tharoor is a rare breed among highly intellectual Indian politicians (sarcasm alert). His extraordinary intelligence, art of twisting the tales and spot-on sarcasm separates him from the rest (no sarcasm here).
The Great Indian Novel is the English term for Mahabharata. The author tells the story of Indian politics by linking it with the most impactful characters in Mahabharata. Each and every name assigned to the protagonists in the book is for a reason, and if you are unable to decipher that, I suggest that you google it to understand the relevance.
If you are someone who is familiar with the story of Mahabharata and the Indian independence movement, you will enjoy this book thoroughly. The feeling of joy and surprise you would get when you recognize characters from both these treasures is indescribable. I still remember how people were giving me weird looks when they caught me smiling or smirking to myself!
