Poetry Books

I have had this book for ten years now, i read it once a year at least and am finding i get something new out of it each time i read it. I just bought this as a gift for a friend of mine who is big on poetry slams ( i didn't have the nerve to loan him mine). It is in my top five of my all time favorite books (and i own thousands of books!!) It pulls at my heart strings, makes me cry, and makes me laugh out loud.

I loved every minute of this book, you never know what you're going to read next, my boyfriend loved it as well, & I am purchasing this book for him as well.

I have read this book over and over and over. Every time I read this collection, the more I like it. Very unique. I recomend anyone who loves poetry and likes something different, to pick up this book.

"Verses that Hurt" is one of the best collections of poetry I've read in a long time. Ideal for people who don't really like poetry, because it's not structured and very free-flowing, and people who DO like poetry as well, because hey, we love free-flowing expression too.

Some of the poems describe sweet happiness, and some capture the essence of hate and anger. Sexuality is a constant theme in some of them. One of my favorites is "Please Master" by Allen Ginsberg. To me, this captures the very essence of sexuality. And not just gay-male sexuality, I'm talkin' the whole picture, ALL sexuality, even though the terms use seem to allude to the first.

Definitely a good read.

A few years ago a voice mail was set up in New York City, and poets were called in every month to read a new poem everyday onto the message. Then the public could call in everyday, listen to the poem, and respond after the beep with anything they had to say. The poems were recorded on an album, and the best printed in this wonderful book.

The book came out in 1997. The phone number they have listed in the introduction is either wrong or changed, I called it twice and kept getting the voice mail to someone named "Kika." The poets in this book are: Penny Arcade, Tish Benson, Nicole Blackman, David Cameron, Xavier Cavazos, Todd Colby, Matthew Courtney, M. Doughty, Kathy Ebel, Anne Elliot, Janice Erlbaum, Allen Ginsberg, John Giorno, John S. Hall, Bob Holman, Christian X. Hunter, Shannon Ketch, Bobby Miller, Wanda Phipps, Lee Renaldo, Shut-Up Shelley, Hal Sirowitz, Sparrow, Spiro, Edwin Torres, and Emily XYZ. All the poets get at least three poems, and very good portraits by photographer Christian Lantry. The poems are short enough that you can probably get through this in one sitting, or read a poet a day.

Penny Arcade starts the book off with a bang, using some really incredible verse. Tish Benson is next with poems that read like lazy blues songs, but filled with so much detail and activity, you can almost hear Billie Holliday gruffly whispering this in your ear. Nicole Blackman and her section is also incredible as she seems to speak for so many women who cannot find their own voice except hers. David Cameron's writing, while readable, is a little bland, like a freshman creative writing class. Despite his obvious emotion, I felt he was holding back on his own writing. Xavier Cavazos's section is slightly better, except for an entire poem that slams Rush Limbaugh. It may have been very clever when written and read, but it just give conservatives like Limbaugh more ammunition to go after art that they do not believe in. Why not a poem about Parkay hawking corporate monkey Al Franken, who had so much success slamming Limbaugh? Or Dennis Miller, whose rants against everybody was quickly dashed by asinine long distance ads. Nothing worse than a sell out. Todd Colby does better work with paragraph poems than traditional verse poetry. Matthew Courtney reads like poorly written Allen Ginsberg, full of "shocking" imagery and without a point. M. Doughty's work is scary and involving, and not your traditional stuff. Kathy Ebel left me with no response. I read it, I was done, and I was not terribly moved. Anne Elliot reads like poorly written Matthew Courtney. Janice Erlbaum is wonderful, filling a sonnet and sestina with modern situations, turning antiquity on its ear. Ginsberg is Ginsberg. Being a little familiar with his work, I expected to see poems about gay sex, followed by verses about a frog. Ginsberg is so Ginsberg. John Giorno's two poems are shocking, about more gay sex, and taking drugs. He seems to be shocking without TRYING to be shocking. I guess you could say his shock is natural.

