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Raavan (A Preview): Orphan of Aryavarta
3400 BCE, India
The mighty Lord of Lanka, Raavan, sets out to avenge the insult of his sister, Shurpanakha at the hands of the younger prince of Ayodhya, Lakshman. Aware that the Ayodhya royal trio are in exile he flies to Dandakaranya in the Lankan military aircraft, the Pushpak Vimaan. His mission? To capture the Vishnu.
For far will Raavan go to seek revenge?
Read this timeless tale to find out.
17 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2017
600 people are currently reading
4728 people want to read
About the author
Amish Tripathi
71 books7,750 followersAmish is an IIM (Kolkata) educated, banker turned award-winning author. The success of his debut book, The Immortals of Meluha (Book 1 of the Shiva Trilogy), encouraged him to give up a fourteen-year-old career in financial services to focus on writing. He is passionate about history, mythology and philosophy, finding beauty and meaning in all world religions.
His 7 books have sold over 5 million copies and been translated into 19 Indian & international languages. His Shiva Trilogy is the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history while his Ram Chandra Series is the second fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history.
In 2019, Amish was appointed to a diplomatic role as Director , The Nehru Centre in London, India's premier cultural centre abroad.
His 7 books have sold over 5 million copies and been translated into 19 Indian & international languages. His Shiva Trilogy is the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history while his Ram Chandra Series is the second fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history.
In 2019, Amish was appointed to a diplomatic role as Director , The Nehru Centre in London, India's premier cultural centre abroad.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
March 18, 2022
After reading Sita: Warrior of Mithila and not loving it as much as I had wanted to I was not expecting much from this book. I pre-ordered it and had it sitting on my bookshelf for a very long time before I started reading it. But once I started reading it, I was surprised to like it as much as I did. And of all the books, I didn't think I would like this the most from this series. You know, this being about Raavan and all but this actually exceeded my expectations.
Raavan starts right off where Sita finished but plot-wise, it doesn't go any further because we get a back-story on Raavan. The way Amish Tripathi captured Raavan's life and gave it his own spin was amazing. I loved reading about Raavan's life. But I still felt there was something lacking as Raavan was powerful beyond imagination in actuality. Amish Tripathi doesn't make him out to be all that powerful, yes he was a powerful warrior in this book but not much else. Amish Tripathi made him seem like a human more than I could have ever imagined Raavan to be. Amish Tripathi also made Raavan's image seem romantic when all I ever read about him prior to this was being ruthless and having done things for no apparent reason. But it didn't stop me from enjoying this book. I was surprised to like it so much.
I also liked Kumbhakarna's character and his loyalty to Raavan. I loved the writing in this more than the previous books in the series. I especially liked how Amish Tripathi tied everything so far and I cannot wait to read the next book and see how everything comes together.
I did think that this was the last book in the series as it was supposed to be a trilogy but obviously that isn't the case and I am really glad. I do wish that we get to see more of Hanuman than we have so far.
4 stars
Raavan starts right off where Sita finished but plot-wise, it doesn't go any further because we get a back-story on Raavan. The way Amish Tripathi captured Raavan's life and gave it his own spin was amazing. I loved reading about Raavan's life. But I still felt there was something lacking as Raavan was powerful beyond imagination in actuality. Amish Tripathi doesn't make him out to be all that powerful, yes he was a powerful warrior in this book but not much else. Amish Tripathi made him seem like a human more than I could have ever imagined Raavan to be. Amish Tripathi also made Raavan's image seem romantic when all I ever read about him prior to this was being ruthless and having done things for no apparent reason. But it didn't stop me from enjoying this book. I was surprised to like it so much.
I also liked Kumbhakarna's character and his loyalty to Raavan. I loved the writing in this more than the previous books in the series. I especially liked how Amish Tripathi tied everything so far and I cannot wait to read the next book and see how everything comes together.
I did think that this was the last book in the series as it was supposed to be a trilogy but obviously that isn't the case and I am really glad. I do wish that we get to see more of Hanuman than we have so far.
