Mahabharata Addiction 3

Another interesting Mahabharata-inspired novel is 'And Now Let Me Sleep' by author P.K. Balakrishnan. In it the author tells the story from the perspective of Karna, one of the most intriguing of the multitude of characters in the epic. Though differentiating between 'good' and 'bad' can be extremely difficult in the Mahabharata, Karna stands out as a particularly noble character, one of several 'good' characters who, for various -often complicated -reasons, end up fighting for the 'bad' guys. I've always found Karna to be a particularly sympathetic character, and Balakrishnan does a particularly good job telling the tale from his point of view.  

Mahabharata Addiction 2

Of the many Mahabharata-based novels out there, one of the best is 'Parva' by S.L. Bhyrappa. At close to 1,000 pages, it's no weekend read, but the author manages a new take on the epic that is a good introduction to Mahabharata-newbies, but because of its intriguing shifting perspective it would also be of interest to those who know the epic well.

Mahabharata Addiction1

The Mahabaharata just kind of sneaks up on you. The whole thing is huge-long and at first (and even later) very intimidating, a confusion of stories and a cast of (seemingly) millions. But once you get the basic core of the story straight, you can start exploring the many plays, poems, short stories, novels, movies, songs, comic books, puppet shows, etc., it has inspired. It's a complete and profound addiction.