The Stories We Tell Author: Devdutt Pattanaik Publisher: Aleph Book Company Rating: 4/5
Devdutt Pattanaik is known for his contemporary take on mythology and I find all his narratives and interpretations quite interesting. His new book, The Stories We Tell, is a short collection of such narratives where he meanders through a myriad of themes like Fish, Cow, Rangoli, Karma, Celebration of seasons and several others. It is imperative to note how diverse these themes seem yet how deeply connected they are.
Take an example of fish- a creature that finds importance across all cultures and religions in different forms owing to different stories. Whether it is Jhulelal, the deity of Sindhis or Jesus Christ who was represented using the symbol of a fish, a fish is considered sacred and worshipped in various forms. Similarly, the author brings out the difference in the concept of justice- how mythology perceived justice, how humans perceive justice today and how the concept varies in nature. Reading about these abstract concepts and their existence, far and beyond, is interesting. What makes this book more interesting is its precision.
The Stories We Tell is your go-to book if mythology interests you and you enjoy delving deeper into the origins of beliefs.
Best wishes to the author!
Buy this book from here: Amazon