I want to read Ramayana but there seems to be a lot variety between

I've not read it, nor seen it discussed on /lit/. Perhaps you should read multiple translations, and tell us what the best one is?
You could be one of the contributors to the as-yet nonexistent /lit/ Indian literature chart.

>>9278840
That sounds neat. I'll keep it in mind.

There are two versions you want Valmiki or Shastri.
Valmiki is online, you can look for a print if you want. Shastri is public domain.

http://valmikiramayan.net/index.html
http://ia800500.us.archive.org/13/items/The.Ramayana.of.Valmiki.by.Hari.Prasad.Shastri/The.Ramayana.of.Valmiki.by.Hari.Prasad.Shastri.pdf

Valmiki's narration was in Sanskrit and contained the full info. But in Kaliyug not many have Sanskrit knowledge so Rishi Valmiki reincarnated as Tulsidas-Ji and wrote Ramcharitramanas in Awdhi Hindi language. All other translations are the same as Valmiki's, except it's translation and explanation is different just as there is only 1 Bhagavad Gita but different Vedic scholars interpret it differently just so that the masses may understand better. The meanings never change.

>>9279445
This is extremely useful. Thanks a lot.
I saw the version of that pdf once and really confused me. Looking at it now it seems other (far shorter) versions start around chapter 8 (the king performing the sacrifice) and shorten those first 77 chapters into 3 or 4 (up until Rama's marriage), but I never really got past the begining because I didn't understand why the author was apparently a character. Good to get confirmation that it is a more complete version of the epic rather than one that takes creative liberties or something like that as I feared. Thanks again.

I've actually read a rendition in prose. (In spanish btw) funny because sometimes the narration rhymes without trying to be poetry

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I asked some hindus what they'd recommend and they all spoke highly of C. Rajagopalachari's translation of the Valmiki Ramayana