The juxtaposition of the three worlds—that of the sepulchral images, the mythological and the present day, forces the reader to exercise a quantum leap in imagination. The shift from fable to history to present-day scenario and back to fable is almost delightful. It appears as if the author wants the reader to get back from the tour de force of the imagination, not to become one with the protagonist but to stand at a different plane with the writer and marvel at the genesis and growth of a race and culture which rose from a modest beginning to greatness.
And with a sensitive handling of their religious sentiments, Muller expostulates the doctrines of Buddhism as it first flourished in India and later spread to Sri Lanka. But interesting though the novel is, there are moments when the reader is inclined to scan through paragraphs to reach the more interesting sections. Perhaps if Muller could have restricted the length by doing away with the descriptive mode at some junctures, the novel would undoubtedly have held readers captive for all times to come.
