Reading Notes : Twenty-Two Goblins, Part B

The conclusion of Twenty-Two Goblins was really satisfying; it turns out the goblin was rooting for the success of the king all along and was testing him to slay the fake monk. This reading followed the same pattern as Part A, stand alone riddles that the king must solve. What I really liked about the ending was that the king did not know the answer to the final riddle, but he stayed silent which showed his character. To this, the goblin found him worthy of the power the rogue monk was trying to get. I like the lesson a lot: knowledge without character, and vice-versa, is weak. The translation is very easy to read and flows seamlessly. The writing style does not take any attention away from what is happening in the plot, which makes it all the more easy to follow and understand. I think this kind of writing is very necessary for a story that largely consists of riddles. The imagery in the ending, describing the monk's ritual, was super creepy and effective. It was also very straightforward which gives the reader a lot of imagiation to fill in the details. This was a good shift in style, from what had largely been plot driven tales to a new image filled scene. It let the reader picture the goriness of the ritual; this was also the largest insight we were given on the monk, and it went along with the whole theme that actions define character. I'm not into the whole skull and blood and ashes kind of rituals, but I actually didn't mind the conclusion chapter. The style and mood change really made it feel like the king was gearing up to take down a final boss of some sort. From previous readings as well, I really prefer this simple type of storytelling that focuses on actions, plot, and the nature of the characters. I envision my own storybook will reflect this writing style.

Illustration of Lord Shiva. source: Wiki

Vetālapañcaviṃśati (Twenty-Two Goblins). Translated by Arthur Ryder (2000). Web Source.

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