Overview: R. Menon. Ramayana.

Title: The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic
Author:  Ramesh Menon
Year: 2004

Comment: This is a wonderfully detailed, modern prose retelling of the traditional Ramayana.

Bizzell Reserves. Go to the Bizzell Reserve Desk to check out a Kindle with this book; you can learn about the Bizzell Kindles here.

Bizzell Stacks. There is also a copy available for checkout from the regular Bizzell stacks: BL 1139.22 .E54 2004 (click to see if it is checked out or not).

Kindle: You can buy your own Kindle copy copy from Amazon for $9.99 (checked price November 2017); more about Kindles.

Length. This would last for eight weeks of reading, which is more than you would even need for the class. So, I've divided it up into sections A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P, and you can decided which section(s) are most interesting to you to read.

WEEK 1:
Reading A:
The Demon's Boons
Prologue
Book One: Bala Kanda
1. On the Banks of the River Tamasa
2. A Curse
3. The Ramayana
4. Ayodhya
5. The Need for an Avatara
6. King Dasharatha's Son
7. Vishvamitra
8. Kamasrama
9. The Cursed Forest
10. The Legend of Vamana
11. A Yagna Completed
12. By the Golden Sona
Reading B:
13. Ganga
14. Rishi Gautama's Ashrama
15. Mithila
16. Shiva's Bow
17. Dasharatha Goes to Mithila
18. Rama Kalyana
19. Bhargava
Book Two: Ayodhya Kanda
1. Rama
2. A Yuvaraja for Ayodhya
3. The Joyful News
4. Preparations for a Crowning
5. A Queen's Mind is Poisoned
6. The Long Night

WEEK 2:
Reading C:
7. At the Palace
8. The Boons of Kaikeyi
9. Lakshmana's Anger
10. The Way of Dharma
11. Sita
12. Lakshmana
13. Rama and Dasaratha
14. Rama Leaves Ayodhya
15. Grief
16. The People of Ayodhya
17. The Hunter King
18. Across the Ganga
19. Into the Deep Vana
20. Rishi Bharadwaja's Ashrama
21. Chitrakuta
22. Sumantra Returns
23. A Forgotten Curse
24. The Death of a King
Reading D:
25. Bharata
26. Kaushalya
27. Last Rites
28. To the Vana
29. A Night in an Ashrama
30. A Reunion of Brothers
31. A Question of Dharma
32. Parting
33. Nandigrama
Book Three: Aryan Kanda
1. Leaving Chitrakuta
2. Anasuya
3. Deeper into the Jungle

WEEK 3:
Reading E:
4. Sharabhanga
5. A Matter of Dharma
6. Ten Years
7. Agastya Muni
8. A Friend in the Wilderness
9. A Battle at Panchavati
10. In Lanka
11. Surpanakha Again
12. Maricha Persuaded
13. A Golden Deer
Reading F:
14. The Dark Mendicant
15. The Valor of Jatayu
16. Sita in Lanka
17. Rama's Despair
18. Wrath
19. Jatayu Dies
20. Kabandha
21. Shabari
22. Rama's Grief
Book Four: Kishkinda Kanda
1. On Rishyamuka
2. A Friendship Sworn
3. The Vanara Brothers
4. Dundubhi
5. Seven Shala Trees
6. An Arrow from the Leaves
7. Vali's Anguish
8. The Light Beyond

WEEK 4:
Reading G:
9. Tara's Grief
10. King of the Vanaras
11. The Rains and After
12. Grief and Anger
13. Lakshmana Goes to Kishkinda
14. The Diplomacy of Tara
15. The Quest for Sita
16. In the South
17. Despair
18. Sampati
19. Who Will Cross the Sea?
20. The Son of the Wind
Reading H:
Book Five: Sundara Kanda
1. The Leap of Faith
2. Lankini
3. Lanka
4. In Ravana's Antapura
5. The Little Temple
6. In the Ashokavana
7. Trijata's Dream
8. The Shimshupa Tree
9. The Way of Dharma
10. The Choodamani
11. The Terrible Vanara
12. The Coils of an Astra

WEEK 5:
Reading I:
13. In Ravana's Sabha
14. The Monkey's Tail
15. A Hero Returns
16. The King's Vineyard
17. "Lord, I Have Seen Sita!"
Book Six: Yuddha Kanda
1. On Prasravana
2. Below Mahendra
3. The King's Brother
4. The Rakshasas' Council
5. The Good Rakshasa
6. Suka
Reading J:
7. Rama and the Ocean
8. Nalasetu
9. Spies
10. A Magic Head
11. The Enemy at the Gate
12. Between Two Hills
13. Sugriva
14. Angada's Mission
15. A Serpent Bond
16. A Ray of Hope
17. The Splendorous One
18. The Jungle Warriors
19. Terrible Mercy

WEEK 6:
Reading K:
20. A Monster is Roused
21. The Dreadful One
22. Weapons of Light
23. A King's Despair
24. The Sons of Ravana
25. Brahmastra
26. Oshadhiparvata
27. The Sons of Kumbhakarna
28. Indrajit
29. Vile Deception
30. The Yagna at Nikumbhila
31. Ambush
32. Indrajit and Lakshaman
Reading L:
33. The Hero
34. Wrath
35. Moolabala
36. An Infernal Shakti
37. Sanjivini
38. The Two Great Enemies
39. At the Twilight Hour
40. The Fallen King
41. Mandodari
42. A New King in Lanka
43. Hanuman and Sita
44. Another Rama
45. Agni Pariksha
46. The Miraculous Sky

WEEK 7:
Reading M:
47. The Pushpaka Vimana
48. The Wonderful News
49. Rama Returns
50. Pattabhisheka: Rama's Coronation
Uttara Kanda:
1. In Rama's Sabha
2. The Race of Rakshasas
3. The Birth of Ravana
4. Dashagriva's Tapasya
5. Dashagriva Marries
6. The Crimes of Dashagriva
7. In Kubera's City
8. Dashagriva Gets a New Name
Reading N:
9. Vedavati's Curse
10. The Curse of Anaranya
11. Ravana and Yama
12. The Nivatakavachas and Others
13. Women
14. The Abduction of Kumbheenasi
15. The Violation of Rambha
16. The Invasion of Devaloka
17. The Battle of Devaloka
18. Brahma Intervenes
19. Ravana Worships Shiva
20. Ravana and Vali

WEEK 8:
Reading O:
21. Speaking of Hanuman
22. In Rama's Sabha
23. The Pushpaka Vimana
24. The Terrible Decision
25. Lakshmana's Anguish
26. Valmiki's Ashrama
27. Sumantra's Tale
28. Lakshmana and Rama
29. Stories in the Night
30. Shukra Curses Yayati
31. The Asura Lavana
32. In Valmiki's Ashrama
Reading P:
33. The Killing of Mandhata
34. A Brahman and His Son
35. The Death of a Shudra
36. Bhargava's Curse
37. The Tale of Ila
38. The Ashwamedha Yagna
39. The Uttara Kanda
40. Rama Prepares to Leave the World
41. Phalashruti