The Indian Epics Retold

by R.K. Narayan and S.Krishnan (Introd.)

In this special omnibus edition, R.K. Narayan, one of India's finest novelists, retells the two great Indian epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata as well as well-known incidents from Hindu mythology and folklore.For the Ramayana, the story of Lord Rama's life, believed to have been composed by Valmiki in the fourth century BC, R.K. Narayan draws inspiration from the eleventh century Tamil poet Kamban's version. His Mahabharata is based on Vyasa's monumental work, perhaps the greatest story ever told, composed about 3,500 years ago. In the third book in this anthology, Gods, Demons, and Others, Narayan retells stories from a variety of sources--Kalidasa's Sanskrit classic Abhijnana Shakuntalam, the Tamil epic Silappadikaram, the Shiva Purana and the Devi Bhagwatam, besides the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.Retaining the spirit of the originals, R.K. Narayan, the consummate storyteller, has given us classic works from a glorious tradition recast in his own inimitable style.