The Mahabharatha: A Child's View

The Mahabharatha: A Child's View #2

by Samhita Arni

A grand and complex epic, comparable in scale to the Greek Iliad and Odyssey , The Mahabharatha tells an ancient tale of war, kingship, honor and revenge. It narrates the fortunes of a royal household torn by conflict. Unable to decide on a suitable heir to a throne he has sworn to protect, an ancient patriarch gives in to the capricious demands of warring cousins. Hatred and envy flare into a fratricidal war. Samhita Arni’s compact and accessible narrative allows readers from other contexts to get to know this ancient tale whose massive cast of characters is part of every Indian child’s imagination. Her beautifully illustrated version of the ancient epic is a worldwide success. It has been translated into Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portugese. “Reading this enchanting work is really one of the best ways to approach The Mahabharatha , both for adults as well as for children.”—Roberto Calasso

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Samhita Arni has been interested in Hindu mythology since she was a child. She has written The Mahabaharata: A Child’s View, a version of another great Indian epic, which has been translated into seven languages and was named Book of the Month by the German Academy for Youth Literature and Media, and one of the Best Published Books of 2004 by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. It also won the Elsa Morante Literary Award (Department of Culture, Campania, Italy). Samhita has also written scripts for film and television and is currently working on a thriller based on The Ramayana. She lives in Bangalore, India.

Reviews

[Ishita Chouhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I really love about Samhita Arni's approach is that it's not bias. It's a wonderful way to introduce the children to various events of Mahabharata.

[Maria Fernanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just wish it had more lines about Bhishma teaching Yudhishtira. But overall it's perfect. Beautiful drawings, great narrative.

[Sahir D'souza. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samhit Arni is brilliant. This book is brilliant. The Mahabharat is brilliant. Everything about it is brilliant. Too much redundancy. But seriously, this book is a very touching and appealing retelling of the great Indian epic. All mythology-lovers should read this book.

[Neelima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the series totally. I recommend!