Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is one of the two main epics of Indian civilization (the other is the Ramayana). These two epics are part of the cultural lingua franca of Indian society - the characters, ideas, and situations inform so much about how Indians think and go about their lives. It is also the source of the Bhagvad Gita, considered by many to be the central religious text of Hinduism (a debatable notion that I don't have time to get into here but generally, the text holds a special place in modern India). The narrative follows the war between the Pandavas and the Kuruvas, two families who embody good and evil in the world, respectively. Though the Pandava's are destined to triumph over their cousins the Kuruvas, the course of victory is not smooth and is littered with shadows and moral ambiguity.

The stories are timeless and worth experiencing. However, the Mahabharata is also the longest epic poem ever written, with some versions having over 20 volumes. How lucky we are to have R.K Narayan's "The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic." In less than 200 pages, one of modern India's best authors distills the essence of the story into a readable and deeply moving work. It is a true testament to Narayan's strengths a writer. The story is moving and the philosophy deeply provoking, all of which come through Naryana's concise retelling. It is worth reading as one of the pillars of World Literature and a window into one of the world's great civilizations.