The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering, Vol 1

I recently finished volume 2 of Ramesh Menons' Mahabharata. His writing style is simple yet the book is well written. The book is very descriptive and Mr. Menon has tried to cover as much as what was covered in the original text. The book is filled with hundreds of interesting details/ stories. Though it runs over 1300 pages, it was never boring. The story keeps moving and every single page was engorssing. The book starts a long time before the Pandavas are born and ends long after the end of the Mahabharata war. As most of you know, it is divided in to 18 sections and every single section is as interesting as the other. As I was reading the book a number of questions popped up. Mostly they had to do with the means that the Pandavas employ to defeat the Kauravas. But as you finish the book one thing becomes clear - 'Truth will prevail at any cost'. I highly recommend this book. One of the best hindu mythological books that I have read. I also recommend "Ramayana" and "Bhagvata Purana" written by Ramesh Menon.

I've looked around a lot both in the US and in India for good translations of this epic. The problem is that translations are either a) way too long for a casual reader (the original is, after all, some 5000 to 10,000 pages long depending on which version you look at), or b) they are too short and leave out too much of the subtle and rich detail, or c) they contain awkward language that sucks the poetry out of the story. Until I found this, the best retelling of it was actually the 94 episode DVD set, which required an inordinate amount of time and attention, and which dragged a bit here and there. In terms of books, the best condensed version I had come across was the one translated by Kamala Subramaniam. It told the story well enough, but it lacked the soul and spirit that the story deserved; it was more of a straight, matter-of-fact retelling. Then I came across this Menon translation. It is a brilliant version that deserves a wide audience. It is 1500 pages long (it is a 2 volume set), but cuts out a lot of the stuff you don't need to know, but not so much that you're left with the skeleton of the story. The story is told with an elegance and poetry that I have not seen in any other translation. Once you pick it up, you do not find the length intimidating, but instead you feel glad that it is so long because you can tell immediately that it's going to be intensely rewarding to read all the way through. A great translation that I would recommend to anyone who wants to read this amazing book that has few peers in literature.

I can't recommend this book (and Volume I) highly enough. The characters came to life and I really cared what happened to them. An epic and worth reading and rereading.

I LOVED this book. I have read translations of the Mahabharata before, but none that are as long as this one (the first volume with the appendices, weighs in at about 900 pages). And I haven't even gotten to the main event yet. This entire first volume is build-up to the great war on Kurukshetra. But what a build-up it is! I do not consider myself a religious person, but I think that Hinduism is so thoroughly ingrained in India that it is impossible for me to separate the two. The superstitions, the myths, the temples, the grandeur- it surrounds you. The Mahabharata is supposed to be a religious book. And, certainly, once you get to the Bhagavad-Gita, it becomes much more religious theory-based. But this first volume is more of a story (and a really good one, at that), and it centers around behaving well and staying on the right path even when you really, really don't want to. The story is more like the Odyssey or the Iliad than the Bible, as it tells the story of so many people, and the gods (all of whom have distinct and very human personalities) are just as involved in the story as the mortals are. I think Menon's translation is great- it doesn't leave out any of the less flattering parts, or the more "R-rated" parts (which, considering the way Hindus have steered towards conservatism over the past few hundred years, says a lot about how the religion was originally practiced). It just tells the story in an interesting and readable way. Yes, all the men are heroic and manly and perfect. Yes, all the women are gorgeous and slender and chaste. But the book is action-packed and a great way to learn about Indian history in an entertaining way. I will definitely be snatching up Volume 2 of this re-telling, and I can't wait to do so. Highly recommended, for anyone with an interest in India, its history and its traditions. If you would prefer a shorter version, to get your feet wet, I recommend Kamala Subramaniam's translation. Also, the Bhagavad-Gita is available in several formats on its own.

This is an abridgement of the great classic. The author seems to be focussing on the central story, and cuts out huge quantities of tangential material which would bog down that story. The result is a book which is as readable and enjoyable as Lord of the Rings, a real pleasure. If you feel inspired to study The Mahabharata in greater depth after reading it, great, but it stands on its own as a great read, well worth the investment of time.