THE STORIES WE TELL

by Devdutt Pattanaik

Renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik presents seventy-two tales from India’s rich treasure of myths and legends to explain life in the twenty-first century.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
In The Stories We Tell: Mythology to Make Sense of Modern Lives, renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik presents seventy-two tales from India’s rich treasure of myths and legends to explain life in the twenty-first century. The stories are arranged into a variety of themes, including ‘Apsara’, a reflection on the portrayal of women in ancient texts; ‘Karma’, ‘Justice’, and ‘Appropriation or Exchange’, which show how our modern ideals of justice have been shaped by ancient scriptures; ‘Unconditional Love’, which is an exploration of the parity that must exist between loving partners; and ‘Devas and Asuras’, which illustrates how the binary of right and wrong is anything but black and white. Originating from the author’s webcast Teatime Tales, this collection of stories is narrated in his inimitable style and offers a fresh and insightful take on how our mythology affects our lives today

Genres: Mythology

Hardcover

About the author

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik (born December 11, 1970) is an Indian physician turned leadership consultant, mythologist and author whose works focus largely on the areas of myth, mythology, and also management. He has written a number of books related to Hindu mythology, including Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, a novel, The Pregnant King, and Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata (2010).
He is the Chief Belief Officer of Future Group, one of India’s largest retailers, bringing the wisdom of Indian mythology into Indian business, especifically in human resource management. He also writes a column for the newspaper MID DAY.
He has also written a novel based on a tale from the Mahabharata titled 'The Pregnant King' published by Penguin Books India

Reviews

[Mugdha Mahajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devdutt Pattnaik and Mythology goes hand in hand. This book is a take on mythology and how it differs according to different cultures
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Each culture portrays a character differently and the author has analysed it in detail in this book.
The book includes the stories and characters from Ramayana, Mahabharata and many other mythological stories. Whenever I pick up @devduttmyth books I always get to learn something new.

The book is a collection 72 short stories and I really enjoyed reading them. My favourite part was the author’s analysis of the myths.
The narration is smooth and the language is easy and understandable. Overall it was a great read.

[Abhilash Ruhela · Rating 5 out of 5]

10th Book of 2022

Discussing Indian mythology has become my new favorite thing. To discuss, you also need to know about it which has made me incline towards mythology books. There are only few authors who write on this in non-fiction genre trying to state facts as it is without shying. One such author is Devdutt Pattanaik who has become quite popular for retelling mythology from different perspective. He also faces certain criticisms for diluting some facts but it is inevitable to get through this because the topic is sensitive and some people genuinely get hurt if they don’t find things written the way they know about it. I am just done reading Pattanaik’s latest book released by Aleph named “The Stories We Tell” having a tagline that says “Mythology to make sense of modern lives”.

This 212-pages book discusses 72 different topics/tales which speaks about different kinds of mythology not only associated with Indian culture but other cultures and establishments too. Devdutt tries to widen our vision about how some stories are retold in different texts and cultures with the names of every culture’s respective Gods or Kings. The similarities between these stories were really surprising as the cultures are widely separated by the geography yet they speak almost the same thing. I kept on getting astonished in terms of how stories pass not only from one generation to another but even from one culture to another.

There are tales not only from Ramayan and Mahabharat but other vedas and puranas too. This really makes this book unique because the kind of stories and characters we get to know are generally not spoken about in other mythology books. It initially became really overwhelming for me to understand which character belongs to which phase of mythology but it makes you surf Internet to better your knowledge base. It actually helped me understand many different aspects of our Indian culture. There are few chapters which closes with moral or question or author’s perspective on the tale. In any case, it makes you think and realize what did the whole thing mean and that’s the magic the book does with you.

