I finished this book a while ago but I had to go away and think about how and what I was going to say(write) about the experience of reading it.
So , why this book? The title of course. If you grew up in India, Sarsvati is hard to ignore. She creeps in mantras and during pujas and makes an appearance at the Triveni Sangam. But where is she, you ask when the Sangam is explained to you and you are told of a red river running underground. And from that day on, you have wondered.
Then you read Danino's book.
Danino brings to life Sarsvati's story, drawing from history, geography, mythology, ancient texts and archaeological evidence. The narrative is gripping and you are riveted. When you put the book down because the day demands it, you are wondering what happens next. You can see the river gushing through the land, hear the chanting of the sages on it's banks and watch the cities bustling around it.
He presents multiple perspectives and theories that abound on the river and it's life and death and leaves to decide for yourself- almost. His personal stand is visible of course.
So the book is not at all boring? Not really. Like all books, it does drag in places and sometimes you glaze over the excessive data and information. Then you realize that he needs to say all that to take a stand. Or for you to take one.
Verdict- an enjoyable read for a history buff, a necessary one for indologists.
Since you too all the pains to write a review, I wish you had actually gone into a bit more detail(I was redirected here form good-reads). A list of chapters with little briefing on each one of them would have been helpful for instance.
ReplyDeleteIn any case- thanks for publishing :)