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Rating: 
Summary: Amazingly Good Read
Review: I work in technology and have many co-workers who aren't even 1 generation removed from India.
I have had an interest in what their culture must be like and haven't had much opportunity to conquer the language barrier between us for more meaningful conversation.
The story presented in this book gives the reader a much deeper understanding of the spiritual roots and traditions of many Indians.
In the wake of the recent tsunami that has killed (so far) 116,000 people in India and Indonesia, I was forced to wonder whose sin was so great in past lives that so many must be punished in this one. My religious preference does not include a belief in reincarnation, but being able to see things as some of my co-workers see them makes it easier for me to understand why they do and say things in a way that I find foreign.
As for the book, I was disappointed in the character of Sita. Her portrayal may very well be in line with the original text.
She is definitely not a modern American woman.
She was pure, chaste, and stubborn. But she was also.. how should I say this.. an idiot.
I am reminded specifically of how Ravana was able to capture her in the first place: she berated and nagged Lakshmana into going after Rama even though Lakshmana tried to reason with her that Rama would never call out that like. Are we to believe that Rama's brother knows him better than his wife?
It would be a fun game to play with her to just walk into the garden she was staying at in Ravana's temple and say, "by the way, Rama is dead."
She'd throw herself into a pit or starve herself or set herself on fire or something because she is naive enough to believe whatever someone tells her.
She has the mood swings and judgment of a child.
Maybe that's the point.
Women cannot function without the immediate presence of their husband.
I disagree with that (and so does my wife!).
I recommend this book highly to anyone who wants a deeper understanding of Indian mythology and spirituality.
Rating: 
Summary: Faithful translation but too prosaic for modern times
Review: Mr Menon has remained totally faithful to the original Valmiki's classic and the translation is very eloquent, readable and flows extremely well lyrically. He has also taken opportunities to present more modern insights into characters, particularly Rama, Laxman, Ravana and Hanuman. Sadly though the female characters do not seem to get the same treatment - Valmiki's Sita, despite being the archetypal husband worshipping 'sati' of olden times, is very fiery, outspoken and assertive when she needs to be - particularly when she wants to occompany him to the jungles and when she has to state her opinion on his stance on killing rakshasas. She addresses her husband by name and does not sugar coat anything she has to say in both situations, as an example. The Sita presented here loses both opportunities to being demure,shy and afraid of having an opinion. Also in his other book on Krishna - Mr Menon paints a passionate life between the blue god and his many consorts, poor Ram and Sita do not seem to be deserving of any passion or even open conversation.
The Uttara Kanda part of the book is worthy of mention and is very well written, particularly ethical conflict around personal and duty are interpreted a little beyond the original to suit modern times and very well done.
However too many side stories like that of Vishwamitra and Rama's ancestors, although adapted from original faithfully, tend to distract the reader's attention from the main story line and could have been avoided or perhaps made into appendices for reference.
Overall a praiseworthy piece of work nevertheless.
Rating: 
Summary: Labor of Love
Review: Ramesh Menon has done it again! In his previous masterpiece, Blue God, he bought to life Lord Krishna as both human and divine incarnation in the context of that great Indian Epic, The Mahabharata. He rendered the life of Krishna as no one had done before. It is no wonder that he has excelled himself in his rendering of The Ramayana.The Ramayana is a timeless epic, inspired and inspiring. It transcends all bounds of time, culture, language and religion.
Many are the extant English translations of that great epic. None of them, however, is as inspired and engaging as Ramesh Menon's translation. He has captured the very spirit of this ancient epic and brought it to the contemporary reader in language that blends beauty and simplicity. It is fascinating and compels the reader to continue without putting it down - and when the reading is done it impels the reader to pick it up again and again. This rendering of the Ramayana is a masterpiece - not to be missed. It is with bated breath that we look forward next to his rendering of The Mahabharata in his own inimitable style.
Rating:
Summary: Vibrant telling of an epic story
Review: The Ramayana had been a rather subterranean current in my life for years before I read this book. In the late 1980's I was living in Albuquerque, and shortly after I moved there I met a German woman who insisted I had to go visit the Hanuman Temple in Taos. So she took me there, because it's hard to find the way the first time. It is actually called the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram, but she called it the Hanuman Temple, and that's how I've always thought of it as well. I visited off and on over the years, often driving hours just to sit for a few minutes at the feet of the beautiful alabaster murti (sacred statue) of Hanuman that dominated the main room. Although my first introduction to the spiritual path was through Ram Dass' books, I felt little connection to him or to Neem Karoli Baba, and actually practiced a Shaivite path, but Hanuman just kept drawing me back again and again. Eventually I moved to Taos. And yet, despite my attraction to Hanuman, I could never get into the stories about him and Rama and Sita, nor the chants about them that were done there. There was even a large open volume of the Ramayana there at the feet of Hanuman, and I'm one who loves to read, but it just never attracted me or held my interest. I always thought this was most peculiar.
Then I moved from Taos, and within a week in my new home I came across this book, newly published, in a bookstore. I started to read and I was immediately enchanted.
What a truly marvelous tale! How much I'd been missing all those years! Seldom has a book brought me such joy on so many levels, from the simple suspense of the action, to the sweep of the romantic drama, to the spiritual teachings both overtly stated and woven into the fabric of the story. I've since looked at several other renditions of this classic, but found them wanting compared to this retelling by Ramesh Menon. The one by Kamala Subramaniam is also quite good, but Mr. Menon's language is just so vibrant, his story telling so well crafted, that I think it wins hands down.
I hope that the religious underpinnings of this book will not turn off potential readers who either adhere strongly to a different religion or who resist any notion of religion altogether: this book can be read on many levels, and it deals with universal themes. I even imagine that young people fascinated by Tolkien and such things would especially love this stunning tale from another time and another place. Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written and spiritually profound
Review: The Ramayana is one of the most important pieces of literature ever written, yet it is not commonly read in this country. Here's your chance to do something about it. This version retains all the depth and beauty of the original, yet it is an accessible and compelling read. The path of Rama and his wife Sita is so inspiring in this day and age because of its emphasis on moral virtue. We could all use a dose of that.
Rating:
Summary: Labor of Love
Review: This book was an obvious labor of love, a retelling of a beautiful classic which surely captures the spirit, mystery, and profundity of the original epic. Throw away the dust jacket with its wooden depiction of the characters, and dive directly into the enchantment of the magical kingdoms of the story. Return to a time when nature's beauty and majesty were ever present, and to a realm where duty was clear and immutable.
Although it is sometimes difficult to digest all of the names of people and places, as well as to flip back and forth to the glossary for unfamiliar vocabulary, some of the most beautiful metaphorical phrases you will ever read are contained in the pages of this book and you will not want to miss any part of it!
Rating:
Summary: Like Star Wars or Tolkien? Read Menon's Ramayana
Review: This is a wonderfully evocative and truly literary prose rendition of the Ramayana, especially for those with little or no background in Indian literature and mythology. It's also a great introduction to Indian ethics, Indian culture, and Indian cosmology. Anyone familiar with the Star Wars saga or the Tolkien trilogy will be at home in the world of the Ramayana, and come to appreciate just how profoundly it influences contemporary science fiction and modern epic literature. Don't be put off by the Hindi words sprinkled throughout the text: the glossary is excellent and, as you read on, you come to appreciate the author's decision to include them. This is a masterful translation by a novelist with a real gift for making an ancient classic come alive.
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