Ahalya

The book houses a heavily fictionalised, first-person narrative of Ahalya's escapades as a human being on Earth. It heavily emphasises the stereotyped differences between a father and mother, man and woman, and runs the show based on this assumption. The search for the definition of a ‘mother' decorates the story as well. If you're a woman reading this, I hope my review (as a man) does not come across as too gruff for your delicate sensibilities. The prose is a delicious hodgepodge of various Indian literatures, from the Brahmanas to the Puranas, and philosophy. The descriptives were vivid, beautiful, and poetic. The reader can really feel Brahma creating the body that Ahalya would soon inhabit, as the body is soaked in honey and various heavenly scents. The descriptions did occasionally tip-toe the line, impeding the flow of the story in favour of a disproportionate number of adjectives.The psychology and events in the story of Ahalya has seen various editorial touches across the various texts in Hindu history. It was very interesting to follow the author's decision as to what would be canon in this re-telling that fits the atmosphere of the Sati series. The climax was unique, at least as far as my knowledge of the lore goes, and in my opinion, a lot more intriguing than the existing explanations.The divine story of Ahalya clearly has parallels to that of an unhappy marriage among humans. Alone, separated from childhood kin, lack of recognition and a mundane life devoid of any excitement or desire. This topic, widely considered as taboo to this day, was portrayed bravely with nothing held back. The confusion, messiness, and clash of egos in the dynamics between two people in a relationship is brought out well through the internal reflections of the protagonist. The character development of Ahalya sees a shift in the positive as the pages turn. Learning to assert herself as a woman, she grows from being timid, codependent, and weak to realising her influence over the environment and finding strength from within. Perhaps writing her as timid and over attached was a conscious choice due to the patriarchal world that dictated her moves, critiquing generations of feminity lost due to contrived rules made by men. It protests the status quo in a world that sought/seeks to put women in a box, sealed with the ropes of chauvinism. The second half of the book is a lot more immersive than the gradual trudge of the initial set-up, and where the descriptive writing is most enjoyable.In short, a satisfying read in between heavier books. A medley of romantic tension, challenging gender norms, intimate deviances, heartbreaks and all those complicated, colourful butterflies. Koral Dasgupta has done a commendable job in using ancient Hindu lore to bring to modernity that which people struggle to speak of.Looking forward to #2: [b:Kunti: The Sati Series II 58512818 Kunti The Sati Series II Koral Dasgupta https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1625705108l/58512818.SY75.jpg 91905447]The narrator, Vasundhara Bose, could not have been a more perfect choice for the audiobook. Her gentle voice reflected Ahalya's confusion and discovery, and slowly accumulated strength and decisiveness as Ahalya grew in character and spirit.