Book Review #53: Ramayana, The Game of Life – Stolen Hope

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Jaico Publications

Pages: 307

ISBN-13: 978-8184957679

Price: 299

This is the third book in the Game of life series. The story picks up from where it was left in the last book: Shattered Dreams. In case you have not read the other two parts, there is a gist of the two books in the beginning, so that your reading becomes really seamless.

In this book, the author presents a study of the stages of the construction of the personality of Rama in the wicked labyrinths of Dandakaranya jungle, where Rama’s uprightness, Lakshmana’s trustworthiness and Sita’s fortitude echo our individual sagacity of morals and opinion in tricky times.

The book describes the mechanisms that unconsciously are involved in any relationship, or potential, such as entanglement that is manifested through communication and conditioning.

The book is a new way of thinking about any relationship that explains the dynamics that are at the origin of many failures in the relationships. The author is a great explorer of the relationship between man and reality, and this book is full of ideas on how to improve some aspect of our lives.

A book beautiful and enlightening, deeply moving and humbling before the power of the forces of fate but also it bears comfort, because along the way you can sometimes modify tragic fates beyond the boundaries of thought, as if on every page, for each step there was space and time to reflect.

The book is a perfect manual that deals with various aspects of human relations, so that the reader can participate in the search for solutions as if he himself was there and find out, then, how to get out of a crisis.

The focus of the book is the definition of the basic concepts for the understanding of the individual taking universal value because they are common to all mankind, the inner resources.

The book provides the opportunity to reflect on the cultural meanings that have affected the structure of Ramayana. The book also helps you clear the doubts you had while you read/watched Ramayana. Along with the story there are lessons and explanation in the footnotes. The insights are very useful in our day to day life as well as helps us to understand people better.

What makes this book fascinating is the mini mythological tales embedded in it, the highlight being that of Super sage Agastya’s many tales like his wedding to lopamudra, the origin of River Cauvery, the pilliyar kuthu (brain yoga), the invention of Tamil language and many such little folk tales.

What emerges at the end of the book is a crystal clear picture of what should be a real relationship who loves and evolve together but each maintaining their own freedom and their own individuality and originality. It is a book that everyone should read. It is so relevant and applicable in today’s world where relationships fail due to ego clashes. 

Rating - 4/5

P.S: Special thanks to BlogAdda for sending me an author signed copy of this book! I am reviewing this book as a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!