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Sita's Ramayana (2011)

by Samhita Arni(Favorite Author)

3.6 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

155498145X (ISBN13: 9781554981458)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Groundwood Books

review 1: The famous Indian epic is retold with a sensitive twist emphasising a woman's perspective on the all the nonsense that led to war and the terrible consequences from it. I loved the Patua art and wish there had been more information included in the book to inform readers about this important traditional art form. I appreciated, but did not love, the tone of the story. Ram comes off as a complete luddite, but that's not the problem. The problem is that Sita is the victim throughout and her courageous action is limited to handling exile (the second time!) with strength and dignity, then disappearing herself at the end! What will it take to get Sita to fight back! I would have loved a scene at the end where she actually fights Agni to stay with her sons outside of Ram's kingdo... morem. Sure, Agni would win, but we'd know that Sita was not afraid to put it on the line for her sons and her self respect. All in all, I would give the art a 5 and the story a 2.5, so my 3 stars here is an unhappy compromise.
review 2: Really loved the art work in this book (this is what caught my attention in the bookshop) and it was refreshing to see a slightly different take on the Ramayana, compared to other retellings. However, it was a bit of a disappointment because it felt as if the author had many opportunities to offer fresh perspectives of characters and scenes but chose not to use them. For instance, I would have liked to see Ravana's character painted a little more grey, perhaps with greater debate between him and Sita on the moral implications of his actions. The depiction of Sita's courage in captivity is also somewhat subdued, with more emphasis being placed on what was happening outside her prison, rather than her own travails in Lanka. Nevertheless, it is a beautifully crafted book, a good addition to anyone's library. less

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