4 stars
January 4, 2021
Not so Enthusiastic...
Quite mysterious but not factual, so disappointing.. But still would like to go through the book thoroughly, at-least once. Will wait.
Quite mysterious but not factual, so disappointing.. But still would like to go through the book thoroughly, at-least once. Will wait.
October 3, 2020
The preview holds a lot of promise. Waiting for 3rd volume.
August 29, 2019
Amish has become the Chetan Bhagat of Mythology. Writes movie scripts not novels. This book does no justice to the one great thing about Ramayan -Ravanan. The book is actually a funny exaggerated parody novel about Ramayan. It has no believable facts.
Original- Pushpak Vimaan is a flying vehicle that carries people.
Amish's book - The Pushpak Vimaan is a military grade helicopter with rotors,levers, impenetrable glass windows and four operators. Ravan is wearing seat belts. Kumbkaran is an ace pilot. And it runs on fuel obtained from caves.
Does Amish think his readers are fools. And he kills every main character the same way. Ruthless and the eye gouged out. I mean what is with that. Sati, Jatayu, Vedavati(pure fictional character) all die with their eyes gouged out. At least try different methods of killing them,will you?
All in all really sad to see Amish's work spiraling down the drain like this. He started well and this was very disappointing.
Original- Pushpak Vimaan is a flying vehicle that carries people.
Amish's book - The Pushpak Vimaan is a military grade helicopter with rotors,levers, impenetrable glass windows and four operators. Ravan is wearing seat belts. Kumbkaran is an ace pilot. And it runs on fuel obtained from caves.
Does Amish think his readers are fools. And he kills every main character the same way. Ruthless and the eye gouged out. I mean what is with that. Sati, Jatayu, Vedavati(pure fictional character) all die with their eyes gouged out. At least try different methods of killing them,will you?
All in all really sad to see Amish's work spiraling down the drain like this. He started well and this was very disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2018
This may well be a number not counted in read books this year. As this is just a preview of the first chapter. Not a spoiler yet for the upcoming version yet, just does not reveal nothing.
January 12, 2020
He attempts to make you believe his opinion instead of stimulating the reader to think and form their own opinion. Totally playing into the present day politics of hindutva, fitting in shabarimala, and many other such socially relevant topics forcefully into the narrative ruins the book. There is no characterisation of ravaan at all. Seeming like Amish is using more of his IIM skills rather than literary skill.
September 22, 2017
Awesome.. It would have been more if released by Dussera...
It would have been a a great gift for readers like us if it would have been released by Dussera or Diwali...
However its just an expectation...
The book is still maintaining the flow and thrill...
Thank you Amish
It would have been a a great gift for readers like us if it would have been released by Dussera or Diwali...
However its just an expectation...
The book is still maintaining the flow and thrill...
Thank you Amish
December 19, 2017
Summary of Raavan a preview
A really nice structured insight. The story is engaging as any Amish book would be. But when I read about Raavan, I wish to know more about past life of Raavan rather than the part of Ramayan we all have read and/or seen beforehand.
A really nice structured insight. The story is engaging as any Amish book would be. But when I read about Raavan, I wish to know more about past life of Raavan rather than the part of Ramayan we all have read and/or seen beforehand.
April 27, 2019
Average
It is an average narrative. Somewhere the dialogues seems quite unrealistic. The concept is good, as with his other novels, but narration is not capturing enough.
It is an average narrative. Somewhere the dialogues seems quite unrealistic. The concept is good, as with his other novels, but narration is not capturing enough.
August 19, 2020
I love all the books of Amish. This too was an exciting ride. How he translates the abnormal to normal with logic is mind-blowing.
March 23, 2018
Sita
A nice read. New approach on narrating the story. Waiting for the third book.
P. S. Excellent work Amish Tripati.
A nice read. New approach on narrating the story. Waiting for the third book.
P. S. Excellent work Amish Tripati.
July 23, 2018
The preview holds a lot of promise. It is typical of Amish to present mythological characters in his own style, including the manner in which he narrates the events
March 10, 2018
Engaging preview. Eagerly waiting for the book.