John S. Hall also seems to be writing without getting to the heart of his point. His verse is so much posturing. Bob Holman is a bit of a bore, with quite a few poems here. Again, none stuck with me. Christian X. Hunter takes me into his world and it was hard to get out. He is probably my favorite poet here. Shannon Ketch reads like John S. Hall. Bobby Miller's very personal poems made me nostalgic for a time I could never experience. He writes about his first homosexual experience, and protesting Vietnam, so vividly, you swear you are there. Wanda Phipps opens with an angry poem, and never lets up. She is not threatening, but she has a lot to say. Lee Ranaldo also did not do it for me, his listed words seemed glossy and packaged. Shut-Up Shelley is fun because she is so different. Her changing font size on the page just screams at you, yet her photograph by Lantry shows her so whimsically. She is my second favorite poet here. Hal Sirowitz is my third favorite poet here, writing deeply personal poems about everyday things that had an obvious effect on his life. He is a blast to read aloud. Sparrow is weird. His first poem, involving possible sex with a cow, is a hoot, and his possible middle names for Bill Gates is a riot. Spiro is also very funny, especially his opening poem about heroin addiction. Edwin Torres also had me scratching my head for a while after I read him. His poetry is not hard, just inaccessible, and I was not interested enough in what he was saying to dig deeper. Emily XYZ reads like good Edwin Torres.

The 26 poets here are quite a variety, and I recommend this tome to any poetry lovers. I also repeat my mantra to read more poetry and keep buying those little chapbooks you might see in used bookstores or at flea markets. There is always time in your day to smarten up.

This does contain a lot of profanity, drug references, and sexual content, so giving it to your five year old to practice reading may not be a good idea.

It was almost as lovely as the first one that was given to my children when they were very small....a gift from their great-aunt who was a Catholic nun with a degree in Library Science...I tried to locate one exactly like the original which was received in about 1964. It was about half the size, hard cover with the most beautiful artwork and my 5 children loved it. Somehow it was lost in one of our moves, but I bought this one for my oldest daughter (now 51) who always wanted a copy..She loved reading it to her younger siblings. She loved it and so did I, so we consider it a wonderful little book.

The familiar poem from childhood paired with beautiful illustrations makes the perfect bedtime read to share with your grandchildren.

Captain Kangaroo sang this song on his show many years ago. I was fortunate to have
the leather bound edition of children's poems by Eugene Field that included this poem.

I sang "Wynken, Blynken & Nod" to all our children and all the children I have loved. The original
is a bit different and has more lyrics but the feel is the same. The color pictures
are beautiful. The song is a wonderful bedtime routine and the imagery is lovely. Also,
it is appropriate for either a boy or girl. This book makes a wonderful addition to any children's library.


We will be gifting and singing this poem to the children of the many children we
love.

Eugene Field spins a marvelous bed time yarn with Wynken, Blynken, & Nod. Wonderfull Illustrations by Johana Westerman enhance this century old tale. It was my favorite bedtime story as a child, no violence, no villians, no nightmares. A fantasy delight that will send all young children off to dreamland with vivid and happy thoughts. Highly reccommended to parents and teachers, or anyone who cares for a child.

I was thrilled when I discovered Wynken, Blynken & Nod was still being printed. I believe of the two books I have saved from my childhood (I'll be 65 next week), this was one of them.

I treasured this book. It's a classic.

Today I found it has arrived. I am so sure that my grandchildren, 4 and 2 will love it as much as I did, that I bought it for them.

This is a book which can easily change the way you see (observe) world. It is a book which requires meditation.
Krishnamurti's talks on various topic and his insight to know yourself is life changing.
While reading it, I used to go deep into thought and observed myself. During this period you realize and know a lot about yourself. One of the biggest thing which I learned was that you know the truth when you know what is not true. Making yourself aware of yourself (including anger, jealousy, prejudice) and not forcing it to go away is the the true observation. Just watch yourself as you watch the the sky and the birds without trying to do any change. This is just a small part of things which changed my life. It is not a book that will change your life but definitely one can change his own life after reading his book. At some points in the book you will be lost as there is nothing wrong or right but constant meditation on the topic will help one out.

If you are ready to challenge your believes and habits, this is a must read book.

One the MOST influential book I have ever read! It is very easy to follow, and I would recommend it to every one.

If you're interested in actually practicing Buddhism, not just reading or conceptualizing it, I feel like this book may help, because it's like having a teacher in your pocket. He guides you in a way that is productive, yet you have to truly see what he talks about for yourself in order to appreciate it. Otherwise, as JK would say, it's just more dead words.

