The Forest of Enchantments

‘The Forest of Enchantments’ is the story of Ramayana, as narrated by Sita and presented to us by the one and only Chitra Divakaruni as the long awaited, masterpiece publication is finally out of the press, and available for the readers to enjoy. Ramayana, the time-tested mythological classic has remained a legendary saga of Indian traditions, and its values of righteousness. The incarnation and celebrated tale of Sri Rama during Thretha Yuga has been the ultimate example of a perfect human arriving on earth, annihilating the wrong and reclaiming the good that every Hindu household revered and admired. The celebrated story has been depicted by sage Valmiki and through millennia by several illustrious authors, wherein the personality of Sita has been portrayed as that of a perpetually wronged and suffering female, from an abandoned newborn, to sheltered princess, a dutifully obedient wife and a single mother discarded by her husband. That is, until now. Until Divakaruni scrupulously ventured delving into the life of Sita through her own personal perspective as a distinctly intelligent and independent woman, having her own version to tell, thus presenting to us a chronicle with all its refreshing ethos and daunting insinuations. This should have been rightly titled ‘Sitayan’ as Sita proclaims to Valmiki as she eventually ‘succeeds in convincing’ Chitra to present to the modern world a version as her very own biography ‘in her own words’. The character of Sita in the ‘Forest’ aligns very much with that of Draupadi (Panchali), another mythical heroine of the epic Mahabharata, in Chitra’s ‘Palace of Illusions’, the story that would happen in the ensuing Dwapara Yuga. Through the poignant accounts of the two contrastingly enduring personalities, the author has succinctly depicted an ageless and sad reality of females, of daughters, wives, and mothers. ‘Forest of Enchantments’ is a delightful treat embellished with the author’s narrative style, its imaginative descriptions and the appealing constituents in the story. The household chronicle that every Indian child has been repeatedly told with its familiar characters and their customary personalities suddenly assume different dimensions through Chitra Divakaruni’s portrayal of Sita, told in her inimitable fashion. The author presents the mythical characters as regular humans, who exist, chat, eat, love, argue, fight and live like all of us, experiencing and expressing pleasures and frustrations like common people. To all those who are ‘very familiar’ with Ramayana, this book is assured to be an astounding revelation, and an ecstatic experience. To those who are not familiar with Sita or Ramayana, indulge in for quite a treat that you may have never felt through a story. Dr. Venugopal K. Menon

Beautifully written! Amazing story, empowering and moving. One of my all time favorite novels. She uses poetic language and it was such a joy reading this book. I love her writing style and I look forward to reading more of her works.

As heart breaking this love story of Gods in human form ,it just makes you Sita's advocate and throws light upon the injustices we have been witnessing towards women that very conveniently goes unnoticed in the glory of men. This author is simply brilliant in capturing even the smallest detail of human emotion especially from a woman's perspective Must read !

I always look forward to reading a new book by Chitra, and this one did not disappoint me! I am not familiar with the Ramayan, but after reading this version I want to read a really good translation into English of the original. I thought this was a timeless and universal book, because all the characters demonstrate the all too human traits that have run through men and women since the beginning of time. There was wisdom in this book, applied lightly, and the magic was intriguing and enchanting. And of course it was beautifully written as are all Chitra's books. This is a delightful read with surprising depth. I look forward to the next book! My all time favorites though are Vine of Desire and Sister of my Heart, about the deep friendship between women. I have given those books to many of my BFFs as a token of my love for them.

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's version of the Ramayana interprets the classical epic through Goddess Sita's viewpoint. The Ramayana was written centuries ago in shloka form, & translated by many individuals over the years. Ms. Banerjee's re-telling of the epic is easy to understand. Many gods & goddesses, demi-gods, in Sanatan Dharma take on many forms, which can be confusing to keep track of, and difficult to explain. Not so in "The Forest of Enchantments." This re-telling is a tragic love story with a dose of drama and supernatural elements thrown into the mix. And — most importantly — "The Forest of Enchantments" ensures that most of the women in the story are not portrayed as weak, dependent on men, and lacking brains; rather, Sita is strong, intelligent, nurturing and Spiritual. If you're looking for an amazing read, look no further; "The Forest of Enchantments" is definitely worth reading!

