Cuckold

by Kiran Nagarkar

Book Overview

The time is early 16th century. The Rajput kingdom of Mewar is at the height of its power. It is locked in war with the Sultanates of Delhi, Gujarat and Malwa. But there is another deadly battle being waged within Mewar itself. Who will inherit the throne after the death of the Maharana? The course of history, not just of Mewar but of the whole of India, is about to be changed forever.At the centre of Cuckold is the narrator, heir apparent of Mewar,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 8172232578
• ISBN13: 9788172232573
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: HarperCollins India
• Length: 624 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.0" x 7.9" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

Fit for a prince!

I can only echo the words of the other reviewers - this book is a tour de force, and Mr. Nagarkar is truly a prince among Indian writers. His Prince, Maharaj Kumar of Mewar - a man ahead of his time - is unforgettable. Set in the early 16th Century, at the dawn of the Mughal era in India, Cuckold is important substantively too. In re-creating and re-imagining events and characters from a watershed period in Indian history, weaving between fact and fiction - the book makes us question the essence of our culture, our values and our philosphy; in short, our inheritance. And through all of it, Mr. Nagarkar stays invisible, cloaked in his Prince's voice. This sweeping, beautiful book, intimate and panoramic at the same time, is nothing short of a feast - fit for a prince!

The most stellar book to emerge from the Indian pantheon!

Kiran Nagarkar is a wordsmith. Better yet, he is a painter. But then, he is also a non-conformist. To make a long story short - Kiran Nagarkar - one of the most prolific writers from Bombay - has truly evolved and come into his own as a fiction writer beyond compare in 'Cuckold'.Mira is THE lover-saint, the Indian epitome of Sufism. She is a larger than life persona in India who is spoken of alternately, in hushed, awed and affectionate terms. Never before has anyone paused to ponder - what being married to her might have been like. That is Nagarkar's coup d'etat. To bring to life a character in history who has lived in Mira's shadow, cuckolded by no less than THE All-attractive God Krishna is pure, delightful literary chutzpah.And yet the true genius of Nagarkar's fiction writing emerges throughout the complex, myriad, sometimes irregular threads of fabric he weaves. He paints a Rajasthan - that today only bards sing and sigh about. He brings to life a politico-social arena that rivals Nietzsche's Machiavelli. He lulls the reader into such a magical world that one laments being brought back to reality.Today Kiran Nagarkar stands alone in the midst of Indian writers rife with Anglophilic perspectives, eager to please West-fuelled "exoticism". He stands aloof, writing for the pure pleasure of expressing a thought, an ideology, an ism - or not. I am most thankful for the fact that he writes - period. When he writes as he has in Cuckold - the heart grows fain! May his tribe increase!

Amazing Journey

Like another reviewer has said, this is one of the finest books written. Nagarkar has crafted a novel of immense beauty and emotionl substance. His portrayal of the prince-heir 'Maharaj Kumar' gives us one of most refreshing and iteresting potagonists in recent book history and the supporting cast is rendered in colorful yet utterly believable hue. The book grabs you from the first with its lucid style and Nagarkar has a firm grasp over the plot at all times. This was a book I wished would never end, but it also ends in the most satisfying way imaginable.Ravan and Eddie by Nagarkar was an enjoyable read but this is a true masterpiece.

Simply the best

Cuckold is an excellent testimony of Nagarkar's skill in weaving a colourful story around a skeletal historic event. I continously felt like I was a part of the story and was witnessing the same as if peeping behind a door.For days I felt transported to Kumbhalgarh and Chittorgarh and it was as if I had been there, the colours of Chittorgarh all coming alive in front of my eyes. It is an absolute page turner and is a must for people who are in love with Rajasthan and its splendour.There is a lot of research that has gone into this book and it is evident in the manner in which he describes the war strategies and the mechanism of gathering intelligence about enemy position etc. of those times.There is ample attention to detail and one feels as if one has known the characters personally for a long time.The feeling that one has on completing the book is one of- thirsty for more.I wish we could have more of such books which talk about the grandeur as well as the history of Rajasthan.

Contemperory truths - a Must Read

Kiran is a very engaging story teller, and funny too. The book is set in the city of Chittor where Mirabai is married to the eldest son, Maharaja Kumar. The novel is written through the eyes of the Maharaja. It is all about love -love for power (the throne), love for the father ( masked in duty), love for mira (wife who loves another), love for Kausalaya (mother, woman, friend, mentor, confidante, lover & a healer), spiritual love (that is also sensuous-Mira for Krishna), love that is helpless yet is source of strength, forbidden love. Throughout the book there is no questioning of this love that shows itself up in also many different forms. Love exists as the core fabric of the book and its existence in such abundance is not a surprise-it just seems the right ( the only way) to be. - yet amidst all this there is an aloneness and pain that exist subtly - if only one is able to catch it darting across the many pages of this book . The book is also reflective of the contemporary realities-strategies, leadership, battles, lust, bribery, betrayal, art of retreat, sexual pleasures, spiritual abandonment-it is a rainbow of time that links the past to the present.