What Krishnamurti offers the reader here are exercises for the mind that will help us re-wire our brains to think in a different way, that will allow us to obtain a new perception of who we are, and what our world is, and the harmony of both, leading to a freedom that can't quite be explained in words, but will be felt by those few who experience it. Have you stopped to think that it really makes no difference what car you drive, the clothes you wear, the place you live, because you still will at times feel sad, troubled, depressed, sick, and happiness is not guaranteed by these material objects?
What is our purpose in life? The author touches on these and other subjects, which we've being conditioned to believe as a universal truth, in today's modern "greed and riches are the only goal" society. He offers his ideas on how we free our minds from learned concepts, ideas, cultural traditions, and other thoughts that tie us into inflexible thinking, that doesn't allow us to understand new experiences, new ideas.

Krishanmurti, explains that in order for us to understand, we must say to ourselves "I don't know" so that we can have a clean slate with which to experience new ideas. Therefore not letting old, inflexible, sometimes narrow-minded, ideas or experiences, which we may have gathered through life, which are the sum of the culture, traditions, and experiences of thousands others who may, or may not be entirely correct in their interpretation either do to lack of knowledge, or a tunneled vision.

He describes how , by us depending on old ideas, acquired knowledge, and experiences,
We are pre conditioned, and bias, to new experiences, making it hard for us to obtain the full effect of any new experience. "Ah here we go again" is something all of us have said at times, and this is exactly what Krishnamurti is telling us not to do. When we think we opened our mental files, draw one from the bunch, and base our emotions, and reactions on that, which is wrong because in general terms, to grow as intelligent beings, we need to learn to clear our minds of the old (ideas, experiences, concepts) to make room for the new. He also says in this book that we should experience these things ourselves, not through gurus, religious leaders, or spiritual guides, as it is only you the one that can experience such a mental broadening, and someone else can't teach it.

His ideas could seem complicated, and hard to grasp in the beginning but if you read carefully, and maybe stop to think about it for a while, you'll find that they make sense.
The mind is like a warehouse where we store our ideas, and experiences, and once we
We have a certain amount of them, we base our behavior on them. Every time we encounter a new situation we draw from that warehouse, and if what's in storage is
In turn based on those ideas and experiences of others, we may not be experiencing life
fully. This is because we haven't really used our very own and personal thought process fully enough to see and understand way beyond those that came before us.
Krishnamurti advocates that we tear down the fences in our minds. He explains that all knowledge has been fragmented, in different areas, yet we as persons are one complete being. And we then behave and think fragmented as well. We talk about "my spirit", "my mind", "my body", as if they were separate from one another, yet they all reside in the same place: you.

If you have thought about the meaning of life, what your purpose in life is, what is this crazy place we call "world", then this book is for you. If you've ever thought about how is it that we follow established patterns of behavior like going to school, to work, getting married, paying bills, following goals, saving for retirement, among others, you should get thisbook. If you've realized that we're all right now living through one of the many stages of our lives (childhood, teenager, young adult, adult, middle age, golden years etc.) this book has many answers to those questions you've thought about but haven't been able to ask someone else.

"Some of you believe in the idea of reincarnation. You come and ask me what I believe, whether reincarnation is a fact or not, whether I remember my past lives, and so on. Now, why do you ask me? Why do you want to know what I think about it? You want a further confirmation of your own belief, which you call a fact, a law, because it gives you a hope, a purpose in life. Thus, belief becomes to you a fact, a law, and you go about seeking confirmation of your hope. Even though I may confirm it, it cannot be of vital importance to you. Whatever it may be to me, real or false, what is important for you is that you should discern for yourself these conceptions through action, through living, and not accept any assertions." - krishnamurti

I cannot recommend this book high enough. This book is one of the most comprehensive and accessible of Krishnamurti's work. It is a collection of talks given at various parts of the world. In each series of talk Krishnamurti leads the listener to look into serious topics like Operation of thought, conflict , The art of seeing, freedom, the energy needed for freedom, do we need a teacher, etc. There is a huge difference between looking into an issue and "thinking" about an issue. Thinking involves thought, and simply looking is mere observation. And krishnamurti says that if this observation, the seeing is done with total attention without the interference of thought, then the intelligence operates.

