King of Ayodhya (Ramayana series) by Ashok K. Banker Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of King of Ayodhya (Ramayana series)
Book Review: Sci-Fi style meets Dharma and Karma
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the 6th (and last) book of Banker's modern retelling of the "Ramayana". Readers will be attracted from two main directions: sci-fi fantasy types (for whom any story worth telling must come in at least 5 volumes) at one end, and those with an interest in the ancient Indian epic at the other. (The publisher recognises this by publishing the series with two sets of covers, one with moonscape type scenes and silvery lettering, and one with warm, clearly Indian, illustrations.)
Banker's "Ramayana" novels have a lot to satisfy both sets of readers. Above all he is good at telling a ripping yarn. Personally, I find the books strangely compelling despite the often cheesy effects and clichéd language choices (made more clichéd by repeated use within the work). Often in fantasy writing, where magic is available as an element, the reader feels cheated, because the author can just pull something out of the hat to resolve any plot problems. That doesn't seem to happen in these novels, partly (I think) because Banker genuinely sees the action through the lenses of the range of obligations, restrictions and duties that surround the use of any supernatural powers--indeed, that surround every aspect of the characters' lives; and partly because Banker does not have a free hand with his plot.
The story of Rama's journey has been told countless times. It exists to be retold over and over again. Three versions are, so far, preëminent. The ur-version is the Sanskrit poem by the sage Valmîkî, written about 2,000 years ago. Then there is an 11th-century Tamil version by Kamban; and a version in written Awadhi by Sant Tulsidas at about the time of Shakespeare. There is also a mini-retelling in that other great Hindu epic, Vyasa's "Mahabharata". Banker's retelling, although rich with incident and detail, is based on all of the major retellings that have gone before: every scene has its precursor in one or other earlier version.
His language is generally 21st-century English, but with a liberal admixture of old Sanskrit words (for which there is a glossary at the back of each volume). It works at least for me, as a non-Hindu non-Indian. I can't vouch for how it plays in Hindu India. The characters' psychology is also recognisably modern. None of them is a mere type, from the impossibly good and clever Rama and his wife Sita to the embodiment of evil, Ravana ("he who makes the Universe scream").
Book Review: Nicely Ended...
Summary: 5 Stars
well begun is half the work done.. and A.Banker has done a good job of the other half, finishing the series in well rounded manner with pithy comments on current world affairs, snuck in the middle..
A little too much violence, but then is the book about THE WAR.. the ultimate battle between Ram & Ravana, Good & Evil. He's set up the stage for the Luv-Kush story and the seeds of doubt in Ram's heart, looking forward to hearing that tale - perhaps Mr. Banker can take up the "tale of the twins" next! Also he's done a marvellous job of bringing the various shades of Ravana to life. Wish the book dealt more with the characters, Sita comes to mind, there are such tantalising glimpes into the personalities but nothing more.. other than a LOT of gore and the battles. Perhpas he was thinking about it as a movie (pity the actor who does Ravana though, hell of a challenge that one!)
Still all in all a good book.
Book Review: in one word--AWESOME!
Summary: 5 Stars
Just read the sixth book of Ramayana....To put it one word, AWESOME!!!!
earlier i thought that each book was awesome, but the fact that each succeeding book is MUCH better than the previous one... I had found Bridge of Rama brilliant, but compared to King of Ayodhya, its nothing... King of Ayodhya is that good!!!!
i've read various abridged versions of the Ramayana, and recently bought the English translations of Valmiki Ramayana and the Kamba Ramayana that are recommended in the introductions to Banker's Ramayana (Indian editions), but those books tend to glorify things, unlike Ashok's books where the events are said ,"as it might have been"
And this approach is exquisite- we can feel the emotions of the characters, as if we were them. This is what makes the Banker Ramayana series so much better than the traditional retellings [no offense intended to those greats who created them, but i dont think the current generation is interested in the cumbersome poetry].
And this continues in Kin g of Ayodhya. War is not glorified- it is depicted in its entirety. It is the only means to get Sita back, and so Rama has to do it. The pain, the sadness, the rage, the jubiliation of victory, the horror of dying- everything seems so right, when we read them.
I loved the passage in the 12th chapter in which Rama thinks whether genocide of a rakshasa race [eventhough its created by Ravana's sorcery] is morally justifiable. To me, that passage is a fitting summary of the Banker Ramayana series- its a story, yet it teaches us how to live as righteous people like Rama.
No matter how many times i've told people about this series [hence, now my friends dont talk to me much nowadays, for fear that i'll launch into another pravachan about the greatness of this Ramayana, but thats another story ], i simply cannot stop saying this:
I believe that just as the Valmiki Ramayana is accepted as THE Sanskrit version, just as the Kamba Ramayana is revered by Tamil speaking people, just as North Indians worship Tulsidas Ramacharitramanasa, all English speaking Indians will fall in love with this series... Its only a matter of time. Nobody can ignore the labour of love that constitutes Ashok Banker's Ramayana series- its so brilliant!!!!
after reading King of Ayodhya, i cant think how he will be writing the Mahabharata. I have read somewhere he said that his Mahabharata would be much much better than his Ramayana. If thats so, then the Mahabharata would have to be better than the best [King of Ayodhya]... Frankly speaking, I've trouble imagining a book better than this!
Book Review: Good Finale
Summary: 3 Stars
Banker ends his creative retelling of the Ramayana with this book - unless there is an Uttar Khand planned. It is a true page turner, fast narrative and not many deviations from the original. Sita's courage in the face of emotional battering is brought out rather well, so is Ravana's conflict with his own ego and in the face of the death of his loved ones. Rama's battle with the Ocean God Varuna is also remarkable and visually colorful, would make a really great movie with the right special effects.
That said, Banker takes some liberties with his characters which are unfair to the original. Poor guileless Lakshmana instigates Sita's fire ordeal, and Rama is of course the understanding husband who thinks it is 'unnecessary' and even helps her into the fire!! Sita is supposedly pregnant and even after 10 months of confinement and release there is no mention of her pregnancy or what happened to it. Ravana' sister Surpanakha is lecherous to the point of lusting after her own brother and dies as Maya Sita, both of which are completely deviated from the original as also with Surpanakha's character.
Overall it is defintely a good read, and Banker deserves some prase for even attempting this. But he definitely needs to watch for contrivance, lack of emotion in characters - particularly male, and also excessive descriptions in books to come.
More King of Ayodhya (Ramayana series) reviews:
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