Until the Lions

Until the Lions retells portions of the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata through the perspectives of peripheral characters. The collection presents monologues and verse narratives from multiple voices, including palace servants, warriors' wives, and nameless foot soldiers. Characters who were footnotes or casualties in the original epic take center stage to share their experiences of war, family bonds, and survival. Their accounts provide alternative views of events typically narrated by kings and heroes. The book maintains connections to traditional epic poetry while experimenting with modern poetic forms and structures. The voices shift between formal verse, free verse, and prose poems. The work examines themes of power, gender, and whose stories get preserved in history. Through its reframing of a classic text, it raises questions about narrative authority and the untold costs of conflict.

Readers appreciate how this reimagining of the Mahabharata gives voice to minor characters and women who were overlooked in the original epic. Many note the innovative poetic structure and vivid imagery, though some found the multiple perspectives and non-linear format challenging to follow. Liked: - Fresh interpretation of familiar stories - Strong female perspectives - Rich poetic language - Unique structural approach using multiple voices Disliked: - Complex format requires close attention - Background knowledge of Mahabharata helpful - Some sections more engaging than others - Poetry style takes adjustment Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (50+ ratings) Sample review: "The experimental verse forms and shifting voices create a tapestry that demands focus but rewards careful reading" - Goodreads reviewer Several readers mentioned needing to re-read sections to fully grasp the interconnected narratives, but found deeper meaning in subsequent readings.

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🔹 The title "Until the Lions" comes from an African proverb: "Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter" - reflecting the book's mission to tell the Mahabharata from marginalized perspectives 🔹 Author Karthika Naïr spent nearly eight years crafting this collection of poems, drawing on her experience as a dance producer and librettist to create its unique rhythmic structure 🔹 The book gives voice to previously unheard characters from the Mahabharata, including many female characters and even palace dogs, presenting the epic through 19 different perspectives 🔹 The poems are written in various forms, including dramatic monologues, chorus segments, and free verse, earning the book the 2015 Tata Literature Live! Award for Book of the Year (Fiction) 🔹 Choreographer Akram Khan adapted "Until the Lions" into a critically acclaimed dance production that premiered at London's Roundhouse in 2016, bringing Naïr's poetic reinterpretation full circle back to dance