Just finished reading this. #bookreview
My first issue with the book is that it is not presented in the natak format of dialogues and structure etc. Instead, a synopsis of the story is given.
The stories are mostly from the classics - Ramayana and Mahabharata, and Vasavadutta is included.
But, maybe it was for the best.
For reasons one cannot explain, the book was gripping. The Vasavadutta story had some dialogues that made one crack up and I realised that perhaps the format of "Naatak" or "Manchan" has remained unchanged in India over centuries - some wit, some humour, a lot of fast-paced story telling.
The other thought while reading this book was - these plays must have been fantastic to watch. They must necessarily have gorgeous sets, great witty dialogues, and a long-ish run time. I missed something, not having watched them. And am grateful for the traditional theater performances that we still get to watch in India. Maybe will try to watch them even more now.
The book is a short read - about 6 hours in total even if u read slowly. The plays are not too long (perhaps this is the reason why they were presented as stories and not in the play format - to keep them brief) and the narrative is definitely gripping.
I would recommend this book for sure.
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