There are few pointers that stayed with me which I would like to mention as bullets below:
- Author tells how Vishnu’s avatars are shared on social media which relates with the Human evolution theory but Devdutt gives it new outlook based on the caste system which I really found interesting.
- Different versions of Kartikeya’s birth tells us of India’s diverse and complex layers in its culture.
- The chapter on “Two Epics One Theme” tells us many similarities between Ramayan and Mahabharat which is surprising. Author also discusses few differences to give the complete view of it.
- Surpanakha’s chapter was interesting for me as we only know about her from the moment she finds Ram in the jungle but here we get to know about her history before that incident which was a new learning for me.
- Author clarifies the difference between Asuras and Rakshasas in one of the chapters which I believe is very necessary for people to know because generally we categorize them as the same kind of people.
- “Hara and Hari” tells us the difference in personalities of Shiva and Vishnu yet author discusses how they are portrayed completely different in their images.
- I never knew about Goddess Lakshmi’s sister, Alakshmi and even a Diwali ritual dedicated to her made me feel quite ignorant. Haha!
- Another chapter on prominence of Numbers in our history and vedas is nicely described using which author also explains why he stopped at 72nd tale in this book.
- The relevance of few animals such as Fish or Horse is dedicated a chapter which makes us understand why we often keep seeing or hearing about them in almost every mythological tale.
- The difference in versions even in Abrahamic culture is catchy to read because people often say that Hinduism has multiple references whereas other religions doesn’t.

These are just few takeaways from the book otherwise there are many points which you would like to learn and keep in your mind so that you can have enough insights about our stories and culture. I wish I had a great memory to store a wonderful book like this in my brain forever. The chapters are short which makes it easy for you to read 4-5 of them every day and consume them slowly. As Devdutt has put it in his previous books, I would have loved to have him make us understand these stories through some hierarchical diagrams or images because few chapters had so many characters and their relationships explained that I would lose the link again and again.

Except that, this book is a good company to have while traveling or before sleeping every day. I give this one 4.5 stars out of 5. A very knowledgeable and well-researched piece of work.

Thanks.

WRITING BUDDHA

[Enakshi J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devdutt Pattanaik is known for his contemporary take on mythology and I find all his narratives and interpretations quite interesting. His new book, The Stories We Tell, is a short collection of such narratives where he meanders through a myriad of themes like Fish, Cow, Rangoli, Karma, Celebration of seasons and several others. It is imperative to note how diverse these themes seem yet how deeply connected they are.

Read the complete review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...

[Meema · Rating 1 out of 5]

a terrible sham. I learnt later these were transcriptions from a YouTube show or podcast. felt like it was targeted at young children.

[Shruti k · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indian Mythology is really interesting to read. It has many layers so the more you know the more you want to explore it. I have read some Books about Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagwat Geeta but still everytime I read books on them, I feel like there is so much more to know and learn from it. Each and every Mythology books is written from different character perceptive and has shared stories in a completely different avtar.

This book is compilation of 72 anthologies in which author has not only written about Ramayana Mahabharata but also talks about different cultures. In each chapter author has shared facts or I can say more detailed analysis about particular character or general myth. Each chapter with specific title talks about that topic in detail. As title suggests, author has also shared his insightful take on how our mythology affects our lives.

My favourite chapter titled Krishna where author talks about Lord Krishna's entry in Maharashtra during Draupadi swayamvar but in the appendix of the Mahabharata, we come to know about his birth and childhood. Also author has shared some interesting distinction between Rama and lord Krishna.

There are so many things which I wasn't knowing before reading this but author has shared some really interesting and valuable content in this book. I got to know so many new characters of different Purana with their story.

Last chapter in which author has shared about why he is stopping at 72 anthologies is really informative.

Overall really nice and informative book.

[Md Akhlaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stories We Tell: Mythology to Make Sense of Modern Lives by @devduttmyth

Published by @alephbookco

Myths are how people imagine the world but mythology is not history and not a parable either and while science tells us how the world came into being, only myths can tell us why the world came into being.

The Stories We Tell: Mythology to Make Sense of Modern Lives, is a contemporary depiction of myths and legends to interpret life in the twenty-first century. The way Devdutt craft his narrative is very interesting and engaging. In this collection of short tales, Devdutt offers a myriad of themes and establish a correspondence between modern paradigm. It includes Karma, Justice, Apsara ( portrayal of women in ancient texts), Celebration of seasons and several others. Here the author has also involved different cultures and religions to explain the importance of creatures, which is another peculiar feature of this book.

