Ram wrote: "Jackie wrote: "Julia,
I read both Ramayana and Mahabharata by William Buck. These are great retellings of the epics, very accessible. You may also want..."

Ram,
I will look into those. Thanks for the suggestions.

Arabian Nights
Kamasutra (if you want of course)

Jackie wrote: "Julia,
I read both Ramayana and Mahabharata by William Buck. These are great retellings of the epics, very accessible. You may also want to read [book:T..."

Jackie, I suggest you try the "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata" by C. Rajagopalachari.

Well, Julia with the climate change taking place everywhere, you never know what comes when, but november sure is a good time to visit India. Your itinerary is also good - goa, hampi, mysore & bangalore are all good places to see and visit and bombay is very vibrant, exuberant and energetic city.

next autumn, most probably in november.....that was our best period anyway, and we're quite happy as the weather seems to be rather agreeable then - about ten years ago i stayed for two weeks in sri lanka in mid-september and it poured eleven days....the monsoon was an experience as well as it never rains like this here and we still loved the island, but still i'd prefer some drier season, if possible.....

BTW when are you planning to visit India??

thanks!!!!! yes, that's where we're headed to, from bombay down to goa, hampi, mysore, bangalore and then slowly back up to bombay again.....more stops possible, but we'll only have about three weeks which is not so much and we'd rather see less in a relaxed way than stress us with seeing "everything".....i'll look up the book you're recommended!

Julia wrote: "anybody has any good recommendations on non-fiction books about india? i'm planning to travel to southern india next year and so i'm looking for interesting reads - i'll definitely read Bombay - Ma..."
if you are visiting southern india then The Smile of Murugan by Zvelebil Kamil is recommended.

try some of the books by william dalrymple, always entertaining & informative

Wow, Ram! Those sound like some great titles to read. I think I will look some of those up too.

As for Q&A, I did not enjoy the book as much as the movie...and yes there was some negative stuff, but I loved the visuals in slumdog. I mean, India is so saturated with color and life, something totally different from the states, and I think parts of the moved reminded me of being there.

As for Naipaul, I have never loved any of his books that I have started, but they are famous. Sadly, there are some negative things about India, as there are for every country, but for me, those negative things do not outweigh the beauty of the place and the people. (Can you tell I miss it? It has been nine years since I've been back.) Besides, there is no one way in India. I cannot explain, but India is huge and hugely diverse. You will see....

Mysore is a wonderful small town -- I am sure it has grown a lot in 9 years -- I doubt I could tell you much that is not in the guide books. I was lucky to live with a family there, and so, I went where they went and did what they did, and that is what I remember most, not the sites. Sorry I'm not more helpful on this point.

Enjoy your reading!

Hey Jackie, namaste Ram, i've just stumbled across all your great recommendations, THANKS SO MUCH!!!! i think i have my reading for the next months together :-)

Ram, we'll most probably start and finish our journey in Bombay as the flights there are usually the best price, plus i've always wanted to experience this city since reading The moor's last sigh and Son of the Circus. i'll definitely get in touch with you as soon as our plans are concrete. anything special you might like from austria?

Jackie, great advice, i'll check out the versions of the epics you've mentioned and the book by José Pereira, plus they do have many stuff at our university library (no Indian neighborhood in Salzburg, unfortunately, but i'll try to get some comic versions in India....). I've seen Slumdog Millionaire and had read the book Q&A before, but i honestly didn't like it THAT much.......i watched it with some Indian travellers we were hosting back then at our home, and they were really critical of the movie and how it portrays an India they don't recognize, maybe that's why i honestly couldn't get so much into the story....but i'll give it another chance, for sure....

wow, you studied in Mysore? that's fascinating....we plan going there for a couple of days as it seems to be a beautiful and interesting city with lots of things to do in the surroundings, so any advice would be more than welcome.......

oh, and by the way, of course fiction recommendations are also welcome!!!!!

Julia wrote: "anybody has any good recommendations on non-fiction books about india? i'm planning to travel to southern india next year and so i'm looking for interesting reads - i'll definitely read Bombay - Ma..."

You can try "Elephant, Tiger & Cellphone" by Shashi Tharoor, "Discovery of India' by Jawaharlal Nehru, "Imagining India" by Nandan Nilekani, "A Better India, a Brave World" by Narayana Murthy, "Indian Journeys" by Dom Moraes, "Tales and Legends from India" by Ruskin Bond, "India - Labyrinths in the Lotus Land" by Shasti Bratha, "A History of India, volume I & II" by Romila Thapar, "India Unbound" by Gurcharan Das.

