The Feast of Roses: A Novel
by Indu Sundaresan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Indu SundaresanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2004-05-18
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Book Reviews of The Feast of Roses: A Novel
Book Review: Exciting sequel about the amazing history of Mughal India
Summary: 5 Stars
Don't let the slow start of this novel fool you; there is action aplenty in "Feast of Roses." This is the sequel to The Twentieth Wife. It's best if you read that first, but even if you don't, the author gives enough background to fill in the reader.
This historical novel starts at the height of Empress Nur Jehan's power and takes her through to the end of her life and the reign of Shah Jehan, the builder of the Taj Mahal. The epilogue actually goes into more of the history of the Taj itself. If you are curious about this magnificent wonder of the world, this novel will give you ample background about the history of Agra and the Mughal rulers.
The novel starts slowly; there is a lot of court intrigue but none of the action that makes "Twentieth Wife" such an exciting novel. But don't despair; soon, there are insurrections, incursions of Portuguese, the arrival of the English and then more rebellions. As ever, author Sundaresan depicts battles with vivid descriptions and her skill as a novelist has me so impressed. She is careful to use symbolic events to forshadow larger happenings; in the beginnng of "Twentieth Wife", Mehrunissa (Nur Jehan) as a child visiting the zenannah (harem), pushes royal wife Jagat aside to get a better view of Prince Salim and this foreshadows Jagat's demise in "Roses", when Mehrunissa has entirely eclipsed the formerly powerful empress, who dies in obscurity. Battle scenes are rendered very excitingly, and the suffering of the men who are slaughtered is cleverly outlined by showing the suffering of the dumb animals, elephants and horses, who are depicted in horrific scenes, caught in mud or drowning in rivers and crying in despair while the men are bravely fighting. This technique highlights the desperation of the battle as we pity the animals caught in the terrible destruction.
There is a lot of rich detail, and at the end, despite the fact I've been able to visit Agra and surrounding areas and see many of these sights for myself, I was wishing I could have seen the Mughul empire at its height, dripping with wealth and a land of almost insane riches compared to the almost primitive conditions of Europe at the same time. The contrast is amazing and throws a new light on world history. I enjoyed these novels, could NOT put them down once I got past the first 50 pages. Well worth the effort, and I hope the author writes more Indian historical novels.
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