The author put these stories together in one convenient volume for your reading pleasure. The narration is incredibly effective as you will be able to retain the stories for a long time. The episodic and concise format of this book is very refreshing and insightful.

[Shruti Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of 72 tales based on myths and Legends wonderfully written and compiled by author Devdutt. It was such an incredible experience of reading his writings. And that too a mythological one.

• In this book, the author talks about the facts behind the myths and legends. And how they play a significant role in our lives. I liked "Temples" very much because I've already been researching over this topic and reading this from the book was helpful.

• In this, the author talks about why Hinduism thrived in India and not any other religion. And how temples are built. And what is actually happening in temples in India.

• Other tales I like are -
Krishna, Apsara, Karma, Gender fluidity, and the last chapter where the author explains why he stopped at seventy-two. This was something amazing to know.

Guys, grab this book and know more about the myths and legends. And when it comes to read books by author Devdutt, it's a yes🌚

[Neelanjali । booksmakemewhole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of seventy-two short stories by the renowed mythologist Devdutt Patnaik. The tales contain India's rich treasure trove of myths and legends that have shaped our world in the twenty-first century.

These tales are the product of the author's webcast teatime tales, that he hosted during the first wave of the covid pandemic. The stories are narrated in his unique style and offer a fresh and insightful perspective on mythology.

The stories touch on a variety of themes like the portrayal of women in ancient scriptures, karma, justice, unconditional love, Devas and Asuras. These stories rightfully showcase how the world is not cleanly divided into black and white, but appears in multiple hues of grey.

This was the first time I read anything by Devdutt Patnaik and I am in awe of his brilliance and the way he simplifies such complex historical events is indeed remarkable.

[Spine Dining · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt like they were articles I was reading strung together to make a book, in which case if there is a declaration to that effect in the first few pages, saying so, then no further apologies are required: you are reading an anthology of articles and you know that going in. But for a book about myths, this is a bit too sketchy. I feel there is a need to rewrite and flesh out these to hold the reader's interest. But this is also being sold as " bite-sized" reads to be enjoyed over a tea / coffee. Well, why don't I just pick up that newspaper then? It's not bad, but it just won't hold your interest long enough if you are doing it on audio or trying to assimilate it all, in one go, if some of these myths are a first with you. If you are someone who already knows a few things about Hindu mythology (even your Amar Chitra Katha), then this might work better for you. To be sure, these are very brief discussions about these myths rather than a telling of the myths themselves!

[Kidliomag · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE STORIES WE TELL: MYTHOLOGY TO MAKE SENSE OF MODERN LIVES by Devdutt Pattanaik
I love to read mythology, but this book is not something about mythological characters but gives you discernment into how Indian mythology is connected with modern lives. This book has 72 short stories, or we say facts related to mythology in typical Devdutt Patnaik style. Some stories are really new, like I never heard about them, why peacock's feathers shape looks like an eye, why Devas is good and asuras are evil, and a lot more. The stories are arranged into a variety of themes and give a fresh and insightful take on how our mythology affects our lives today.

[Rutuja Ramteke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read something so pure after so long. A collection of 72 short tales which are so interesting and also very fast paced. Story after story, each tale proved to be very insightful and informative.
The book is written in a very beautiful and simple language.
Chapter 7, 9, 32, 52, 68 and 72 are my favorite chapters. I truly loved it. Go for it. It's totally worth the hype.

[Ujan Dutta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started developing more interest about Mythology post reading his books. This one is also a classic collection of stories across topics of Mythology. Though the range of topics were very diverse, however the simplicity of language makes it easy to grasp. This book is more informative however there is not much flow in between the topics.

[Debabrata Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains seventy-two tales from India’s rich treasure of myths and legends to explain life in the twenty-first century. Author has evolved the mythological book industry in India with his beautiful pen work.
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The cover of the book is quite simple but it's attractive too.
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Writing style of the book is quite different. It's nice it's witty full of information & quite profound to read
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Language used in the book is simple & easily understandable.
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Narration of the book is beautiful its smooth it's easily blend with the thoughts & gives a new aspect to your life.
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Pace of the book is moderate but you never going to feel the length because of it's lucid plotline.