Customer Reviews

The Four Hundred Songs of War and Wisdom

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

George Hart and Hank Heifetz transport us in time to a fascinating ancient Tamil world of honor and valor. As a Tamil who knows Modern Tamil, but does not understand Classical Tamil too well, reading the translation and then going back to the originals helped me gain better insight and understanding of the originals. Wish the originals were printed alongside the translation!!

Hart & Heifetz again prove that you don't have to be a dried up, passionless writer to generate fine scholarship. The translations are flawless, retaining all the grace, passion, and subtle flavor of the originals. Poetry has never been so beautiful or so bloody. A haunting loveliness combined with a window the steals an uncompromising glance at the capriciousness and creativety of a forgotten age. If your heart can bare such a relentless look into South India's forgotten past, you must read this book. An excellent source for hardened scholars, armchair Indologists, and poets alike.

I got this book from one of my friend and the translation was simply superb as it's original version. I have gone through the original version long back. I would say this authors George & Hank should pass this to Hollywood movie makers. If this would be taken as Hollywood movie just like Gladiator, it would be another block buster. Marketing of this book is not so good. I give four stars.