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suryapandian's review against another edition
1.0
From all the good reviews I actually thought I would enjoy reading this book.
Writing mythology isn't that easy as it spans across time.
Aandal is living beyond time and I am pretty sure she must have been one terrific, incredible and inspiring person.
But reading this book I didn't feel that way about the protagonist.
Most part of the book appeared vague and superficial.
Writing mythology isn't that easy as it spans across time.
Aandal is living beyond time and I am pretty sure she must have been one terrific, incredible and inspiring person.
But reading this book I didn't feel that way about the protagonist.
Most part of the book appeared vague and superficial.
byronicreader's review
5.0
🔹There are some stories which you can't forget in your life. You grew up with the story and you have a special place in your heart for those characters in the story. The story of 'Kodhai' or 'Andal' is like that for me.
🔸As an ardent vaishnavite (now an atheist), I grew up hearing stories of Andal, her poems and her greatness. As a girl, it is compulsory for us to follow 'Paavai Nombu' every year even after marriage. 🔹The author has beautifully sketched the prominent ritual in her book and it is one of the main attraction of the book according to me.
🔸It took me around 4 hours to finish this book and in these 4 hours, I was in a different century living as Kodhai. The author has nicely articulated the conservativeness of the ninth century and their practices.
🔹Also, the book shows us the emotional roller coaster of Kodhai when she feels that her Paavai Nombu is not successful. It also captures the feelings of her family regarding her situation. You can feel the helplessness of Vishnuchittan and Arali as well as you can feel the yearning of Kodhai which I think is overwhelming (in a nice way 😬).
🔸Kodhai I knew was divine, godlike and distant. But @sharanya_manivannan
'S Kodhai is very human and relatable. I am glad that the author gave us a full picture of Kodhai even to the person who doesn't know her.
🔹Though I didn't like the way the author ended the book, I enjoyed it nevertheless.
🔸The writing was articulate as well as sophisticated which made me fall in love with the book. 🔹Overall, it is a tribute to a small girl who wanted to marry God and even succeeded in it. This became my favourite from the moment I started reading it.
Thank You Sharanya Manivannan for this beautiful book.
My Rating - 5/5
🔸As an ardent vaishnavite (now an atheist), I grew up hearing stories of Andal, her poems and her greatness. As a girl, it is compulsory for us to follow 'Paavai Nombu' every year even after marriage. 🔹The author has beautifully sketched the prominent ritual in her book and it is one of the main attraction of the book according to me.
🔸It took me around 4 hours to finish this book and in these 4 hours, I was in a different century living as Kodhai. The author has nicely articulated the conservativeness of the ninth century and their practices.
🔹Also, the book shows us the emotional roller coaster of Kodhai when she feels that her Paavai Nombu is not successful. It also captures the feelings of her family regarding her situation. You can feel the helplessness of Vishnuchittan and Arali as well as you can feel the yearning of Kodhai which I think is overwhelming (in a nice way 😬).
🔸Kodhai I knew was divine, godlike and distant. But @sharanya_manivannan
'S Kodhai is very human and relatable. I am glad that the author gave us a full picture of Kodhai even to the person who doesn't know her.
🔹Though I didn't like the way the author ended the book, I enjoyed it nevertheless.
🔸The writing was articulate as well as sophisticated which made me fall in love with the book. 🔹Overall, it is a tribute to a small girl who wanted to marry God and even succeeded in it. This became my favourite from the moment I started reading it.
Thank You Sharanya Manivannan for this beautiful book.
My Rating - 5/5
jagoda_readsbooks's review
4.0
It took me some time to get into the book and it helped immensely when I started looking up some of the things I didn't know. The book felt more like a poem and by the end I was fully invested in the fate of Kodhai.
I read this book for the Reading Women Challenge 2021: 1) A Book Longlisted for the JCB Prize.
I read this book for the Reading Women Challenge 2021: 1) A Book Longlisted for the JCB Prize.
manorma's review against another edition
emotional
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
anomadicnarrative's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
surabhichatrapathy's review
4.0
Andal was a mystic poet of the 9th century, hailing from Southern India. A poet belonging to the bhakti movement she was then elevated to the position of a goddess.
Unlike many other Bhakti poets who sought oneness with their God in spirit, she also sought a physical oneness. Andal wrote of liberation and oneness with God as a 13 year old girl.
Her poetry translated and interpreted over centuries are not only revered but also deeply controversial.
The Queen of Jasmine Country is a novel inspired by Andal's life.
Highly poetic prose weaved together with a vivid description of the Tamilagam landscape.
It was an immersive experience, imagining Kodhai (the young poet) unearthing her devotion for Vishnu and growing deeper deeper into her own world of poetry and prayer.
The novel also highlights the limitations and the freedoms of growing up when she did, painting an interesting socio-political background.
Kodhai' garden of worship from where she and her father pick flowers every morning is a garden I would love to have. The image of it is stuck in my mind along with its aroma of devotion and love.
The poetic-prose is heavy, but owing to the life she has attempted to describe or fathom I suppose it is justified
Unlike many other Bhakti poets who sought oneness with their God in spirit, she also sought a physical oneness. Andal wrote of liberation and oneness with God as a 13 year old girl.