April 10, 2018
a good introduction to great fition
October 4, 2017
I cannot comment on something incomplete, but the way its being written, its mesmerising.
I read the paperback edition of the Scion of Ikshvaku, but then got the kindle right after that, I failed to grab a copy of the second edition, will do now.
I still have no clue why Lankans are considering Lady Sita as Vishnu, isn't it Lord Ram who is the Vishnu Incarnation ?
I probably should read the warrior of mithila to know more.
I always wanted to know more about Ravana's background. Felt as the Ramayana we were told as kids were much of a biased one, not a neutral one.
But as a preview, this is great work. I can't wait to read the full release. Amish never ceases to amaze me.
I read the paperback edition of the Scion of Ikshvaku, but then got the kindle right after that, I failed to grab a copy of the second edition, will do now.
I still have no clue why Lankans are considering Lady Sita as Vishnu, isn't it Lord Ram who is the Vishnu Incarnation ?
I probably should read the warrior of mithila to know more.
I always wanted to know more about Ravana's background. Felt as the Ramayana we were told as kids were much of a biased one, not a neutral one.
But as a preview, this is great work. I can't wait to read the full release. Amish never ceases to amaze me.
March 25, 2018
An interesting read
Looking forward to reading the whole book. Found the current type of narration very interesting. Will be interesting, if you do it for the Shiva Trilogy too.
Looking forward to reading the whole book. Found the current type of narration very interesting. Will be interesting, if you do it for the Shiva Trilogy too.
January 22, 2018
Preview is connected from past books
As it’s Amish he has done good at defining the Gods in the most humane possible perspective!! It’s good job, how ever the series is getting more interesting with its two books out !! Waiting for third(this book) and the finale !!
As it’s Amish he has done good at defining the Gods in the most humane possible perspective!! It’s good job, how ever the series is getting more interesting with its two books out !! Waiting for third(this book) and the finale !!
September 27, 2017
Eagerly Awaiting
Completed reading Sita yesterday and got a glimpse of Raavan today.... Now 2018 seems far far away, Amish Sir let it be Jan 2018!!!
Completed reading Sita yesterday and got a glimpse of Raavan today.... Now 2018 seems far far away, Amish Sir let it be Jan 2018!!!
October 2, 2017
Waiting for it.
It's a bit different type of Ravan than I had in mind. Haha.. will be fun knowing him in this depiction.
It's a bit different type of Ravan than I had in mind. Haha.. will be fun knowing him in this depiction.
November 4, 2017
Waiting to see how Ravan will be revealed
Waiting to see how Ravan will be revealed
I wish this will be matching Ravan in Asura by Anand Nilakanthan...
Waiting to see how Ravan will be revealed
I wish this will be matching Ravan in Asura by Anand Nilakanthan...
November 22, 2017
Liked the pre-review.
Looking forward in 2018 for its full version :-)
Looking forward in 2018 for its full version :-)
December 24, 2017
Waiting to release the full edition.
December 23, 2017
Engaging read!
Engaging read! Though the story is known, still loved the way Amish penned it. Cannot wait to read the complete book.
Engaging read! Though the story is known, still loved the way Amish penned it. Cannot wait to read the complete book.
December 30, 2017
Excellent book.
It generated curiosity in my mind. I Can't wait for full book to be released. Amish Tripathi rocks again for this book.
It generated curiosity in my mind. I Can't wait for full book to be released. Amish Tripathi rocks again for this book.
January 4, 2018
Eagerly anticipating Raavan's story in this series. The little that I have read as preview has me eagerly anticipating the next installment of the Ramachandra series.
January 2, 2018
Preview is good Waiting for the Book
February 1, 2018
Definitely a good read
Well written. Gods and demons brought to the human level. Simple and beautiful. Engaging. Waiting for the book to release...
Well written. Gods and demons brought to the human level. Simple and beautiful. Engaging. Waiting for the book to release...
