Prince of Ayodhya (Ramayana) (Paperback)

The book really helps is digesting the fact that spirutuality has great power and that its usage was great and holy.The description of all characters is so well fitting as if that is what one had imagined a character to be !!! The power of each character is well defined and felt almost with every page turned.

I am much happy to have read the book and consider my lucky for the same for it was my inquisitive nature to find about India , its culture and history that I set out to look for something.And then there it was , my gallant knight in armour - The Prince of Ayodhya.I love you Rama and I thank Ashok Banker to have acted as a cupid here...Thanks again Ashok!!!

P.S: To all who might think of buying this book , I have a small but good advice - Get the whole set , all of them at once.You will thank me for this.

Thus begins the retelling of The Ramayana, one of the most holy epics of the Hindus, and that one word, I feel, conveys infinity.

Ashok K. Banker has taken upon himself the task of retelling this mammoth epic and the first book “The Prince of Ayodhya” gives us a very good idea of what to expect in future volumes and that feeling is a very good one. What an amazing writer!

Ramayana is an epic with many characters with complex histories and the author does a splendid job of introducing us to the characters and their past. He literally transports us into the world of Rama and spares no detail of the world we have been transported to. His style of writing makes the book a ‘un-putdown able’ book! Once you start--you're addicted, the author captivates our imagination and senses and manages to hold our attention right till the very end, where he leaves us in a state of hunger for further volumes.

Readers must realize that the Ramayana is not just this one book, but the entire series as a whole. We can only begin to comprehend and appreciate the Ramayana once we finish that final 7th book, until then we have to go with the flow and enjoy where the author takes us, which is probably even beyond his control, but the author can make the trip a pleasurable one, which I believe Ashok K Banker is doing very effectively.

Some western readers complain that they find the use of Indian words a little trying, but I say to such people make the best use of this opportunity to learn something new! The usage of these words makes the book complete, because certain words and phrases cannot be translated and even if they can be translated, they may lose their essence.

On the whole the book is simply brilliant and is a must read not just for Indians, but just about anybody who wish to read a story of love, brotherhood, dharma (duty) and not to miss the evil that lies in wait…The Ramayana is of course all this and much, much more.

I say get this book now and join Rama on an adventure that should not be missed.