Name of the Author: Amish
No. of Pages: 354
Year of Publication: 2015
Publisher: Westland
About the Book:
The book is the first of a series of books that Amish plans to write on the epic mythological tale of Ramayana. The epic tale is in itself common knowledge and the book thus, cannot bring in much in terms of the story line. The recent past has seen many debates on the various versions of Ramayana, in turn giving everyone the right to tell his or her own version of the story. Amish has done just that.
Characters that speak in American English have been brought to human stature instead of their traditional demi-God status that they generally enjoy. Some of the magic has been rubbed off by giving ‘scientific’ explanations to the mysterious ways. It should go down well with the many who believe that all modern day scientific inventions were in fact given by Indians (read Hindus).
There isn’t much that the book gives you as a literary piece of work. Amish has attempted creating suspense and diversions and even giving references to his earlier work- The Shiva Trilogy. However, I do believe that his work, like that of Banker provides a valuable service to the average reader. Lessons in philosophy and sociology that would otherwise never reach people who refuse to read anything more academic, and/or thought provoking, have been interwoven into the narrative. The everyday conversation of Ram and Sita forces you to rethink some of present day socialisation practices including the caste system and patriarchy.
Favourite Quote: None
Final Analysis:
For the Amish and Banker fans, it is a must read.
If you wish to know the story of Ramayana, please steer clear or you will end up believing in a mythology that people are likely to believe in several thousand years from now.
For an avid reader, it is just 300 pages. If you can tolerate some fabricated mythology, you can give it a shot. If you won’t read it, you wouldn’t have missed anything great.