The beginning of the story in Mithila was light and real. I particularly liked the mention of Sita's connection to the Shiva dhanush as well as her bond with her mother & Urmila. The author moves quickly through her wedding with Rama and Ayodhya leading up to the exile. The narrative picks up after they are exiled & then she is kidnapped. Her experiences in Ashok Vanam, and then after she is banished to Valmiki's ashram, and her subsequent return & demise were the most interesting (and touching). This is where the author brings novelty to a well known story, by sharing what Sita must have felt & experienced. Here, the author has borrowed from several different versions of the Ramayana. I liked the glimpses that she had of her divine origin throughout the story, especially at certain critical moments. The writing style is simple, very personal & engaging which is a special quality of Dr. Divakaruni's writings. I would have liked to see more content around the dialogs that Sita had with everyone to justify her going with Rama & also use of her extensive training & knowledge in the forest and exile.

I just couldn't put down this novel. Seeta has always been my role model. I remember a scene from my favourite movie Hum Aapke Hain Koun in which the newly we'd Pooja is presented the Ramayan by her father in law, as a welcome home gift. He tells her that Seeta is in it and that she would be her guide in her trails. In my trying times, I clutch my Ramayan to my heart and ask her to guide me. Since I read The Palace of Illusions I hungered to read Seeta's story through your eyes. You have answered so many questions I had about her growing up. I felt her joy and her sadness. I even cried for Urmilla and Mandoodari. Even as I am facing some challenges now, her strength has inspired me not to give up. This is surely a masterpiece and I'm looking forward to your next historical novel.

I like the way author has described Sita’s experience right from being born. I am sure that this is just the depiction of what “might” have gone through Sita’a mind and heart during her life on earth. DISCLAIMER- There is a mention of “eating meat” which I am not sure is correct, but again it’s just what the author thought happened. Not the ultimate truth. Read it keeping that in mind.

One of my favorite book ever. It is amazing the way In which the author retells us the story of Panchaali. Before buying this book I read the Mahabharata and I think the story Divakaruni tells us is extraordinary, full of details and emotionally vibrant.

Lovely read from Sita’s point of view

Very emotional, provides a great persepective and angle to the story I heard all my life! Cant wait to read more!

It's not just merely a love story shaded with the angst of the protagonist and the trials and tribulations on her part to prove her integrity, loyalty and honesty towards the love of her life. It is rather the story of love and the very many facets of it, embodied in the form of reluctance, control, hatred, desire, longing, unadulterated affection, human complexes and lastly forgiveness. Starting from the prologue, we find Sita, the protagonist, keen to express the story of not just her experiences, but also of the numerous other female characters who, although being substantially significant in their respective ways contributing to the then society, have been conveniently avoided by literateurs and historians of the patriarchal society resulting in being written about neglectfully, or perhaps having no mention of them at all almost as if they were inexistent. As the book progresses, we find the characters (both male and female) unfold themselves into complex people, yet being realistically relatable. While Sita's mother prepares her how to deal with every individual in the new home she is about to go into, she takes up this as a challenge, knowing that in order to be with the person she loves, this would be a very nominal price that she would have to pay, least realizing that all the while, her grooming up, the way her beloved bow had trained her would be needed much later at a time, when she would have to stay away from Ram. As we go deep into the book, the author magically transports us into the magical world of the Forest of Enchantments, where Sita makes her own sweet home bereft of all the luxuries of palace, devotes her time and care to her husband, falls in the unconditional love that she harboured for her husband and gives in to her desire for the golden deer, hurting the person she had hoped not to hurt ever, the person whom she loved possibly more than herself, eventually followed by her abduction by the demon king Ravan. Strange revelations such as Sita being Ravan and Mandodari's long lost daughter is also a chapter worthy of remembrance. Sita's portrayal as the story teller herself is achieved in its entirety. That being abducted by Ravan was perhaps not the most devastating thing happening to her is vividly elaborated in the future chapters where she is forced to confront situations that were worse than her nightmares. After the end of the Sitayan, there is this epilogue that is poignant, yet being overwhelmingly simple. The epilogue effortlessly brings tears to the eyes of the readers. That the fact she chose to live for the sake of her sons and she chose to die for the sake of her daughters is vividly described in the epilogue, beautifully detailed with every bit of emotion she possibly must have been through. The story of Ramayan has been told thousands of times before, and a hundred of them must have been from Sita's perspective, but this one is unique, and possibly the best. It is a book that needs to be taught in the schools. It is a book that needs to be read by not just women to feel the angst of Sita, but also by men to realize what it takes to love. It raises pertinent questions regarding duties of a true king to his subjects, why only every man should be heard in Ramrajya and not every woman. This should be there in every Bibliophile's collection. This happens to be the author's most loved book and the hard work behind it shows through very effortlessly. Simplicity of language makes it widely acceptable among the masses and it is not surprising that the book is soon going to be considered among the best sellers in fiction category in India. It is a must read.

Written beautifully from the aspect of well-known but not often thought about character from a famous Hindu epic. Wonderful reading it from a woman's point of view