Rama: A Legend [Hardcover]

Jamake Highwater (Author), Valmiki (Author), Kelli Glancey (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1994

In a story based on the great Indian and Southeast Asian epic, the Ramayana, Prince Rama falls in love with Sita, a beautiful nature goddess, but when a jealous queen forces him from his throne, Rama, Sita, and his brother Laksmana must battle the evil King Ravana.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up-The Sanskrit epic Ramayana is one of the masterpieces of world literature. Rama is not a retelling, but is closely based on its source. At the heart of both are love (the exemplary devotion of Prince Rama and the quasi-divine Sita) and war (recurrent violent battles between good and evil). Demons plot against the heroic Rama and his loyal brother, Laksmana, exiling them from their kingdom and kidnapping Sita. Aided by the monkey folk and their noble king, Rama regains both wife and kingdom, but at a terrible price. (Highwater omits a later tragic testing of Rama and Sita's love, as well as other plot complications.) Sita is a powerful, if strange, figure, and the story is free of the original's misogynism (although women are still valued most when young and beautiful). Despite the appeal of romance and conflict, Rama challenges readers with its unfamiliar characters, difficult vocabulary, and a style heavily given to sentence fragments. Its strongest points may be the vivid descriptions of scenery and of pageantry complete with gorgeous ritual and ceremony, splendid temples, and exotic jungle.
Patricia (Dooley) Lothrop Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-9. When he is wrongfully banished from his father's kingdom and then his beloved earth goddess wife, Sita, is kidnapped, valiant Prince Rama heroically charges back to avenge the evil that has befallen his world. Armed with his enchanted Tiger Bow and accompanied by his faithful younger brother, Laksmana, Rama sets forth to challenge the monstrously evil ruler Ravana. Highwater bases this beautifully descriptive, nonstop-action novel on the Hindu epic Ramayana, artfully weaving in strong themes on the environment and peace. Replete with demons, a jealous queen, enchanted creatures, hideous monsters, magical powers, and extraordinary battles, this classic good-against-evil adventure story will delight fantasy fans. In addition, Rama will blend well with mythology and Asian curriculum units. Anne O'Malley

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 226 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holth & Co (J); 1st edition (November 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805030522
• ISBN-13: 978-0805030525
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,136,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This book was pretty good but has been modified to much!, October 16, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Rama: A Legend (Paperback)

This book had the same character and basic plotline as the realy epic Ramayana. But this book has been americanized a little too much! The illustrations for the cover look NOTHING like Indian Culture paintings!!

1.0 out of 5 stars Do not read this story until you read the Ramayana, July 7, 2000

By 

bernie "webviator" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rama: A Legend (Hardcover)

Reading this story is slightly better than not knowing about Rama at all. If you want to start somewhere, try the "Ramayana" by William Buck version.

The Jamake Highwater version or twist of the original story by Valmiki has been so Americanized and kidized, that the original purpose of the story is completely lost. Ravenna does not even have the redeeming value of Darth Vader. The only Dharma is more like Dharma Greg. The good guys ware white and the bad guys ware black. The good guys win and the bad guys die a horrible death.

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