Ramayana by Buck, William

ISBN: 0520043944

Author: Buck, William

Condition: new

The great Indian epic rendered in modern prose

Indias most beloved and enduring legend, the Ramayana is widely acknowledged to be one of the worlds great literary masterpieces. Still an integral part of Indias cultural and religious expression, the Ramayana was originally composed by the Sanskrit poet Valmiki around 300 b.c. The epic of Prince Ramas betrayal, exile, and struggle to rescue his faithful wife, Sita, from the clutches of a demon and to reclaim his throne has profoundly affected the literature, art, and culture of South and Southeast Asia-an influence most likely unparalleled in the history of world literature, except, possibly, for the Bible. Throughout the centuries, countless versions of the epic have been produced in numerous formats and languages. But previous English versions have been either too short to capture the magnitude of the original; too secular in presenting what is, in effect, scripture; or dry, line-by-line translations. Now novelist Ramesh Menon has rendered the tale in lyrical prose that conveys all the beauty and excitement of the original, while making this spiritual and literary classic accessible to a new generation of readers.

• 432 pages | University of California Press first paperback edition | Illustrated