A Rasa Reader - Classical Indian Aesthetics

Sheldon Pollock

Summary

From the early years of the Common Era to 1700, Indian intellectuals explored with unparalleled subtlety the place of emotion in art. Their investigations led to the deconstruction of art's formal structures and broader inquiries into the pleasure of tragic tales. Rasa, or taste, was the word they chose to describe art's aesthetics, and their passionate effort to pin down these phenomena became its own remarkable act of creation.This book is the first in any language to follow the evolution of rasa from its origins in dramaturgical thought—a concept for the stage—to its flourishing in literary thought—a concept for the page. A Rasa Reader incorporates primary texts by every significant thinker on classical Indian aesthetics, many never translated before. The arrangement of the selections captures the intellectual dynamism that has powered this debate for centuries. Headnotes explain the meaning and significance of each text, a comprehensive introduction summarizes major threads in intellectual-historical terms, and critical endnotes and an extensive bibliography add further depth to the selections. The Sanskrit theory of emotion in art is one of the most sophisticated in the ancient world, a precursor of the work being done today by critics and philosophers of aesthetics. A Rasa Reader's conceptual detail, historical precision, and clarity will appeal to any scholar interested in a full portrait of global intellectual development. A Rasa Reader is the inaugural book in the Historical Sourcebooks in Classical Indian Thought series, edited by Sheldon Pollock. These text-based books guide readers through the most important forms of classical Indian thought, from epistemology, rhetoric, and hermeneutics to astral science, yoga, and medicine. Each volume provides fresh translations of key works, headnotes to contextualize selections, a comprehensive analysis of major lines of development within the discipline, and exegetical and text-critical endnotes, as well as a bibliography. Designed for comparativists and interested general readers, Historical Sourcebooks is also a great resource for advanced scholars seeking authoritative commentary on challenging works.

Available since: 04/19/2016.

Other books that might interest you

The Idiot

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

First published in 1869, "The Idiot" is a novel by the renowned Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It tells the story of Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin, who returns to Russia after spending years in a Swiss sanatorium. Despite being genuinely kind, compassionate, and possessing an almost Christ-like innocence, Myshkin is perceived by the society around him as an "idiot." The novel delves into the complexities of the human soul, exploring themes of goodness, love, society's moral degradation, and the repercussions of unbridled ambition. As the narrative unfolds, Prince Myshkin gets entangled in a love triangle and a series of tragic events that underscore Dostoyevsky's critiques of Russian society and his exploration of the nature of good and evil.

Show book

Naudsonce

H. Beam Piper

Naudsonce is a science fiction classic about the first contact between humans and non-humans. Here, it's not really violence or weapons that will decide things—its communication, plain and not so simple! The work is written by H. Beam Piper, published in 1962.

Show book

Dracula

Bram Stoker

“There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.” ― Bram Stoker, Dracula 
Dracula is an 1897 Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England so he may find new blood and spread undead curse, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing. 
Dracula has been assigned to many literary genres including vampire literature, horror fiction, the gothic novel and invasion literature. The novel touches on themes such as the role of women in Victorian culture, sexual conventions, immigration, colonialism, and post-colonialism. 
Although Stoker did not invent the vampire, he defined its modern form, and the novel has spawned numerous theatrical, film and television interpretations.

Show book

The Good Soldier

Ford Madox

The Good Soldier was first published in 1915, The iconic novel might be characterized as a melodrama of English upper-class infidelities, cut into little pieces, then retold out of sequence by a narrator who occasionally appears to be half asleep. That is not wholly wrong, yet many have seen in this novel's beguiling voice, innovative narrative technique, and acute depiction of erotic repression a literary masterpiece. In 2015, the BBC ranked The Good Soldier 13th on its list of the 100 greatest British novels.©2022 Eden Garret Giuliano (P) 2021 Eden Garret GiulianoGeoffrey Giuliano is the author of over thirty internationally bestselling biographies, including the London Sunday Times bestseller 'Blackbird: The Life and Times of Paul McCartney' and 'Dark Horse: The Private Life of George Harrison'. He can be heard on the Westwood One Radio Network and has written and produced over seven hundred original spoken word albums and documentaries on various aspects of popular culture. In addition, Giuliano is an occasional lecturer at Northwestern University. He is also a well-known movie actor in such films as 'Squid Game', 'Mechanic Resurrection', 'Hard Target 2' and the 'Scorpion King' series, among many.  Geoffrey is a near lifelong devotee of Sri Krsna and an ardent animal rights advocate. He makes his home in Bangkok, Vrndavana, and Jaipur India with his son Eden Garret Giuliano

Show book

The Phantom of the Opera

Gastón Leroux

A malicious spectre haunts the Parisian Opera house. This murderous fiend speaks through walls, abducts innocents through mirrors, and holds the opera management in a cruel state of hostage. But when this monster falls for the beautiful Christine Daae, his powers of attractive enticement and malevolent mayhem all come to the surface. Who can put an end to this reign of terror? Discover the wonders of Gaston Leroux's gothic thriller in a way that will tantalize the senses. The actual unabridged novel is by far the best way to experience the story of the haunting yet humanistic Phantom of the Opera.

Show book

The Collected Novels Volume One...

Mary McCarthy

Three brilliant novels from a #1 New York Times–bestselling author.   Navigating friendship, sex, careers, and the challenges of adulthood, the characters of Mary McCarthy’s novels remain instantly relatable, whether they’re living in 1930s New York City or 1960s Paris. Here, three of her most outstanding works are collected in one volume.  The Group: This “witty . . . brilliant” blockbuster bestseller follows eight privileged girls from their youthful friendship at Vassar through their complicated journeys into womanhood (Cosmopolitan).  The Company She Keeps: A “clever, witty, polished” novel about a young bohemian’s daring political and romantic explorations among an intellectual Manhattan social circle (TheNew York Times).  Birds of America: In 1964, a shy young student and birdwatcher arrives in Paris to study at the Sorbonne and finds himself disoriented by the rapidly changing world around him. This “endlessly fascinating novel” (San Francisco Chronicle) is “in the same class as Henry James’s The American and Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer” (Esquire).   Known for her satirical wit and blending of autobiographical detail from her own colorful life into her fiction, McCarthy was a literary icon whose books provide a rich glimpse of mid-twentieth-century America and a psychologically astute, timeless reading experience.

Show book