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Book Jacket

The Palace of Illusions
by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Publisher: Doubleday
Publication date: 02/12/2008.
Historical Fiction, 384 pp.

Number of reader reviews: 16
Readers' Consensus: 4.0
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First Impressions: Page 3 of 3
Rated 3 of 5 of 5 by Barbara (Plaquemine LA)

The Palace of Illusions
Although I found the book had many "gaps" I did enjoy reading it. The gaps occurred because many characters were not well defined and because the plot is shaky. What is the main character really seeking? Actually the story line comes down to the relationship between Princess Panchaali and her mother-in-law.

Much emphasis is placed on family devotion yet the Princess gives birth to two sons and no mention is made of them until almost the end of the story. Only two of her five husbands are given any attention at all and one of those are addressed only in passing. The reader learns nothing of the others. The same can be said of the only two people in her life who are faithful to her, her brother and good friend, Krishna. Despite these flaws the books does hold one's interest.

There is much fantasy in the book but if it the reader is given to this the book is worth reading.

Rated 3 of 5 of 5 by Ellen (Longmeadow MA)

A fairytale for women
If you enjoy fantasy, romance novels, mythology and fairytales, this book is for you, and only for you. It centers around the life of Panchaali, a Princess who marries five brothers -all at the same time- and the power struggle between two families. It is based upon "a world famous Indian epic" but I found the writing to be condescending and uninspiring. There are many characters in the story which I found difficult to keep track of, especially when I didn't pick up the book for a couple of days. In fact, the book has a family chart, a glossary of characters and an author's note to help the reader keep track of all of the characters. Nonetheless, I still struggled to keep them and each of their travails straight. It is chick-lit without the wit, spice and fun. In summary, the book wasn't as satisfying as I hoped it would be.

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