Alan Garner’s Rāmāyana

Abstract

This article is a study of Alan Garner’s retelling of the Rāmāyana, which was published in short-story collections in 1969 and 2011. The first part of the article compares Garner’s version with the version from which he worked, and on that basis discusses and attempts to account for his adaptation strategies. The second part of the article discusses the final paragraph of Garner’s Rāmāyana, which is taken directly from his source and promises rewards to whoever receives or disseminates the text. This paragraph had a profound effect upon Garner when he first encountered it, and serves as a key to his retelling and his career.