Blurb (from the jacket):
Ramayana: The Game of Life (Book 1), one of the world's great literary masterpieces, skillfully retold for modern audiences. Epics like the Ramayana have been recounted infinite times. Is there a need for another chronicle in the presence of so many? How is this one different? And is it relevant to our ever-changing modern lives?
Yes, there is a need, yes this is different and yes, it is relevant. This new series of books, each following one khand of the Ramayana, decodes the eternal wisdom of that poetic scripture through gripping narrative and thought-provoking instruction. In the time-honored custom of spreading wisdom through tales, every fascinating story in the epic is retold here and every character unfolded to captivate your heart and open your mind to life's deepest questions.
The narrative closely follows Valmiki's Ramayana, gently weaving in folk tales as well as the beautiful analogies of the Kamba Ramayana. The first of this six-volume series, Rise of the Sun Prince, takes you through the divine story of Lord Rama from His birth up to His marriage. Through these pages are revealed the tales of Dasaratha's leadership, Vishwamitra's quest for power and the intriguing story of a little-known stone maiden. Ramayana: The Game of Life has all of this and much more - food for contemporary thought drawn from an enduring masterpiece.
About the author (from the book):
Shubha Vilas, a spiritual seeker and a motivational speaker, holds a degree in engineering and law with a specialization in patent law.
He has just launched his first book, Ramayana - The Game of Life Book 1 which is a modern rendition of the Ramayana with practical life lessons.
His leadership seminars are popular with top-level management in corporate houses. He addresses their crucial needs through thought- provoking seminars on themes such as ‘Secrets of Lasting Relationships’, ‘Soul Curry to Stop Worry’ and ‘Work–Life Balance’ to name a few.
He believes that a good teacher, no matter how knowledgeable, always sees the process of learning and teaching simultaneously as an inherent aspect of personal and spiritual growth.
Shubha Vilas periodically interacts with the youth in premier institutes across the country, inspiring them to live a life based on deeper human values. Close to his heart is his role as a guide and teacher to school children, teaching foundational values through masterful storytelling.
He also helps individuals apply the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana and other dharmic traditions in dealing with modern- day life situations.
My take on the book:
There are so many books narrating the same epic over and over again out there. But why this one? The blurb answers you that.
Firstly, you need to check out the author's profile. I mean, he is a real pundit. Hope that was not rude, but what is more precious than which is straight from the horse's mouth? He is a pundit, which means he knows Sanskrit and had read more scriptures than any other writer and knows truer truth than any other writer.
After reading this book, I could call this book a exact translation of the epic in its scriptural form. Ever page is almost half-filled with the end-notes that brief about one or the other exact quotation from the scripture. Seriously, this book is very much unlike every other epic-retelling that are swarming the market these days.
When it comes to author narrative, I can't help but agree that it is flawless. So smooth, informative, well-reached and, at the same time, non-monotonous. Pretty thought-provoking and epic-like.
However, what is so unique and striking about the book is also its downer aspect. While it briefs the retelling each and every tale from the epic, it might get boring for lay-readers, who expect only to read the exciting part of the epic, that is the Rama's part. Every other lores and tales hold little fascination to him. Being the time of 'mini-revolution', when mini-skirts, mini-computers and minimal-common sense reign the industry, people seek for mini-books. Who would read a series of six books, while the same epic is narrated in one book?
So it goes like this. This book is pretty engrossing to a reader who is more curious to know the details of the epic. Not just the epic itself, but also the tales that surround it.
Basically, though I rate this book a four-point-five, it is entirely up to one's interest. Before you decide to read this book, consider these: details or not; this book or not....
When it comes to author narrative, I can't help but agree that it is flawless. So smooth, informative, well-reached and, at the same time, non-monotonous. Pretty thought-provoking and epic-like.
However, what is so unique and striking about the book is also its downer aspect. While it briefs the retelling each and every tale from the epic, it might get boring for lay-readers, who expect only to read the exciting part of the epic, that is the Rama's part. Every other lores and tales hold little fascination to him. Being the time of 'mini-revolution', when mini-skirts, mini-computers and minimal-common sense reign the industry, people seek for mini-books. Who would read a series of six books, while the same epic is narrated in one book?
So it goes like this. This book is pretty engrossing to a reader who is more curious to know the details of the epic. Not just the epic itself, but also the tales that surround it.
Basically, though I rate this book a four-point-five, it is entirely up to one's interest. Before you decide to read this book, consider these: details or not; this book or not....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: Rise of the Sun Prince
Author: Subha Vilas
Tagline: BOOK 1
Series: Ramayana: The Game of Life, #1
ISBN (edition I've read): 9788184955309
Rating:
Read between: 06-04-2014 to 10-04-2014
Reviewed for: Shrey Mehta
Publishers: Jaico Books
Pages: 252
MRP: ₹ 250
The best deal of this book could be found here:
No comments:
Post a Comment