Growing from an oral tradition of ballads based on historic events in India, the Mahabharata was passed down and extended through the centuries, becoming the longest poem ever written. R. K. Narayan provides a superb rendition in an abbreviated and elegant retelling of this great epic.
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"Narayan is a trustworthy guide to the heart and mind of India.”
(Sunday Times )
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The Mahabharata, together with the other great Sanskrit epic, the Ramayana, embodies much of the cultural and religious heritage of India. Based on the narrative of the great war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, it tells of warriors, kings, saints, and goddesses caught up in the romance and drama of family intrigue. With its diversity of plots and themes-including the philosophical teachings of the Bhagavada Gita-the Mahabharata has entertained and influenced Indian audiences for nearly two thousand years. R. K. Narayan's abbreviated prose version provides a superb and elegant rendition of this great epic.
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54 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is only useful for those who want a very basic introduction to the Mahabharata, and only want to invest a minimum of time doing so. This book will give the reader the basic outline of the Plot, but does not dwelve into the many important Philosophical portions of the Epic, and the "outside stories". The book is well written. I like the style of R.K. Narayan. As an introduction this book is much better than that of Buck, not only because Narayan is a better writer, but because he had a better knowledge of the Epic, Hinduism and Sanskrit Literature.
If you must get an introduction, I recommend the one by C.V. Narasimhan, which based on selected verses, and brings the reader much closer to the Mahabharata.
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By Zerzura
Format:Paperback
This shortened prose version of the Mahabarata by R. K. Narayan presents the engaging adventure of the five Pandava brothers' efforts to reclaim their empire. The story itself has nearly everything anyone could want in a good book: edge of your seat action and edge of your mind inspiration. In addition to celebrating the Pandavas' super-human strength and feats of daring, the book also catalogs many types of human relationships: mother-child, sybling-sybling, husband(s)-wife, king-courtier, mentor-apprentice, even writer-reader..... Long after you finish reading this book, you'll be realizing why Hindus recognize it as one of their two most sacred books---it's got everything! And yet it rarely stoops to the level of being preachy. (Narayan also has a shortened prose version of the other sacred Hindu book---The Ramayana.)
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a good book for those who do not know Mahabharat story. The reason it is good for the beginners is that it is concise and flows through the subject quickly. So it would be a good book for new readers who can quickly get a sort of overview of Mahabharat.
If you already know Mahabharat plot and story, try and get a little advanced book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very entertaining
I read this much faster than I thought I would. I understand it's a shortened segment of the Mahabharata, but there were parts I wish were a bit more detailed, especially when... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Anthony
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for newbie
I'm taking a Religion class specified in Hinduism. I myself has never been exposed to the material before, and this book definitely makes it interesting, helpful and very easy to... Read more
Published on September 26, 2010 by serenadang
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mahabharata for the busy folks
R K Narayan has a way of telling stories that is very earthy and simple. Malgudi days and Swamy were a favorite of mine as a kid; so when I saw "The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern... Read more
Published on April 9, 2010 by R. Pokkyarath
3.0 out of 5 stars
A little "too abridged"?
Having just been mesmerized by my exposure to Indian literature through Ramesh Menon's outstanding version of the Ramayana, I looked to continue my journey through this corner of... Read more
Published on December 13, 2009 by Charles E. Stevens
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderfully presented
The story itself in timeless. Not enough good can be said about it.
As for this traslation, Narayan is a literay god. Read more
As for this traslation, Narayan is a literay god. Read more
Published on September 2, 2008 by Jason G. Harrison
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't buy it! It's all in Sanskrit! No, I'm just kidding.
This is actually in English and is a pretty good book. I mean, these old epics tend to get wordy and lose the story, because the writers at the time had no knowledge of... Read more
Published on September 23, 2007 by JOEL FELDHAKE
2.0 out of 5 stars
disappointing
i love r.k.narayan's narrative, but the way he retold the great epic is disappointing. he relies on the power of his narrative and forgets to stick to the epic style. Read more
Published on February 21, 2006 by Nazli I. Inal
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