THE SLAYING OF THE DRAGON: Tales of the Hindu Gods

by Rosalind--Adapt. Kerven ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 1987

Thirteen lackluster tales of Hindu gods and demons--including stories of the boy-god Krishna, the love of Rama and Sita, and the warrior goddess Parvati, and ending with a very brief explanation of the Hindu pantheon and a section entitled ""Some Interesting Facts about Hinduism."" Though most likely well-intentioned, this is poorly written, poorly bound, and, unfortunately, dull. The writing is repetitive and cliched, giving little indication of the rich culture and tradition wherein these tales originated. No glory or splendor here--just a pedestrian retelling with lapses into 20th-century slang. (Why the demons fighting for possession of Sita have cockney accents is inexplicable.) While many fine collections of Hindu myths are out of print, there's no justification for settling for second, rate material. Jaffrey's excellent Seasons of Splendour is still available; if you have Seeger's Ramayana or Smith's Tree of Life (both out of print), keep them.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 100

Publisher: Deutsch--dist. by Dutton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1987

Categories: CHILDREN'S