<DIV>A sweeping tale of abduction, battle, and courtship played out in a universe of deities and demons, The Ramayana has been thrilling readers and listeners since the fourth century BC. Here, R. K. Narayan-one of India's greatest literary lights-draws on the work of the eleventh-century poet, Kamban, and recounts it with the narrative flair of a master novelist. Narayan's Ramayana is an ancient treasure to be savored as much for its wisdom, spiritual depth, and insight as for its colorful portrayal of otherworldly passion and strife.</div>