Mitchell's Gita in a universal spiritual contextJanuary 31, 2006 10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Remarkable how Mr Mitchell liberates this book from the bondage of Indian philosophy and shows it as the mystical and universal text it needs to be. And with remarkable restraint he represents a universal poem of love to the divine without the western baggage of religiousity and pomp. So there are two qualities to enjoy in this book which put it above other translations.
In the context of 21st century publishing, Mitchell's position is almost unique in having translated and rendered a universal core of spiritual literature. The positioning this book seems pure hearted to me, as part of Mitchell's own seeking, and part of what he has to share to the world. So it is deep in that sense.
But some passages left me puzzled. I know a little bit of sanskrit, much less no doubt than this translator, but specific passages of American will not yield the same nuances of the original language no matter how you twist them, nor will the readership tolerate graceless translations of this luminous poem. It just won't fit into the words!
So the problem if any is between different readerships, the traditional and the modern especially.
The text is beautiful and deep and lovely. I read it over a large coffee in a Borders cafe, then twice at home over the next three days, so its simplicity is not to be doubted. The book really is all it promises to be: a new translation for an open minded readership wishing to gain a quick acquaintence with a deep book. And it works wonders there. Other translations have taken days to read a few chapters at a time and this is so easy to read and digest.
One gripe is that he refers to the female readership in his introduction, because of the male orientation of Krishna's advice. I don't know that this piece of political correctness adds anything at all to the book's timeless quality. When a poem speaks for all humanity for all time, does Mitchell need to concern himself with the lack of a reference to the feminine gender in the text? Surely women can tolerate a few "he" and "his" without threatening their humanism. Frankly I would prefer the next edition delete this from the introduction.
I love this book and intend to read it many times over. I don't think it suffers from Mitchell's universalist spirituality, nor do I think it will go out of print for many years to come, because it is beautifully packaged, lucid to the point of transparency, and appropriately contextualised for the global spirituality of the 21st century.
I highly recommend it.
goodDecember 30, 2005 1 out of 16 found this review helpful
good
Good Introduction to the GitaMay 12, 2005 13 out of 14 found this review helpful
Over the years I have tried to read the Bhagvad Gita in English, but did not find any good translations that held my interest. While I knew the story, and the underlying philosophy of the book, I often found it a bit disconcerting that I could completely comprehend the sanksrit stanzas.
Mitchell has taken some liberties with this great epic poem, but the end result is a beautiful rendition of the Gita, and I have read and re-read many of the chapters repeatedly marvelling at the clarity and simplicity of Mitchell's rendition of this great epic.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who want to know more about the Gita and its underlyng philosophy.
Amazing, Elevated PoetryFebruary 11, 2005 4 out of 9 found this review helpful
The quality of this work is exceptional. I'd be surprised if you could find language this ele-vated anywhere else (except for the Book of Isaiah - in the original language).
A teenager and a few big books.August 24, 2004 14 out of 16 found this review helpful
Hello everyone, here you're getting a review from a 19 year old christian. What business do I have with the Bhagavad Gita? Well, believe it or not, the book itself is an amazing one. Mr. Mitchell does a wonderful job of bringing it to colloquial life by putting it in a language which is approachable and digestable. However, I cannot help but feel that perhaps some of the subtleties of the Gita have been lost, but to a newcomer that's not a problem.
What I really loved about this book was that there was a great abundance of space left in the margins for notes. I had the room to comment, reference other spiritual/religious books, and even remind myself to keep in mind the modern scholar's outlook on troubling passages and the myriad of possible interpretations. I intend to use this version of the Gita at a local Gita discussion session held on the campus of the University of Kansas, as I have taken the time to study the book thoroughly and will have ample reflections, critiques, and questions in the margins for other students and children of God.
Truly a beautiful book: visually, dramatically and spiritually.
