The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic Spiral-Bound | May 26, 2004

India's most beloved and enduring legend, The Ramayana, is widely acknowledged to be one of the world's great literary masterpieces. Originally composed by the Sanskrit poet Valmiki around 300 B.C., the epic of Prince Rama's 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. Throughout the centuries this epic has been retold countless times. But previous English versions have been 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.