The Twentieth Wife

I have mixed feelings about this book. I found the setting and the atmosphere of the book intriguing. Having been to India and seeing some of the old Palaces/forts this visuals were even more amazing.
The characters on the other hand were less likable. They weren't even really someone I wanted to hate. The main characters motivations seemed like a moving target (wealth and power, love, etc). It also ended very unsatisfying. I found this entertaining, but will probably not read anything else by this author.

Sometimes I wonder how much the liking of a book is tied to the time when you first read it. I wonder if I would still love some of the novels I first read in high school as much as I do if I'd been older and had a more developed critical eye than I did then. I started reading the Twilight series in the wake of a bad breakup, and I remain fond of the series (especially the breakup arc in New Moon) despite knowing full well that they're not high-quality literature. It would stand to reason, I think, that some books I've read right after something wonderful seem particularly lesser-than in comparison, and sometimes books that followed a dull and plodding one seem even better than they might actually be.

So I wondered if The Twentieth Wife following the double punch of two brilliant novels in a row might have been contributing to my disappointment with it. Was I being entirely fair to the novel on its own merits? If I'd read it, say, after one of the Masks of God books would I have liked it more? Ultimately, I feel like the answer is that no, I'm not being harsh because it doesn't measure up to the two amazing books I just read, it's honestly not very good.

To start on a positive note, it did introduce me to an era of world history I know precious little about: the Mughal Empire of India. I'd only really known two things about it previously: the rulers of the Mughal Empire were Muslim, and that the Taj Mahal was built as a memorial for a Mughal empress, Mumtaz Mahal. That's pretty much it. So the details that this novel provided about the empire and its courtly life were new, interesting information, and I particularly enjoyed the way each chapter opened with a quote from a historical source about the characters and events to be presented.

What didn't quite work, though, was most of the rest of it. The writing quality isn't particularly high...it was difficult to find a highlight quote because there were few bright spots. That's not to say it's especially poorly-written either, because it isn't...it's just mediocre. The novel tells the story of Mehrunissa, the daughter of a court official under the rule of Emperor Akbar. Although she is married to a soldier as a young woman, she and Akbar's heir apparent, Prince Salim, fall in love and eventually marry after her first husband's death. He becomes the the Emperor Jahangir, and she becomes his twentieth but most important wife, Nur Jahan, one of the most powerful women in the history of the Muslim world. She must be quite the interesting woman, eh?

Not really, as author Indu Sundaresan paints her. According to Sundaresan, when an eight year-old Mehrunissa catches a glimpse of Salim's first wedding at court, she decides right then and there that she will one day marry Salim. For no reason made particularly apparent, she attracts the interest of Akbar's most powerful wife, Ruqayya, as a companion, and spends her time at the palace thinking about how to attract Salim's attention so she can one day become an empress herself. Indeed, she spends her time at home thinking about the exact same thing. Even after she is married to another man, she keeps dreaming of a future with Salim. Mehrunissa is given no other real characterization besides “beautiful, educated woman completely obsessed with Salim”. There's no depth or interest to her character. She has no close friends. Her first husband is presented as a one-dimensional brute who does not appreciate her or treat her very well. When the narrative shifts, as it does at times, to present Salim's story, he's presented as a weak-minded but ambitious man, easily manipulated, who is just as obsessed with Mehrunissa at first sight as she is with him. Neither of these people is given much of an inner life, nor are they at all compelling.

Which is disappointing, because from the Wikipedia-ing I was inspired to do, she led a very interesting life and a book about her should be fascinating. But a complete lack of character development and clunky writing have doomed this one to the donate pile.

Finally! I finished it! After putting this on hold a few times to read (or reread haha) other books, I did finish it. I liked it. Like with other historical fiction, it took me back to that time. I'm not too familiar with India, but the love story just grabs hold. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, “The Feast Of Roses”.

I enjoyed this. In some ways this is a continuation of the [b:The Khan Series 5-Book Bundle: Genghis: Birth of an Empire, Genghis: Bones of the Hills, Genghis: Lords of the Bow, Khan: Empire of Silver, Conqueror 13573316 The Khan Series 5-Book Bundle Genghis Birth of an Empire, Genghis Bones of the Hills, Genghis Lords of the Bow, Khan Empire of Silver, Conqueror Conn Iggulden https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355078822s/13573316.jpg 19154285] which i finished some time ago. The wars a maybe slightly less bloody and Sundaresan is concentrating on other things, such as politics and relationships, but I like the fact that there was and is a link to Ghengis. The Mughal Empire was the last great empire of that lineage. It is an Empire that you do not come across with in history lessons and the Taj Mahal trilogy will be an awesome way to dig deeper on that topic. And those who want a great love story (Not usually my cup of tea), well here is something for you.