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Samskara: A Rite for a Dead Man (Oxford India Collection) | 
 enlarge | Author: U.r. Anantha Murthy
Creator: A.k. Ramanujan
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $1.11
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New (21) Used (42) from $1.11
Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 417713
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2
Pages: 176
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 4.7 x 0.4
ISBN: 0195610792
Dewey Decimal Number: 428
EAN: 9780195610796
ASIN: 0195610792
Publication Date: June 21, 1979
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Product Description
Made into a powerful, award-winning film in 1970, this important Kannada novel of the sixties has received widespread acclaim from both critics and general readers since its first publication in 1965. As a religious novel about a decaying brahmin colony in the south Indian village of Karnataka, Samskara serves as an allegory rich in realistic detail, a contemporary reworking of ancient Hindu themes and myths, and a serious, poetic study of a religious man living in a community of priests gone to seed. A death which stands as the central event in the plot brings in its wake a plague, many more deaths, live questions with only dead answers, moral chaos, and the rebirth of one man. The volume provides a useful glossary of Hindu myths, customs, Indian names, flora, and other terms. Notes and an afterword enhance the self-contained, faithful, and yet readable translation.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 A Masterpiece July 20, 2000
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
There are two outstanding features of this book. The first being brilliant storytelling. The tale is a critical look at the life style of the "upper classes" of Hindu society during the early part of the twenthieth century. The plot is deftly interwoven with Hindu philosophy and the result is quite remarkable. The second feature is the tralsation. Having read the original Kannada version, I found the traslation to be very lucid . This is a must read for everyone familiar to the the Indian social setup and also for those who are interested in getting introduced to it.
Excellent symbolic story October 26, 1999
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I was not excited when I learned that I had to read this for my Religion 1 Class at Dartmouth College because it looked long and boring. In reality, it was a gripping story that ranks up there with the greats. And if you liked Hesse's Siddhartha, you'll like this too.
A great piece of work January 21, 1999
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
A wonderful translation of a outstanding book from its Kannada original. The book traces events in an orthodox Brahmin village in Karnataka. It gently and very sensitively pokes holes in the close mindedness that has typified the so called higher castes in India. The book was writen in the 1960s, but remains relevant today. Accompanied by an outstanding glossary (it is worth buying the book just to read the glossary).
 A Flawed but Interesting Book November 17, 1999
6 out of 11 found this review helpful
This is quite an interesting book. It's a shame that Ananta Murthy seems to have lost inspiration two-thirds of the way through the book, and fails to provide a conclusion. As any storyteller, Indian or otherwise, will tell you, a good story requires a beginning, middle, and end. I hope that more publishing houses in England, India, and the U.S. take the initiative to publish such graceful translations of literature from the rich traditions of India's many regional languages.
Excellent November 30, 1999
rkroll@princeton.edu (Princeton, NJ United States)
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
Mr. Murthy's book is delicately told, with exquisite attention to detail. I did one of the inside jacket illustrations for a book of his when I was six, and have liked the man and his work ever since. Look for the new Penguin Paperback of his, _Bhava_ (co-translated by my mom... OK, so I am unfairly partial to his work). Read it and decide.
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