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R K NARAYAN - ONE
OF INDIA'S FINEST
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The Guide
R. K. Narayan has
the gift of story telling. This is perhaps his best book. Everything is
there: adventure, exotism, even touches of erotism (but you have to read
between the lines) and it is funny and touching.
After reading this
book, I bought a few more by him. I enjoyed 'A Tiger For
Malgudi'.
Narayan is a great writer. No wonder Graham Greene held
him in such high esteem.
A Town Called Malgudi
In a writing career spanning seven decades, R.K.
Narayan enthralled and entertained generations of readers with his deftly
etched characters, his uniquely stylized language and his wry sense of
humour. A storyteller par excellence, Narayan’s greatest achievement
perhaps lies in creating and peopling the imagined landscapes of a town
called Malgudi, located somewhere in South India, which has come alive in
story after story in such a way that it has now become a part of modern
Indian folklore.
This collection brings between two covers some of
the most memorable fiction that has emerged from R.K. Narayan’s pen. It
contains The Man-eater of Malgudi, which tells the story of Nataraj, owner
of a small printing press, and his houseguest Vasu, a taxidermist, who
moves into Nataraj’s attic with a menagerie of dead animals. There is also
Talkative Man, a novella that starts off with the arrival on the Delhi
train of a stranger in a blue suit who takes up residence in the station
waiting room and refuses to budge. Also included here are some of the most
popular and striking short stories Narayan has written: from the
celebrated ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ and ‘Salt and Sawdust’ to gems like ‘An
Astrologer’s Day’, ‘The Shelter’ and ‘Under the Banyan Tree’.
Encapsulating the very best of R.K. Narayan’s remarkable output,
this is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest modern writers in the
English language.
The Painter of Signs
One of Narayan's most imaginative works; it speaks
of human agency and feminism. Its aimless male protagonist becomes
infatuated with a visionary career woman; she alone infuses meaning into
his tepid life. The novel is short and easy to read by design (perhaps)-
it leaves its reader unsatisfied and begging for more. My favorite Narayan
novel so far
The Financial Expert
If you haven't yet discovered the pleasures of
R.K. Narayan, I highly recommend The Financial Expert. It is nothing less
than a classic. Superbly written, with humorously human characters and a
well observed story. We follow the successes and of Margayya, the
"financial expert" who lives in Narayan's fictional Malgudi. His story is
amusing and entertaining. Narayan is a wonderful writer. Enjoy.
In
The Financial Expert, R. K. Narayan once again transports readers to the
southern Indian town of Malgudi. This story centers around the life and
pursuits of Margayya, a man of many hopes but few resources, who spends
his time under the banyan tree offering expert financial advice to those
willing to pay for his knowledge. Margayya's rags-to-riches story brings
forth the rich imagery of Indian life with the absorbing details and vivid
storytelling that are Narayan's trademarks.
The Dark Room
I was so overcome by this book. This is the
first works I have read by Narayan and I was thoroughly pleased. What
makes it so well written is the reality with which Narayan captures the
culture of India and defines the roles that governed marriages in the
1930's. I must admit he is not too far off base in depicting marriage
arrangements and the struggles of women in the 21st century. At times I
was disappointed with its realism, the speech, the actions of the
characters. It was all too familiar. A powerful and honest portrayal of
how husbands and wives act in marriage.
Swami and Friends
An excellent presentation of child hood. The
fictional autobiography of swamy, the little lovable mischievous boy from
a small south indian villege is a true depiction of every Indian boy of
his times. I was born after more than 30 years since it was written still
my child hood has resemblences in lot of places whether it be trying to
escape from teachers in last benches or playing cricket or loosing friends
like rajam. Presented in a lucid and lyrical fashion, this book can be
finished nonstop. This is a book of children for the elders. Not many
great works of this kind could be referred by me so far. Tomswayer of Mark
Twain in English, Seryosha of Vera Panova in Russian and Budugu of
Mullapudi Venkata Ramana in Telugu(a shouth indian language) are few of
similar brilliant works I read so far.
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