Many a times while reading this book, my mind will come to a complete stop and I would be taken to deep and spontaneous meditation. Krishnamurti is highly skillful in sparking our insights and allows us to see what he sees. He never says "This is right or this is wrong", he doesn't even want us to agree or disagree to what is being said, because he doesn't offer any theories. He just tells us to look without judment, prejudice or opinions. He asks us to listen "completely". He says that people ask questions for two reasons, one is to confirm what they already beleive in, and the other is to "really" find out the truth. The first way of asking will never lead to an answer, because we are unwilling to listen to the "truth"; We only want a confirmation for the false, and only the false needs confirmations. This book is for sincere seekers of truth who really want to know the truth. He says that when we look at the false as false, what remains is truth. Health is the absence of diseases, and so it truth the total negation of false. The ability to discern the true from the false is what intelligence is. I have observed that reading one talk per session in regular periods helps tremondously in awakening "intellingence", not "my" intelligence but just intelligence.

"As I was saying, the importance in asking a question is not to find the answer but to understand the problem because there is only the problem and not the answer. To ask a question is easy; but to go into the problem is extremely difficult because once you know what the problem is, the very seeing of the problem is the understanding of the problem. The moment I can state the problem very clearly, simply, the answer is there, I do not have to look beyond. But most of us do not know what the problem is. We are confused about the problem and so naturally we look, in our confusion, for answers; and that will only produce further confusion. " -krishnamurti

Creo que uno de los libros mas lindos que he leido. Es un libro que podes leer a cualquier edad, tendo 18 años y recien lo lei.
Es una aventura muy linda que algun dia espero poder leer a mi hijos :)
Les recomiendo este libro a todo mundo.

It is definitely the best book I have ever read, and I read many great books throughout my life. I read it about six times, the first one when I was little. I still remember. Now I got it for my own children. It has amazing principles, and wonderful teachings. I wich we could all see life the way "El Principito" does. What a great lesson!

It's been one of my favorite books since I was in 6th grade, great life values in this story! Great for kids! and people of any age.

This is a lovely story, and I wanted to own the book to follow while I listen to the story in Spanish on my ipod. Children's stories in Spanish are a delightful way to study for the mid-level student.

T.William Waltrip, M.D.

A BOOK THAT INFLUENCED MY LIFE

The book that has influenced my life is "The Little Prince". This book iis basically about a little blond boy that meets an adult with who he will become friend, somewhere in the world, dunno where.He discovers, during a trip, adults, who will allow him to understand adults world and life on hearth In the begining of the story, the pilot crashes in a desert and thers were the story begings.This story has many characters, but the two main ones are the pilot (the narrator), and the little prince.One of the main settings are the dessert were the pilot meets the little prince, and the planet were the little prince lives, but this story has many settings.

I read this book because my mother told me that every kid must read this book, so she gave me the book and i read it when i was almost 12 years old. This book has influenced my life in many ways. Every time i read this book it makes me think, about pepole and friendship, it makes me cry, laugh, and be a better person and a better friend. It also makes me be more pacient, and this is a thing that im not so good at, but every time im in a cituation were i have to be pacient, since i read that book, I have teach myself to try to understand people, and why they are like that. This book is in a prose/chatter way written, in this way it was easier for me to understand the meaning of the words. This book you have to read it more than once to get the meaning of the words.



By Avira Arreola.

I have some real mixed feelings about this book. On the one hands I really like how Mr. Whyte used such unconventional ways to get his point across (he uses poetry to point out the flaws in the corporate world), but on the other hand, a lot of the points in the book made me scratch my head and go 'huh?!'.
The material is very deep and even where there is supposed to be just a small, simple message, Whyte seems to make it complicated so that the meaning looks to be more profound.

How much of our corporate productivity is impeded by pettiness and posturing in the workplace? Seems a corporate healer like David Whyte is needed to stand for finding and reminding folks of a different bottom line.

Whyte has a unique capacity to make powerful connections between the inner core that fills us with emotion and caring and the places we do our work, sometimes even at the place where our job is located, though not often. His observation that we leave as much as 55% of our true self "in the car" each day when we go in our office to work is so powerfully true. I dare say there are few among us who cannot relate to that feeling. And yet, it is the 55% of ourselves that the company we work for really wants and needs but rarely gets. Unfortunately because of the patriarchal environments that many organizations (not always corporations or even private sector businesses) create we all too often find no real fulfillment in the workplace. That is sad because I never have read any mission statements that pronounce "We ABSOLUTELY are not going to have fun or like one another around here." That makes me think that the realized, oppressives outcome are not intentional. However, we often find ourselves working in and hating very dysfunctional cultures, even if not by design. Whyte introduces the concept of hope in a effort to replace the all-too-present doubt and hegemony of the workplace. We may not be able to express ourselves freely at work but Whyte allows us some freedom to dream of that possibility during our reading of this book.

Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! If you have a soul, buy this book. If you are not sure....buy this book. This book is an excellent exploration into the meaning of life + my job the incubus = a poetic awakening. David Whyte is a wonderful philosopher.

David Whyte writes in a truly inspiring way. When I worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium many of us read this book as we struggled to grow better as an organization. This book was the catalyst to many personal "AH HA!" moments. Not just for me, but for many of my colleagues as well. From there I found myself in love with poetry again too. David's poetry is powerful and meaningful. The heart aroused is your own, and worth coming back to.

I have some real mixed feelings about this book. On the one hands I really like how Mr. Whyte used such unconventional ways to get his point across (he uses poetry to point out the flaws in the corporate world), but on the other hand, a lot of the points in the book made me scratch my head and go 'huh?!'.
The material is very deep and even where there is supposed to be just a small, simple message, Whyte seems to make it complicated so that the meaning looks to be more profound.

How much of our corporate productivity is impeded by pettiness and posturing in the workplace? Seems a corporate healer like David Whyte is needed to stand for finding and reminding folks of a different bottom line.

Whyte has a unique capacity to make powerful connections between the inner core that fills us with emotion and caring and the places we do our work, sometimes even at the place where our job is located, though not often. His observation that we leave as much as 55% of our true self "in the car" each day when we go in our office to work is so powerfully true. I dare say there are few among us who cannot relate to that feeling. And yet, it is the 55% of ourselves that the company we work for really wants and needs but rarely gets. Unfortunately because of the patriarchal environments that many organizations (not always corporations or even private sector businesses) create we all too often find no real fulfillment in the workplace. That is sad because I never have read any mission statements that pronounce "We ABSOLUTELY are not going to have fun or like one another around here." That makes me think that the realized, oppressives outcome are not intentional. However, we often find ourselves working in and hating very dysfunctional cultures, even if not by design. Whyte introduces the concept of hope in a effort to replace the all-too-present doubt and hegemony of the workplace. We may not be able to express ourselves freely at work but Whyte allows us some freedom to dream of that possibility during our reading of this book.

Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! If you have a soul, buy this book. If you are not sure....buy this book. This book is an excellent exploration into the meaning of life + my job the incubus = a poetic awakening. David Whyte is a wonderful philosopher.

David Whyte writes in a truly inspiring way. When I worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium many of us read this book as we struggled to grow better as an organization. This book was the catalyst to many personal "AH HA!" moments. Not just for me, but for many of my colleagues as well. From there I found myself in love with poetry again too. David's poetry is powerful and meaningful. The heart aroused is your own, and worth coming back to.

My 22 month old son loves many books, but this one has been a stand-out since the first read. He keeps asking for it "again" at the ending and has started to take it to bed with him. I was initially surprised, but now I also love the rhythmic pace and gentle story.

My husband is from Thailand and we were having a hard time finding books that were for children with Thai themes. This was perfect. Our 1 year old son enjoys the colorful pages and the story is just the right length. I actually enjoy all childrens books by this author.

The little ones I read this to absolutely delight in the gentle, rolling rhythms of Hush! It's become a pre-nap favorite in their house.

I bought this book for my little grandbaby on his lst birthday .. I wanted to start building up his "library", and I found this title under a listing of Caldecott Award winners. The colors are wonderful, as are the graphics. The story is very sweet and something every parent can appreciate. I only wish this book was available in a more hard-bound format. I can see how little fingers can (and probably will) be too hard on the pages.

This is one of the few perfect books, perfect diction, few words as possible, using each word carefully and effectively to create a simple but strong story.

Not a book that is nice to have, but an indispensable necessary book. It's so special!

Saadia Aschemann's poetry is direct and earthy, the product of an artist who has clearly studied her craft and then gone on to push the envelope and create a delightful writing personality of her own. There is no hasty `free verse' tossed in to fill pages--no, Aschemann obviously crafts her work as a painter fills his canvas or a sculptor works her stone. Each poem is a musical accomplishment that reflects the best of her when she turns it over to her audience--and each deserves a `Bravo!'