I suggest you don't read V.S Naipaul book because it portrays only negatively about India. If you want fiction references, do let me know. If you happen to pass by Bombay, do let me know, i could show you some good book shops where you can get cheap titles.

Julia,
I read both Ramayana and Mahabharata by William Buck. These are great retellings of the epics, very accessible. You may also want to read The Bhagavad Gita A New Translation by George Thompson. I have not read this new translation, but it does not seem to be too bogged down with detailed notes. As for the Upanishads, there are many translations and commentaries.... If you really want to learn about the various aspects of Hinduism including the epics and other texts, I might look for a college-type text book that would explain things and then give you some texts to read too. Try something like Hindu Theology Themes, Texts and Structures by José Pereira. Or, just browse the religion/spiritual section of a bookstore (or better yet, a college bookstore) and see what looks interesting to you.

Also, if you have an Indian neighborhood nearby, you could search out a book store there. They will have some great comic books on the epics and all kinds of books, cd's and dvd's.

I do urge you to read A Fine Balance and watch the film Slumdog Millionaire (if you have not already).

As you may be able to tell, I love India and especially the south. I studied at University of Mysore for a semester back in the day. If you have any other questions, I would be glad to help. But India is not like the texts, it is a constant chaotic mystery full of amazing contradictions. It cannot be captured (although holy cow, fine balance and slumdog come close). Enjoy your research.

Hey Jackie,

thanks so much for the recommendations (also fiction is more than welcome, of course - i haven't read Rohinton Mistry so far, so i'll definitely try to read this book before we depart - i'm usually much more of a fiction reader, anyway, but i thought i just have to get more into history and religion before india, otherwise i'll be way too lost.....
Also the book by Sarah Macdonald sounds great.....

has anyone read any of the big epic writings like the Ramayana, the Bhagavadgita or the Upanishads? i thought about getting some abbreviated, more modern translation - any tips on this?

Holy Cow An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald. This is a great, funny little book about a woman traveling/living in Delhi. While it is not about the south, it is great for the general Indian experience. Maximum City is also good.

I cannot suggest a specific one at this time, but I recommend reading a book about Hinduism, and maybe check out your public library for educational films on South India -- I remember one on Madurai I saw in college. There is also pretty good series from PBS called The Story of India, it aired in the last year, so you should be able to find it on the PBS website.

Finally, my favorite fiction on India (not that you asked) is A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. Gives great insights into Indian lives.

anybody has any good recommendations on non-fiction books about india? i'm planning to travel to southern india next year and so i'm looking for interesting reads - i'll definitely read Bombay - Maximum City as this will the place of arrival, and i've been thinking about reading V.S. Naipaul's A wounded civilization, any more suggestions? history, religion, social topics, architecture, doesn't really matter.......thanks in advance!

Sacred Games A Novel by Vikram Chandra

This book could be better if someone had cut out half of it.

Ravan & EddieCuckoldGod's Little Soldier
Kiran Nagarkar's books.

NEctar in a Sieve was a wonderful book I highly recommend

The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye

I recently finished The white tiger by Aravind Adiga and
Q and A by Vikas Swarup also known as Slumdog Millionaire

Heather wrote: "Just finished The Space Between Us and really enjoyed it. Worth re-reading."


I also just finished this book. Very well written, a nice and quick read that ctalks about two women of different class.

Shantaram | Gregory David Roberts

I loved A Fine Balance!

I aboslutely love Nectar in a sieve by Kamala Markandaya

Kim, by Rudyard Kipling is like an Indian travelogue. I also loved A Fine Balance. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts was an excellent audio book narrated by Humphrey Bower. Life of Pi by Yann Martel starts out in India.

Mistress, by Anita Nair

The Twentieth Wife: A Novel Liked it, but not sure if it will be a re-read.

Just finished The Space Between Us and really enjoyed it. Worth re-reading.

So glad you recommended this--a truly great read.
-- Peggy

A Fine Balance: Excellent book! Worth reading and re-reading.

"The Ground Beneath Her Feet" by Salman Rushdie

A River Sutra by Gita Mehta
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri

A Fine Balance by Mistry

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai