Present Books Supposing Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling
ISBN: | 0393352498 (ISBN13: 9780393352498) |
Edition Language: | English |
Literary Awards: | Ted Hughes Award Nominee for Shortlist (2015) |
Explanation Concering Books Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling
Originally composed approximately two thousand years ago, the Mahabharata tells the story of a royal dynasty, descended from gods, whose feud over their kingdom results in a devastating war. But it contains much more than conflict. An epic masterpiece of huge sweep and magisterial power, “a hundred times more interesting” than the Iliad and the Odyssey, writes Wendy Doniger in the introduction, the Mahabharata is a timeless work that evokes a world of myth, passion, and warfare while exploring eternal questions of duty, love, and spiritual freedom. A seminal Hindu text, which includes the Bhagavad Gita, it is also one of the most important and influential works in the history of world civilization.
Innovatively composed in blank verse rather than prose, Carole Satyamurti’s English retelling covers all eighteen books of the Mahabharata. This new version masterfully captures the beauty, excitement, and profundity of the original Sanskrit poem as well as its magnificent architecture and extraordinary scope.
Define Containing Books Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling
Title | : | Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling |
Author | : | Carole Satyamurti |
Book Format | : | Paperback |
Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 928 pages |
Published | : | February 22nd 2016 by W. W. Norton Company (first published February 23rd 2015) |
Categories | : | Poetry. Cultural. India. Classics. Religion. Philosophy. Fantasy. Mythology. Literature |
Rating Containing Books Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling
Ratings: 4.4 From 183 Users | 33 ReviewsAssessment Containing Books Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling
I am not sure that I loved the writing - but of course when one is dealing with an ancient text written originially in ain a language that is no longer a mother tongue of anyone living and a language of religion and achedemics which is translated by an author who is a native English speaker it is hard to tell what is being lost in translation - either linguistically or culturally.Overall I felt that I enjoyed reading this classic - it should have been required reading for high school for me inQuite the most marvellous book or poem I've read all year. Like the Fire Sermon, Game of Thrones, the Iliad, the Biblical prophetic books and many other wonders all rolled into one. I though I'd find 800+ pages of blank verse a trudge but it has been a kinetic, energising, revelatory, inspirational delight. I really feel like turning to the first page and starting again!
I've wanted to read the Mahabharata for years. This is the first adaptation that makes the story friendly to the modern reader without losing its most important aspects, through a few techniques which Carole Satuamurti does extremely well; better than any other I've tried to read so far."Unfortunately my Sanskrit is really poor and the only full edition translated into English is K.M. Ganguli's at this point. On the one hand it's great because it's so old (Late 19th century) that it's now public
Very fun and readable version of the ancient Indian epic. The glossary at the back is extremely useful in keeping the many many characters straight.There is one point when the author of this version doesn't quite hit the mark and that is in depicting the action of the Kurukshetra war itself. It got repetitive at times. (Fortunately the war itself isn't the entirety of the book of the Bharatas)This is my first reading of any form of the Mahabharata so I can't comment on whether it is "the best
Of the English versions of this epic that I've read, this is by far my favorite. Carole Satyamurti is a poet, not a Sanskrit scholar. Her retelling uses blank verse and modern language to wonderful effect. I couldn't put it down. The wars of succession between the Pandavas and the Kauravas is enough of a tale to grasp without all the subplots, instructive stories, and dharma lectures that make up the Mahabharata. Satyamurti whittles the 100,000 lines of the whole thing into 841 fast-moving pages
Easy to read. I am not sure if the blank verse made it any easier. I haven't read any other versions of Mahabharata so I am not sure how this compares. The Mahabharata itself is such a complex piece with narratives inside narratives inside narratives that I am still undecided what I make of it. Although I was aware of the overall story before I read it, I was unaware of the complexities of the characters involved. It is refreshing to see that a tale of such religious importance does not have
This is a really approachable interruption of the Mahabharata. Definitely an excellent starting point for anyone who's interested. There is a wealth of information, translation, and background on the Mahabharata, so this beautifully written and simple version is a great place to get excited about this epic and the characters!
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