The Mahabharatha: A Child's View

The Mahabharatha: A Child's View #1

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

116 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

[Karthika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised and charmed that a little girl has written this book. She has wonderfully captured the essence of the great epic in her simple, child-like language. I would definitely recommend this version to kids and to beginners. Also great were her illustrations where she captured the happy, sad, gloomy, angry faces so perfectly. It was quite interesting to observe the drawings. She did a good job with the first half of the story. I am going to read the second book too.
Mahabharata is my all time favorite story. And I will read it in any format and any language in which I can read.

[Ishita Chouhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in English. It's an amazing book to introduce children to the Indian epic. I really loved the foreword and it amazed me how an 11 year old girl didn't vibe with Ramayana and why we prefers draupadi over sita.

[Maria Fernanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book for adults and children, for anyone who doesn't know this epic history, which dialogues with our lives, either western or eastern.

[dplastino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penso che il Mahabharata stia diventando una delle mie storie preferite. Quando mi sono avvicinata la prima volta a questo grande poema epico è stato più che altro per curiosità, ma oggi quando trovo una versione nuova o particolare come questa cerco di recuperarla.
La versione di Samhita Arni mi è davvero piaciuta, penso sia perfetta per avvicinare i lettori giovani ma è una valida porta d'ingresso anche per il lettore adulto che non conosce l'opera (e perché no, anche per chi la conosce e vuole leggerla sotto un punto di vista nuovo).
Ho apprezzato la narrazione fresca, il candore, la chiarezza di Arni (non era facile con i tanti personaggi in scena), eppure non manca di profondità e precisione negli eventi centrali della storia.
Sono davvero contenta che questo libro sia stato pubblicato in Italia, è una bella occasione per avvicinare i più giovani a questa affascinante epopea.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the myth of the Five Brothers Pandavas, who war with their cousins, the Kauravas. Deep within this story is the meaning of a "pure" life, and revenge given to those who are corrupt. It is not hard to keep track of the families because their lines are recorded on the first two pages of the book. Through marriage and death, sorrow and happiness, the reader becomes aware of India in the past - its religion and beliefs. The reincarnation of the revered gods are the ones who survive. Their powers decide their fates. Archaeologists have proven that armies have fought on the same battlegrounds as depicted in this story.

[Suchitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is especially a good book for anyone who needs an introduction to the Mahabharata......kids or adults....
The Mahabharata explained easily but still not losing its flavour! Enjoyed reading it . This is part one. Plan to read part two when I get hold of it.

[Neelima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book.

[Sahir D'souza.]

I read this so long ago that I don't remember it too well. I loved Part 2 so much that I'm dying to read this one again.

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion, the author is an absolute genius.