ashokbanker.com

“The epic is now 3000

“The epic is now 3000 years

old and has inspired different versions at different times in its

long life. In Ashok K. Banker’s rendering, the novelty is that the

ancient tale gets a modernized version by someone who has

passionately studied, researched and lived with the material for the

past 20 years. Banker’s Prince Of Ayodhya is just the length of as it

should be — not abridged as some have been. Neatly divided into

seven volumes, each comprising more than 500 pages, the epic is

being published serially in UK, USA, Germany and many Commonwealth

countries as well as in several languages. What is it that has

attracted publishers around the world? For one thing, the epic has a

simple, long and intriguing storyline, which still resonates. It is

permeated with fantasy material that is appealing and irresistible

in its own way. It is perhaps this fantasy quotient which publishers

readily reckon to be a perfect fit for the mass market. Then, of

course, perhaps it’s more simple than any of that: a great story is

a great story in any language, at any time. Banker’s Ramayana is an

elegant, robust and highly textured account of Rama’s heroic but

checkered life, told with great taste, delicacy and imagination. The

author’s style has a sharp audio-visual character and that makes for

a delectable read as well. The narrative never sags or comes across

as hackneyed or trite. Non-Indian readers shouldn’t be dismayed at

the free and rampant use of Indian words in the text. Though they

might seem a bit indigestible at first, they ultimately contribute

hugely to the ambiance of Banker’s book. I look forward to reading

the next volumes of this modern Ramayana. If Prince Of Ayodhya is a

good sampling, it seems likely that Banker’s creation will become a

classic.” January Magazine

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 22nd, 2006 at 8:57 pm. It is filed under Ashok. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.