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This is an archive article published on June 12, 2005
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Epics Made Easy nbsp; nbsp; Author-variations of the epics are almost as old as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata themselves. In the 2...
June 12, 2005 12:00 AM IST
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| Epics Made Easy | nbsp; | nbsp; |
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Author-variations of the epics are almost as old as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata themselves. In the 21st century, they come packaged in colloquial English, trendy sizes and all the page-turner provocation of the bestseller. A ready reckoner: |
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| Uberoi8217;s abridgement of the epic less than 500 pages, including glossary and index bears all signs of a fast-seller. The language retains some flourishes, but the story 8212; stripped of all the peripheral sub-plots and digressions 8212; is told in a simple, linear fashion. For those of us who grew up on children8217;s editions of the epic, this is the perfect filler-of-the-blanks. Thenbsp;MAHABHARATA, by Meera Uberoi
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| Sometimes compared to The Lord of the Rings, Menon8217;s two-volume translation is mammoth in comparison, but is a pleasure to read because the translator does not sacrifice the layers and complexities of the original. The epic comes across as a tale of moral ambiguities, where the Pandavas sometimes abandon dharma and Krishna often takes sides. Uberoi should be perfect preparation for this one. Thenbsp;Mahabharata, by Meera Uberoi |
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| Arguably one of the most stunning retellings of the Ramayana in recent times, Banker has perfected the somewhat dubious art of epic-as-potboiler. After three volumes 8212; The Prince of Ayodhya, The Siege of Mithila and Demons of Chitrakut 8212; the novelty has palled somewhat, but this is a sure bet for a racy read .The RAMAYANA, by Ashok Banker |
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