The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic in Into the Forest

Feb 05, 2015 Christine rated it really liked it

Shelves: diversity-on-cover, work, myth-and-lore-asia, literature-indian, diverse-hero-or-heroine

This is one of those really entertaining but makes you want to smack someone. But at least the gods in this version agree with me.
It is nice to know that the Bible isn’t the only work that screws women over.
The amount of time that men in this epic, who keep telling you they are powerful dudes, blame women for everything is just maddening. Even Sita who couldn’t be raped because Ravena can’t force her has to prove her virtue.
Hello.

Yeah, yeah, I know it was before feminism. I get it. But I am a This is one of those really entertaining but makes you want to smack someone. But at least the gods in this version agree with me.
It is nice to know that the Bible isn’t the only work that screws women over.
The amount of time that men in this epic, who keep telling you they are powerful dudes, blame women for everything is just maddening. Even Sita who couldn’t be raped because Ravena can’t force her has to prove her virtue.
Hello.

Yeah, yeah, I know it was before feminism. I get it. But I am a modern lady; I can still get upset by it.

But outside of the whole women are to blame for everything, it’s actually really good and engrossing. It’s even fun.

And if you are wondering, like the guy who commented below, where men say that here are some examples:

"Finally the King burst out, " . . . Those cherry-red lips I thought sustained me, but they have only been a source of the deadliest poison to finish me off . . ." (52). True she is a evil woman, but no one forced you to do what you did.

"The picture she [Soorpanka] conjured up was convincing . . . Soorpanaka's words had lit an all-consuming flame within him [Ravana]" (81)

"When he heard of his son's death, Ravana shed bitter tears and swore, 'This is the time to kill that woman Sita, the cause of all this misery'" (149). You did kidnap her.

As for Sita's virtue test. I know that critics, both Western and Eastern have problems with it. Even the epic seems to realize this for it says, "Rama explained that he had to adopt this trial in order to demonstrate Sita's putiry beyond a shadow of a doubt to the whole world" (163).

Look, like all great epics, the work is a product of its time. I understand that. But I am not going to respond any differently simply because of that. I have similar problems with the Bible, Homer, and so on. I cannot turn off my feminisim completely. I'm sorry, I can't. It doesn't stop me from enjoying the story. And to be frank, do you really think modern women were the first to ask these questions or notice these problems?

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May 24, 2011 Brian Jones added it · review of another edition

Indian mysticism isn't my cup of tea, had to read it for class. I know know where guys like Michael Moorcock who wrote the Elric Saga ( I don't recomment it.) got his mythic ideas. ...more

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