Her poetry translated and interpreted over centuries are not only revered but also deeply controversial.
The Queen of Jasmine Country is a novel inspired by Andal's life.
Highly poetic prose weaved together with a vivid description of the Tamilagam landscape.
It was an immersive experience, imagining Kodhai (the young poet) unearthing her devotion for Vishnu and growing deeper deeper into her own world of poetry and prayer.
The novel also highlights the limitations and the freedoms of growing up when she did, painting an interesting socio-political background.
Kodhai' garden of worship from where she and her father pick flowers every morning is a garden I would love to have. The image of it is stuck in my mind along with its aroma of devotion and love.
The poetic-prose is heavy, but owing to the life she has attempted to describe or fathom I suppose it is justified
dhiyanah's review against another edition
5.0
The poetry of Sharanya's writing is lush, verdant, and fragrant. Always, a journey of the senses that starts with the body diving deep into the anatomies of desire. The Queen of Jasmine Country travels back in time and expands the present moment at the same time. We follow the life of a girl who grows into legend, the devotional poet Andal. And on the way we're treated to a tender yet unapologetic look at the longings held within the heart of Kodhai, a woman who listened to her soul when it tells her not to settle for a love that's less than what she deserves. We see how this catalyzes her onto the path of a poet - the act of writing becoming a channel for Kodhai to express the sensuality she's forced to suppress - as well as the path of the mystic - where longing, ecstasy, and obliteration dance as one. Most importantly, through Sharanya's writing, we see her. We, brown women who have walked through the fires of girlhood, we see her in us and we see Kodhai herself. The lonely young woman whose love transcends the world as we know it. The Queen of Jasmine Country is an homage to Andal, and to the bodies and poetry of women who rage and hope beyond limits or expectations.
perspectives's review against another edition
5.0
This was book six out of the twenty-one in 2021.
Really, this book is the essence of Indian beauty. When I was reading this book, I could literally feel the lush ambiance and jasmine nights that were described in this book. The different characters and the way the authors utilized a very iconic female writer who was immortalized as a Goddess to share her views on Indian womanhood in a patriarchal society.
I really commend her writing style and this work of art. Kodhai soon became a huge part of my life during this book, and I stalled finishing this book for so long because I wanted to hold on to it forever. One of my favorite passages in literature is the chapter where Kodhai muses away about marriage. I really resonated with a lot of Kodhai's words and really felt her yearning for the Lord. How do you really settle for another man when you're in love with the Penultimate? And even despite everything, she still persisted into getting her love.
I loved the ending as well. The author did not take the religious interpretation, and she left it open with a bittersweet ending left to be interpreted for the author. In the Queen of Jasmine Country, Kodhai is not a goddess but she is a regular girl with her own yearnings and needs that are stubbed by her family and traditions. I want to think she reached her Lord through her Bhakti, but of course, it's open to interpretation.
I really don't want to give too much information because this is a book that must be experienced in all of its beauty rather than described. It's like a glistening jewel- even if you describe it, until you have seen its glean, you will not understand its value.
Truly an exquisite classic.
Really, this book is the essence of Indian beauty. When I was reading this book, I could literally feel the lush ambiance and jasmine nights that were described in this book. The different characters and the way the authors utilized a very iconic female writer who was immortalized as a Goddess to share her views on Indian womanhood in a patriarchal society.
I really commend her writing style and this work of art. Kodhai soon became a huge part of my life during this book, and I stalled finishing this book for so long because I wanted to hold on to it forever. One of my favorite passages in literature is the chapter where Kodhai muses away about marriage. I really resonated with a lot of Kodhai's words and really felt her yearning for the Lord. How do you really settle for another man when you're in love with the Penultimate? And even despite everything, she still persisted into getting her love.
I loved the ending as well. The author did not take the religious interpretation, and she left it open with a bittersweet ending left to be interpreted for the author. In the Queen of Jasmine Country, Kodhai is not a goddess but she is a regular girl with her own yearnings and needs that are stubbed by her family and traditions. I want to think she reached her Lord through her Bhakti, but of course, it's open to interpretation.
I really don't want to give too much information because this is a book that must be experienced in all of its beauty rather than described. It's like a glistening jewel- even if you describe it, until you have seen its glean, you will not understand its value.
Truly an exquisite classic.
sneharatakonda's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A fictionalized account of the Tamil goddess-poet Andal, the book takes a look at how she, an orphan found in a tulasi grove, grew up idolising Vishnu. As she approaches marriageable age, she craves and pines for her god, and hopes to meet someone as magnificent as Vishnu himself.
Of course, when you’re trying to fictionalise a poet, language is an important part of it and the author delivers beautifully. But what shines even more is how masterfully the author sketches Andal as a feminist, asking questions about what it takes to be a woman with agency even in the 9th century, but above all, the personification of the hopes and dreams of a lonely young woman.
Of course, when you’re trying to fictionalise a poet, language is an important part of it and the author delivers beautifully. But what shines even more is how masterfully the author sketches Andal as a feminist, asking questions about what it takes to be a woman with agency even in the 9th century, but above all, the personification of the hopes and dreams of a lonely young woman.