'Victory city' by Salman Rushdie

 

Salman Rushdie delicately unravels a 600 year old Sanskrit poem, comprising 24000 verses and transforms it into an elaborate tale of a headstrong woman who builds the core of a great empire.

Summary:

Pampa Kampana, a 9-year-old girl who receives astounding abilities and a long life from a celestial goddess, uses these gifts to build the largest kingdom on the continent. She first witnesses the magnificence of her kingdom as it flourishes through expansion, secularism, and equality throughout the course of her lifetime before coming face to face with her many enemies who try to overthrow her. She still experiences loneliness, though, as a result of her love for the Portuguese trader Domingo Paes and the ongoing conflict between the dynasty's numerous heirs. And eventually, Pampa waits for the goddess' promise to release her from her protracted and exhausting struggle as she grows weary of ageing and the ongoing battle to restore the genuine ideals of her territory. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨(3.5)

Recommended age group: 15+ years

Personal thoughts:  There's something about Rushdie's writing that transports you not only to the world of Bisnaga, but also makes you sympathise with Pampa Kampana. The way he explains her emotions, challenges, and experiences, as well as how he portrays her as a mother figure, demigod, idol, and visionary, completely captures your attention. The epic Jayaparajaya, which has 24000 verses, fully explains her life and experiences, yet Rushdie manages to condense this enormous chronicle into a book that details her life just as much as the lyrical verses do.

The famous Virupaksha temple in Hampi; once a splendid example of the glory of the Vijayanagara empire, is now a dilapidated place of worship still functioning as a reminder of its kingdom's marvels.







Comments

  1. R V L Narasimhan8 October 2023 at 11:03

    Awesome Niyati! Beautifully summarised, encouraging enough to pick the book up for a deatiled reading

    ReplyDelete
  2. ananya8 October 2023 at 11:20

    What a well written review. It's very nice to learn more about the Vijayanagara empire and Indian history through your blog :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. parmita8 October 2023 at 11:51

    this is sooo good

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mala athai8 October 2023 at 14:37

    Wow niyathi
    Your crisp synopsis has stirred the urge in me to grab the book and read

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yogendra Jain8 October 2023 at 18:25


    Very well written Niyati. Keep it up

    ReplyDelete
  6. Cristina8 October 2023 at 19:20

    Una reseña muy reveladora, no he tenido la oportunidad de leer el libro. ¿Qué parte del libro no te convenció y te hizo darle 3.5 estrellas?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Niyati8 October 2023 at 19:38

      Hay algunos personajes cuyos roles no están claros como un personaje positivo o negativo, por eso. Y además la historia es muy larga, de lo contrario, es maravillosa

      Delete
  7. Susheela Ajay8 October 2023 at 22:24

    Good job Niyati!would definitely want to read this book,thanks to your review!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kalyani Vinith8 October 2023 at 22:59

    The clarity and effectiveness of your review about Salman Rushdie’s brilliant work Victory City motivates me to read the book.Good job Niyati!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. anamra9 October 2023 at 13:22

    beautiful!! love the way you've written your synopsis :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Zanna9 October 2023 at 20:45

    It's really interesting. Your perspective on so many historical mediums along with your skillful writing creates increasing impressive and interesting reads.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous10 October 2023 at 22:56

    Very interesting and valuable information. Keep it up

    ReplyDelete

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