Scan barcode
vaishhh_'s review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
ofloveandlayovers's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
nandudawn's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
vaibhavsh2624's review against another edition
5.0
It's a retelling of Ramayana but not how we have come to know mythological retellings today be it Amish's Meluha trilogy or Divakaruni's The Palace of Illusions, it's much more than that, much more than a retelling. It just doesn't give a new perspective to the story, it gives new meanings to it too.
We go back and forth in the Ramayana timeline with Sita at different stages of her life with Rama. Sita meets Surpanakha, Ahalya, Renuka Devi & Urmila and discovers her own voice, her own being separate from Rama and her own path in life. In the very last story called 'The Shackled' we meet Rama whom we find bound by oaths and duties, sorrowful and longing for a life without the expectations of a kingdom tagging along.
Volga's Sita is not exactly the Sita we have come to know in our mythological stories, she is thoughtful, resourceful, humane, learning, unlearning, seeking help, falling and standing up, questioning the world around her and is a feminist icon. Volga's Liberation of Sita is a feminist book through and through and must be read as one of the most important of retold stories upon the premise of Ramayana.
We go back and forth in the Ramayana timeline with Sita at different stages of her life with Rama. Sita meets Surpanakha, Ahalya, Renuka Devi & Urmila and discovers her own voice, her own being separate from Rama and her own path in life. In the very last story called 'The Shackled' we meet Rama whom we find bound by oaths and duties, sorrowful and longing for a life without the expectations of a kingdom tagging along.
Volga's Sita is not exactly the Sita we have come to know in our mythological stories, she is thoughtful, resourceful, humane, learning, unlearning, seeking help, falling and standing up, questioning the world around her and is a feminist icon. Volga's Liberation of Sita is a feminist book through and through and must be read as one of the most important of retold stories upon the premise of Ramayana.
annaclaire's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
rarasreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nested_bookworm's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure how to feel about this. Have to re-read this again i guess.
sayakel's review against another edition
4.0
A short collection of stories with Sita interacting with Shurpanakha, Ahalya, and Renuka, women who were wronged in some sense in Hindu Mythology for so-called crimes against the idea of chastity. I found Ahalya's questioning of her sentence particularly interesting -
"What does conducting an inquiry imply, Sita? Distrust, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be better, instead, to believe in either your innocence or guilt?"
Even Renuka's judgement of the so-called duty that binds sons to fathers - despite the woman having to bear so much of the burden raising them raises very valid questions. Over all, a very interesting take on the epic.
"What does conducting an inquiry imply, Sita? Distrust, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be better, instead, to believe in either your innocence or guilt?"
Even Renuka's judgement of the so-called duty that binds sons to fathers - despite the woman having to bear so much of the burden raising them raises very valid questions. Over all, a very interesting take on the epic.
freddie's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely quick read. It has a simple writing but is able to convey the ideas of feminism and misogyny succinctly. It's fine for readers who have not read the Ramayana as well.