Read
July 5, 2019Raavan : An Enemy of Aryavarta by Amish Tripathi
A book which I ordered online much before it's release and awaited it's arrival with so much of eagerness !
A book I wish I could read in one uninterrupted sitting(given a choice I would have wanted to take a day's off from my work for that...hope my boss does not read this review😉) !
A book so fascinating that I was tempted to flip over the pages during traffic snarls and signals( hope my husband does not know about my super driving skills😎) !
I read the Shiva trilogy earlier and it had a mesmerizing effect. Then came the Ramchandra series. Frankly speaking Ram - Scion of Ikshvaku was a little disappointing. May be because of the fact that same situations have been the centre around which the plot revolves ...once from Rama's point of view and once from Sita's. Also may be because I read Sita- Warrior of Mithila first ,out of the sheer curiosity which the title itself had aroused ,for I, who belong to a generation whose brush with mythology especially the most revered epics ,Ramayana and Mahabharata, was only restricted to Ramanand Sagar's and BR Chopra's marathon television series, was fascinated with Sita being portrayed as a W.A.R.R.I.O.R ...a woman having an identity of her own ...a woman capable enough to be chosen for an important role in the history of mankind( do not want to spoil the plot for those who haven't read it yet!). It was an altogether different perspective on her character versus the perception that we have had basis stories passed on over generations.
So Ravana ..the third in the series was eagerly awaited and the wait was worth it! It is full of surprise elements...twists and turns especially at the climax . You do not know what's gonna unfold next till you actually read that sentence which throws surprises at you when you least expect it! Lots of lesser known facts and details about prime characters... especially Kuber... Vedavati and Prithvi... Samichi... Mara....Shabari....Vali and Sugreev...Vibhishan and Shurpanakha...Dashrath and Kumbhakaran and most importantly the central character of Ravaan himself...are intricately weaved into the fabric of the main plot and while good amount of hints were already revealed in the earlier books in the series you are left dumbstruck!
Do not want to reveal much as it would spoil the surprise element...but would want to end on an excerpt from an another equally brilliant author Ashwin Sanghi's - Keepers of the Kaalchakra which is a conversation between believers and non-believers in Mythology:
"Mythology is a set of lies that people rarely believe"
"And history?"
"A set of lies that people have agreed to believe"
So whether to shrug if off as a fabricated myth or look at it with a fresh perspective as a part of our history is a choice that I leave upto the readers!
A book which I ordered online much before it's release and awaited it's arrival with so much of eagerness !
A book I wish I could read in one uninterrupted sitting(given a choice I would have wanted to take a day's off from my work for that...hope my boss does not read this review😉) !
A book so fascinating that I was tempted to flip over the pages during traffic snarls and signals( hope my husband does not know about my super driving skills😎) !
I read the Shiva trilogy earlier and it had a mesmerizing effect. Then came the Ramchandra series. Frankly speaking Ram - Scion of Ikshvaku was a little disappointing. May be because of the fact that same situations have been the centre around which the plot revolves ...once from Rama's point of view and once from Sita's. Also may be because I read Sita- Warrior of Mithila first ,out of the sheer curiosity which the title itself had aroused ,for I, who belong to a generation whose brush with mythology especially the most revered epics ,Ramayana and Mahabharata, was only restricted to Ramanand Sagar's and BR Chopra's marathon television series, was fascinated with Sita being portrayed as a W.A.R.R.I.O.R ...a woman having an identity of her own ...a woman capable enough to be chosen for an important role in the history of mankind( do not want to spoil the plot for those who haven't read it yet!). It was an altogether different perspective on her character versus the perception that we have had basis stories passed on over generations.
So Ravana ..the third in the series was eagerly awaited and the wait was worth it! It is full of surprise elements...twists and turns especially at the climax . You do not know what's gonna unfold next till you actually read that sentence which throws surprises at you when you least expect it! Lots of lesser known facts and details about prime characters... especially Kuber... Vedavati and Prithvi... Samichi... Mara....Shabari....Vali and Sugreev...Vibhishan and Shurpanakha...Dashrath and Kumbhakaran and most importantly the central character of Ravaan himself...are intricately weaved into the fabric of the main plot and while good amount of hints were already revealed in the earlier books in the series you are left dumbstruck!
