Description
This version of The Ramayana was written by an Indian novelist R. K. Narayan, which was published in 1972. Narayan's The Ramayana is the crisp and simple version of the epic saga of Hindu Mythology. This particular re-told tale is based on the Tamil version written by an eleventh-century poet Kamban and also, the cover page contains the drawing of the same version.
The Ramayana tells the story of Lord Ram, a man who is an avatar (incarnation) of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is called 'Pouroshottam (Uttam Pourush/The best man)' with all the godly qualities of Lord Vishnu in the body of a man. The epic is a sweeping tale of abduction, battle, and courtship played out in a universe of deities and demons. The two ideologies or morals that follow almost every character are Honor and Loyalty. Even though honoring one's promises and behaving loyally often has disastrous short-term consequences for the characters. They overwhelmingly choose to follow through with their promises, which later results in long-term success.
It is familiar almost to every Indian. Although the Sanskrit original was composed by Valmiki around the fourth century BC which consists of 24,000 verses and 500 chapters. Many poets have produced countless versions in different languages. Each storyteller has offered a slightly different version with the intent to accommodate the tale to one's demands and preferences.
Narayan's version of Ramayana, which consists of a mere 150 pages and 14 chapters, reflects a deeper analysis of the character of Rama. He believes that Ram was wrong to ask Sita to give Agnipariksha in course of staying at Ravan's Lanka after being abducted.
Readers can be keen on spiritual wisdom and the advent of the thrilling tale-the ancient war between good and evil or deities and demons. A luminous saga made accessible to new generations of readers.
About the Author
R. K. Narayan was born in Madras, South India, and educated there at Maharaja's College in Mysore. His first novel Swami and Friends (1935) and its successor The Bachelor of Arts (1937) are both set in the enchanting fictional territory of Malgudi. Other Malgudi novels are The Dark Room (1938), The English Teacher (1945), Mr. Sampath (1949), The Financial Expert (1952), The Man-Eater of Malgudi (1961), The Vendor of Sweets (1967), The Painter of Signs (1977), A Tiger for Malgudi (1983), Talkative Man (1986).
He has five collections of short stories as well: A Horse and Two Goats, An Astrologer's Day and the Other Stories, Lawley Road, Under the Banyan Tree, and Malgudi Days. He has published a travel book Emerald Route; three collections of essays: A Writer's Nightmare, Next Sunday and Reluctant Guru; Three books on the Indian epics, and a volume of memoirs: My Days.
His novel The Guide (1958) won him the National Prize of the Indian Literary Academy, India's highest literary honor. He was awarded in 1980 the A. C. Benson Medal by the Royal Society of Literature and also, in 1981 he was made an Honorary Member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
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| R. K. Narayan |
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Rating: 4.5/5
Author: R.K. Narayan
Publisher: Chatto and Windus
Publishing Date: 1972
Language: English
Genre: Mythology. saga & legends
ISBN-10: 0143039679
ISBN-13: 978-0143039679
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
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