Storybook Favorites

Image Information: Ravana on his throne

Image Source: Ravana in Lanka

The first storybook I chose was The Ravana Diaries which begins by following Ravi, an archeologist, who is hoping to find artifacts to help the world better understand Ravana and the role he played in the development of man. After decades of searching, just as the Ravi is feeling as if he cannot continue any longer he happens upon what could be Ravana’s diary. The stories that follow are excerpts of the diary that occurred during important parts of Ravana’s life. I think the concept of reexamining an ancient story from another point of view is interesting, and the way this story introduces that concept draws me in and makes me want to know more about both Ravana and Ravi.

Image: Pixabay by Koltrein

The next project I chose was Nine Lives of a Cat. This story stuck out to me because the theme of connecting the common threads that exist in mythology, religion, literature, and folklore from different cultures has always been a fascinating to me. The introduction of this story introduces the idea that many of the important cats that appear throughout history in stories from around the world are all the same semi-immortal feline that has played roles of varying importance throughout the history of man. This concept along with the possibility of looking at many different cultures through the lens of a dispassionate observer got me interested to continue reading this story.

The final story I chose to profile was Ramayana Counseling, Inc. This story follows Dr. Valmiki a therapist as he provides counseling services to the families of King Dasharatha and King Janaka. I like the idea of following characters past the battlefield and other harrowing situations to discuss the emotional impact situations like that can have on a person. The introduction of this story left me intrigued to see if it focused on this chain of thought or if it focused on the novelty of ancient royalty getting therapy.