Do not want to reveal much as it would spoil the surprise element...but would want to end on an excerpt from an another equally brilliant author Ashwin Sanghi's - Keepers of the Kaalchakra which is a conversation between believers and non-believers in Mythology:
"Mythology is a set of lies that people rarely believe"
"And history?"
"A set of lies that people have agreed to believe"
So whether to shrug if off as a fabricated myth or look at it with a fresh perspective as a part of our history is a choice that I leave upto the readers!
Read
November 7, 2022This book changes a lot of our misconceptions about Raavan as a sentient being.
First of all, he is described as a Naga, or a mutant. Jain scriptures categorise him as a demi- God.
I think of him as a tragic character. His back story reveals him to be a victim of an abusive father. His father was disappointed with him and did not care enough about his child's feelings. At least,not enough to hide his disppointment. Kumbkarna, Raavan's younger brother, was also born a mutant. He was the only person that Raavan loved and could be his true self with.
Raavan was a genius. His intellect was that of ten beings. Unfortunately he had a strong latent streak of violence that was his undoing.
The journey of Raavan's soul is mapped in the Jain scriptures. In the next time cycle, he is going to be an omniscient. No soul is perfect, but Raavan's tremendous personality, finally takes him on the right moral path. Even so, it takes him a few more incarnations.
Author Amish Tripathi has this great talent for making his characters so believable. Given his penchant for mythological characters, this is quite a feat.
First of all, he is described as a Naga, or a mutant. Jain scriptures categorise him as a demi- God.
I think of him as a tragic character. His back story reveals him to be a victim of an abusive father. His father was disappointed with him and did not care enough about his child's feelings. At least,not enough to hide his disppointment. Kumbkarna, Raavan's younger brother, was also born a mutant. He was the only person that Raavan loved and could be his true self with.
Raavan was a genius. His intellect was that of ten beings. Unfortunately he had a strong latent streak of violence that was his undoing.
The journey of Raavan's soul is mapped in the Jain scriptures. In the next time cycle, he is going to be an omniscient. No soul is perfect, but Raavan's tremendous personality, finally takes him on the right moral path. Even so, it takes him a few more incarnations.
Author Amish Tripathi has this great talent for making his characters so believable. Given his penchant for mythological characters, this is quite a feat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2019
Hi All,
I was really looking forward to this book, once I read the mesmerising Part II of Ram Chandra Series. Before I start about this book, let me tell you I am big fan of Amish Tripathi's writing and always looked forward to his books.
Coming to this book, from the stories our mothers and the tv series we have an image of Raavan as a Villain and this book actually punctures a hole into that perception. Though the book touches upon Raavan's cruelty, but it does not describes his various atrocities (achievements for him) caused by Raavan. It focuses more on the personality of Raavan and what turned him into monster. Even the name Dashavatar description is so unconvincing compared to his previous series.
Though, this book did not meet my expectations, the grip usually Amish books have is missing in this book. I am sure the future series would be more interesting and I am waiting for the one.
Regards,
Ashutosh
I was really looking forward to this book, once I read the mesmerising Part II of Ram Chandra Series. Before I start about this book, let me tell you I am big fan of Amish Tripathi's writing and always looked forward to his books.
Coming to this book, from the stories our mothers and the tv series we have an image of Raavan as a Villain and this book actually punctures a hole into that perception. Though the book touches upon Raavan's cruelty, but it does not describes his various atrocities (achievements for him) caused by Raavan. It focuses more on the personality of Raavan and what turned him into monster. Even the name Dashavatar description is so unconvincing compared to his previous series.
Though, this book did not meet my expectations, the grip usually Amish books have is missing in this book. I am sure the future series would be more interesting and I am waiting for the one.
Regards,
Ashutosh
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews