Ayur Pulle

My original Ramayana audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Ramayana: An Ancient Indian Epic is a shortened retelling of the ancient Hindu religious epic, The Ramayana by two brothers, Ayur and Shreyas Pulle. Their intent was to retell this epic in hopes of making a written adaptation that was more approachable for a younger audience. The Ramayana tells the story of Rama, a king of the Surya dynasty, who is an avatar of Vishnu, a form of God in the Hindu religion. The overarching story is that prior to his rule, Rama is exiled to the forest for 14 years. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana choose to accompany him. During this exile, Sita is abducted by an evil demon, Ravana. Rama and Lakshmana, embark on a quest to find and save Rama’s wife, Sita, and to fight off the evil demon Ravana. During this quest, they meet many allies that help them in their fated fight of good against evil.

Ayur and Shreyas Pulle have done an admirable job condensing a lengthy and complex epic into a short story suited for children. The story is focused on main plot points of the epic, creating a comprehensive story from beginning to end that includes many details. Any violence that would be seen in a dramatization of the epic is glossed over making the story better for children. In addition to the main characters, a number of memorable characters appear in the story either to help Rama or to fight against him. While the retelling could have been improved by emphasizing the moral plot points even if it caused an increase in length, it is well organized for a children’s story.

The narration is done by the two authors of the adaptation, Ayur and Shreyas Pulle. They do a good job with the voices and speaking in unison when appropriate. The production quality is good and the musical interludes work well. I would recommend this story to children as an approachable introduction to the epic, Ramayana or to an older listener who wants to be reminded of the major plot points of this epic.

Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.… (mehr)