Book Review: Immortal India by Amish

Book: Immortal India
Author: Amish 
Genre: Non-Fiction
No. of Pages: ~200 

The first non-fiction from the man who brought us the mythological genius that is the Shiva Trilogy - Immortal India, is a collection of his newspaper articles, talks, and debates. 

Divided into four sections - Religion and Mythology, Social Issues, History and Musings, this collection is a joy to read for anyone interested in Hindu Mythology and Indian History.

This is not a book you have to read from cover-to-cover at a stretch. You can pick any chapter from the book and just dive into it. In fact, Amish did not mean for this to be read at one go, because for the later chapters he has included references to earlier passages wherever required. 

It is only but natural that all chapters have a mythological twist to things - that is after all, Amish's USP. 

There are two things that really stand out in his writing - Firstly, he is blunt. He firmly stands by his beliefs and has strongly and boldly criticised all religions (some more than others). Secondly, his language, as it was with his fiction, is simple and easy to read. And these are the very reasons why Immortal India is fresh and exciting for a Non-Fiction.

Since these are a collection of his talks and articles (over a period of time) and because each chapter is meant to be a standalone piece, some items are repeated over and over again. This can get a little annoying when you are reading this book from end-to-end. But, this also ensures that some of these ideas will get embedded in your mind by the time you are done.

He makes it abundantly clear that this book is clearly intended for Young Indians with a very open mind - for the topics he dares to touch are sensitive to say the least.

It brushes across a wide spectrum starting from things as simple as, why he prefers only his first name (and not his surname) on his books, to discussing complex ideas of how there is not enough data to support the Aryan Invasion Theory.

He switches with ease from discussing something as grand as the ills of the British Raj on India and China, to something as personal as to how three women played crucial roles in his life. All throughout, giving us his views on how things could be fixed going forward.

Immortal India is for all open-minded Indians who like Religion, Mythology, and History. It is peppered with humour, laced with patriotism, and garnished a hint of sermon on what the next generation should do to carry the culture of our great nation forward.

Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the Publisher.