Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana, Part C

During this section I really appreciated Sita's concern for her husband Rama. Instead of worrying about her own safety she urged Lakshmana to go after him and make sure he was okay. Of course this ended up being stupid of her, and she was put in danger. Even Jatayu couldn't save her, although he did manage to let Rama and Lakshmana know what happened and where she went.

Tara intrigues me. She was married to Sugreeva once, and now to Vali. Where does her heart truly lie? What are her real feelings about it all? Has she grown to love Vali more? Surely she knew the truth about what had happened while he was gone. Did she never try to set the record straight? Was she truly sad when Vali died? Is there any source of loyalty to Sugreeva at all?

I'm not loving the fact most characters have multiple names. It gets confusing to keep straight. I wish they could choose one way of referring to them and continue it.

I liked Sampathi's (jatayu's older brother) story. In telling it, it also impacted Hunuman's life by helping him learn about his capabilities. I had wished he was going to join the group to help find Sita. I didn't realize earlier in the story that Jatayu was in charge of a group. I wish they would've clarified that earlier.

This was a good section, but it hasn't been my favorite. I think there are definitely a lot more cliff hanger kind of things happening currently.

(Jatayu on Flickr)

                                      Narayan, R. K. The Ramayana. Vision Books, 2000.