My Storybook Favourites: Of Love, Constellations and Transformation
1. "To Love and Lose: The Story of Hidimbi"
I have not been exposed to the Indian Epics in detail, and so I was not familiar with Hidimbi's story before this Storybook. What captured my attention to this story was the writing in the first title and what posed as the introduction "Come, hear the story...". I admire when authors engage their readers with their work, and this introduction effectively made me feel involved in this story. It was as if throughout it I was sitting with the sage next to fire as he crafted Hidimbi's tale, just like the traditional method of storytelling in many cultures.
The layout and design of this Storybook overall is really beautiful and eye-catching, especially the moving pictures behind the text. It was only a little distracting, but I really liked the author's explanation of their choices at the end of each page. For example, "of Hidimbi's Death", the author explained that the circular fire represented the full circle that Hidimbi's tale made. Each image had a purpose and set the tone for each piece of the story. What I also appreciated about this Storybook is that the author did not try to hide the pain of Hidimbi's tale behind an enduring love that 'conquered all'.
2. "Women in Constellations"
This Storybook is one of the first I found in the Myth-Folklore archives, but it still remained one of my favourites after looking through others. I just generally enjoyed how this author told each woman's story (with their own spin), particularly the first entitled the "The Virgin". The idea behind this work, that the women in the constellations of our night skies are actually cursed in that existence (and for some it is a curse by the gods), really appealed to me from the beginning. I liked that the author posed this idea more of a question to the reader as well. By telling the story from each woman's perspective, it was up to the reader to decide whether being made to rest as stars in the heavens was a gift or a curse. The page was really easy to navigate. I didn't know every story well, and so it was interesting to see how she wove each tale with the same underlying theme.
3. "No Birth, No Death: Transformation"
"No Birth, No Death: Transformation" was the most distinct Storybook I read, and the fact that every page after the introduction was written like poetry was really fantastic. Each line and page flowed into one another, and the images that accompanied each topic looked hand drawn but very carefully picked. I felt by the end of it that the author themselves was deeply connected to the ideas and principles behind the Storybook. The author explored the perspective of Mother Nature in a wonderful way, and though I had never heard any of the stories on each page, I could understand and also connect with the pieces. It was hard for me to get many of the other Storybooks because I didn't really know the background stories. The person left the ending very open-ended, even with the author's note. The message I understood from the piece: What mother nature could not teach her human children was that existence was not of birth, not of death, but of transformation. I really loved this one.
I have not been exposed to the Indian Epics in detail, and so I was not familiar with Hidimbi's story before this Storybook. What captured my attention to this story was the writing in the first title and what posed as the introduction "Come, hear the story...". I admire when authors engage their readers with their work, and this introduction effectively made me feel involved in this story. It was as if throughout it I was sitting with the sage next to fire as he crafted Hidimbi's tale, just like the traditional method of storytelling in many cultures.
The longstanding tradition of storytelling accompanied by a roaring fire. Source: Flickr
The layout and design of this Storybook overall is really beautiful and eye-catching, especially the moving pictures behind the text. It was only a little distracting, but I really liked the author's explanation of their choices at the end of each page. For example, "of Hidimbi's Death", the author explained that the circular fire represented the full circle that Hidimbi's tale made. Each image had a purpose and set the tone for each piece of the story. What I also appreciated about this Storybook is that the author did not try to hide the pain of Hidimbi's tale behind an enduring love that 'conquered all'.
2. "Women in Constellations"
This Storybook is one of the first I found in the Myth-Folklore archives, but it still remained one of my favourites after looking through others. I just generally enjoyed how this author told each woman's story (with their own spin), particularly the first entitled the "The Virgin". The idea behind this work, that the women in the constellations of our night skies are actually cursed in that existence (and for some it is a curse by the gods), really appealed to me from the beginning. I liked that the author posed this idea more of a question to the reader as well. By telling the story from each woman's perspective, it was up to the reader to decide whether being made to rest as stars in the heavens was a gift or a curse. The page was really easy to navigate. I didn't know every story well, and so it was interesting to see how she wove each tale with the same underlying theme.
The starry, endless night sky. With so many different perspectives, can we tell if each constellation is a gift of the heavens or a trap? And to whom? Source: Flickr
3. "No Birth, No Death: Transformation"
"No Birth, No Death: Transformation" was the most distinct Storybook I read, and the fact that every page after the introduction was written like poetry was really fantastic. Each line and page flowed into one another, and the images that accompanied each topic looked hand drawn but very carefully picked. I felt by the end of it that the author themselves was deeply connected to the ideas and principles behind the Storybook. The author explored the perspective of Mother Nature in a wonderful way, and though I had never heard any of the stories on each page, I could understand and also connect with the pieces. It was hard for me to get many of the other Storybooks because I didn't really know the background stories. The person left the ending very open-ended, even with the author's note. The message I understood from the piece: What mother nature could not teach her human children was that existence was not of birth, not of death, but of transformation. I really loved this one.
Background image chosen by the author of "No Birth, No Death: Transformation". Source: Siamlian Ngaitha on Pixabay
Hello again Daana,
ReplyDeleteI am not the best writer so I am always looking for ways to improve my writing. I think I will try and engage my reader as the author in "To Love and Lose: The Story of Hidimbi" did. I may read this story because I love a story with romance. The story "No Birth, No Death: Transformation" also caught my eye from your list of stories. I also struggled connecting with some of the stories because I did not know the background. I'm sure by the end of the year we will have the knowledge. I also really liked the message from the story, it is quite beautiful.
Your classmate,
Joanna Yoon