As has been noted by other reviewers, "lavish Lines/luscious lies" provides the reader with tantalizing clues on the historical background of many styles used by the author, such as the dreamy poem, "Sestina," after which she draws us back to its origins in the twelfth century.

I enjoyed how Aschemann conspires with the reader to enhance their enjoyment of her work, such as with the poem, "Hush." "Read in a Whisper," she insists and, if you haven't, you look around in hopes you haven't given something away.

For anyone wanting something new and dynamic in the world of poetry, poet Saadia Aschemann is just the thing for you.

These passionate words float over the lips, dance on the tongue and caress and warm the inside. This book paints 21st century color into the character, zest, and rich beauty of wine, woman, song and much, much more.

Cleverly set in vibrant poetic forms, every syllable has deliberate purpose, meaning, and punch; like a great bass player setting the groove in a hot band. Lavish Lines certainly grooves word for word.

The book's virtue lies in the intoxicating rhythm of those beautiful words; weaving life equally into the precious and mundane moments of life. Sex, wine and passion share the stage with family, boredom and neurosis. Their interplay makes for magic days and nights that lift the human spirit and make them interesting and lovely and so damn worth living.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/REYMYLJ29TSR5 lavish Lines/luscious Lies[[ASIN:B000XEBVXS

Flirtations and Booze - A Short Collection of Poems]]

Saadia's flowing verse is like a viking ship of Valkyries coming to take you away. You know they're going to rough you up, but you can't stop staring at their shiny metal bikinis and hoping they'll kiss you first. She is a talented writer and poet who paints pictures of experience and emotion with her words. Her writings keep you thinking and feeling all the way through. I loved this.

I found Saadia's clever poetic word play a pleasure to read. Her inner-voice is playful, flirtatious and sensuous. I enjoyed these short works as they each left me with a pleasant vibe, I looked forward to her next piece. Saadia's muse often eminates from "spirits" she befriends. At the end of her book, you find yourself likewise wishing to share a drink with this new friend you have met.

Stephen Kuusisto, the author of the memor "Planet of the Blind," is a poet. You can hear it in every word he writes.

His moving memoir focuses on being legally blind and on the challenges he faced every single day trying to pretend he was a normal, "seeing" person. Along the way, you watch him grow up from an isolated, awkward child to a sensitive and extremely determined individual, one who lived in constant fear of being labled not normal, yet whose refusal to get help made everyday living a challenge to his own survival. At the end, he finally gains independence and normalcy in the form of a guide dog. It is a moment that brought me to tears.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this well-written and inspiring memoir, which does read like a poem. It took me just a few hours to read finish it, it was so engrossing. It also opened my eyes to the world of the blind, a world I had never really considered before.

Thank you, Mr. Kuusisto, for sharing your story.

When I picked up this book, I was expecting an autobiography, a memoir of a blind person. I've always wondered how a blind person "sees" the world, so I was curious to read the book. What I got was something much more than a non-fictional account. The prose is absolutely striking, poetic, full of rich vivid metaphors. It inspired tears, and laughter, and rage, and awe in me at different points in the book.

This book is more than a non-fictional autobiography. It's a work of high literature. You will be enriched after having read it.

I was reccommended to read Planet of The Blind due to my interest in writing stories about people who had disabilities and about by own disablility for I'm visually impaired myself and I have an interest in writing. So I read Steven Kuusisto's book Planet of the Blind and found it very facinating and inspiring! I highly reccomend it! I'd love to know what is he doing now and is he still writing and speaking of the book?

I read Stephen's book late into the night and then got up and read more in the morning. The book not only brought me new understanding of the world of blindness, it spoke intimately of the journey of self-acceptance. Stephen's story is threaded through with grace, and his language is musical. A deeply spiritual memoir; you will finish it changed.

As a legally blind person, who had totally blind parents, this vividly written book went a long way in helping me come to terms with my own situation. Like Stephen, for years I was in denial about my own limited vision and tried, successfully for a time, to "pass" as fully sighted. This is no longer possible and I have to face my own limitations head on, as Stephen finally does.

I recommend this book to anyone who would like to understand what living on the "Planet of the Blind" is really like, and for anyone who enjoys beautiful writing.

I picked up this book with pretty low expectations since I've read other retellings of classical stories which have either distorted them or were extremely pedestrian. This one, however, is wonderful. It's a page-turner; many times, I got up early so I could read some before work! Beyond that, though, the characters come across as both human and more than human. Even the main villain, Ravana, has admirable qualities; his death, though necessary, becomes a true tragedy. If you have any interest in the Rama story or just want a great read, buy this book.

I have not read the original multi-volume Ramayana, the great Indian religious epic describing the travels of Rama, an avatar of Vishnu. The basic plotline is that Rama, the heir-apparent to the kingdom of Kosala centered in Ayodhya, is driven into exile in the forest, loses his beloved wife Sita to a kidnapping by the terrible demon Ravana and the rest of the story I will leave readers to discover. (Note that the Ramayana is considered Scripture in India, and not merely a story). I am not Indian: as a non-native I find this an incredibly accessible work, and a beautifully lyrical and inspired version. The creator of this version admits that he himself has read only translations of the work, however, there is definitely divine inspiration behind his efforts, as reading it feels like a thoroughly enjoyable spiritual practice. I look forward to continuing this practice regularly.

In a way, The Ramayana reads like a "chick-flick". However, it is so much more than that. It teaches about Love, War, Prejudice, Loyalty, etc. It teaches about a peaceful way of being. Great, great book for people of all ages.

Almost everyone in the world has heard of Homer's "Iliad" & "Odyssey". They've also heard of "Beowulf" and "Don Quixote" and, of course, "Lord of the Rings". Why is it that the Ramayana is not well-known? It's an Indian masterpiece, an epic of vast proportions that is equal to "Odyssey", and a religious setting that's almost as great as "The Pilgrim's Progress".

It is the story of Rama and his wife Sita, who has been captured by a raksha (a.k.a. demon) named Ravana. 75 percent of this story deals with Rama's attempt (with the help of his brother Lakshmana) to rescue his beloved wife. The man's quest involves many encounters with meat-eating trees, hermits, talking animals, and a vast monkey army (this isn't "Planet of the Apes", I'll tell you that).

Ramesh Menon's retelling of Valmiki's Ramayana is a good one. It's perfect for today's generation, and there are only a few words that need to be looked up in the dictionary.

The one problem I had with this epic is that there is a constant stream of sobbing. Many characters cry for many reasons. I know I'd feel emotional when something bad happens, but this seems constant in Ramayana, and it becomes quite irritating.

So anyway, The Ramayana is a treat for those who love epics and fantastical imagery. And if you don't mind polygamy in fiction, then you'll do fine.

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Gods, Demons and Heroes, locked in titanic battle in the mythical days of yore, and performing great feats of strength and/or self sacrifice ... what's not to love about that ?

The Ramayana is one of the great literary epics of Ancient India, retold in this version in full-length and easy-to-read English prose form. It's the story of the life and trials of Rama, a mortal incarnation (avatar) of the great Hindu God, Vishnu. However, it's more than just a simple mythological adventure story ... it's also a morality play. Rama is an archetypal example of a perfect man, dutiful son and pious husband; and likewise his wife Sita is an archetype of the perfect woman/wife. Together they are sent into exile by an act of betrayal, and by fate, and face a series of challenges that mercilessly test their quality and character ... encountering, in no particular order, wandering holymen/beggars, murderous rakshasas, diabolical demons, Gods, Devas, and creatures and spirits of the forest.

The thing that a lot of English & Western readers might otherwise overlook is that this epic is a revered part of Hindu literature, in much the same way that the adventures and trials of Jesus of Nazareth are told in the New Testament of the Bible.

The book is very enjoyable, and can be read on a number of different levels ... as both a simple mythological fantasy, as well as literary classic that indirectly underlies one of the world's major religions.

Some of the deeds and actions by the characters in the story might seem incomprehensible to some of us westerners, but that's just par for the course in grasping the deep seated psychological & religious differences between different cultures, with differing role models.

The author, thoughtfully, included a helpful appendix which defines some of the hindi words that appear in the story (ex: "moksha" loosely translates as "embodied enlightenment"), but it's by no means complete ... but it's enough for a western reader to get by without too much trouble.

In any case, it's a very enjoyable tale.