R. K. Narayan Books

"The Bachelor of Arts" is the second of a thematic trilogy that begins with "Swami and Friends" and ends with "The English Teacher"--three novels that collectively take their characters from the innocence of youth through the disappointment of love to life's first tragedy. Yet this tale of Chandran, a college graduate unlucky in love, is (as Graham Greene notes in his introduction) "a funny and happy book" at its core--particularly when compared to Narayan's later melancholy, tragic books--yet a closer reading shows us the "shadow [that] had been there from the beginning."

The first part of "Bachelor" is an unexpected treat: a farcical, satirical look at the sillier, exhausting rituals of academic life in colonial India. The opening scene features a debate on whether "historians should be slaughtered first"--and Chandran, a history student himself, is required to argue in the affirmative. From there, our poor student is appointed by his professor as secretary of the school's new Historical Association, an honor that adds to his duties but hardly helps his studies. In between, he frequents the cinema with his best friend and dutifully maps out a grand plan for exam preparation--a plan that is revised daily due to the impossibility of following it.

The debate society, his friends, his academic career--all has been poor preparation for life's setbacks. ("The classroom or the club or the office created friendships. When the circumstances changed the relations, too, snapped.") The giddiness of the novel takes a sharp turn when the circumstances do change: Chandran falls in love at first sight and is rejected, causing him to cast aside the comforts of life and to leave home. The rest of the novel follows our Bachelor of Arts (still a bachelor in life) as he educates himself about the one subject neglected during his collegiate career: himself. It's such a simple and simply told story, but it illustrates beautifully the complexities of finding one's place in the world.

I could identify with the main character as he completed his studies and began moving into the 'real' world. His spiritual journey, though not complete at the books end, was very interesting. The (paraphrased) line "they thought they were the first of their type and the last..", referring to his radical friends from his university days, struck a chord. We all slowly realize that our own well-used mold was indeed not broken after they made us. More followed. Alas, we all take our place in society and make the best of it.

Simply written and easy to read. I recommend it.

I have read and liked R K Narayan's works in the past. I picked this one up just based on the fact that it was written by him. It was not recommended to me by anyone. And honestly i am so glad i did.
The main character is a student just out of undergrad and facing the decision of what ahead. In a very straight and simple manner Narayan portrays the character's struggles with choosing a career and then his foray into love. Its simple and yet extraordinary. BTW for those expecting a dramatic ending, don't. This book just ends. I had to turn the page to realise its finished :-)

The story of Chandran, a final-year student of History, on how love tranforms ambitions, alters goals and changes lives is the theme of this wonderful book.

Written masterfully with just the right amounts of comedy, emotions and twists, and teeming with sarcasm characteristic of Narayan, this book takes a broad look at values and customs. For example, the long scenes wheres discussion about horoscopes and Chandran's disagreement with his mother are all so very close to life in India.

A great book, an excellent read....

A very pleasant and interesting look at the life of a young man in South Asia. Only moderately engaged by his studies at the university, Chandran spends most of his time going to movies, staying out late, drinking at the café, and generally socializing with his friends. With some prodding from his father, he overcomes his laziness sufficiently to graduate, only to find his problems just beginning.

Chandran's predicament should be very familiar to many readers. Bright and charismatic, but lacking any real focus, he has difficulty finding employment. Upon graduation his peer group separates, and he needs to make new friends. And his parents, who are only eager to see him make something of himself, can't help but find fault with his carefree, unproductive lifestyle. What's a Bachelor of Arts to do? His unrequited love for a young girl named Malathi makes for an interesting look at how courting was handled in traditional Indian families not so many decades ago, complete with horoscopes and dowries and class consciousness. But ultimately, isn't it the couples' willingness to commit to each other that matters, and not how they happen to meet? Every bit as fascinating is Chandran's sojourn as an ascetic, which is reminiscent of a Hermann Hesse novel, but with a uniquely critical perspective that only a native Indian could provide.

Narayan's prose has a warm serenity that never fails to evoke small-town South Asia. What his plots lack in excitement and intensity, they make up for in geniality. This particular novel has perhaps a little more excitement than some of the others, and would be a good entry point for young people just discovering Narayan.

I have always loved this book, and it prompted me to read all of R.K. Narayan's books, though to be honest, it is not his masterpiece (that would be either The Guide, Malgudi Days as a whole, or The Financial Expert). Yet this book does capture a sense of Narayan's unique genius, his ability to write myth and folkore as a living force that can exist side by side with cars, film crews, and the entire panoply of modern India.

I taught this book in a Freshman Composition course, and the students were rather divided on its merits. Some found it too "simple," having trouble accepting a book that begins as the memoirs of a captive tiger (which Narayan is at no great pains to keep intact), only to jump off to other narratives and points of view. The key to keep in mind is that Narayan is writing this book from the tradition of folklore and myth, where tigers can talk--yet are not bound by our ponderous modern notions of "realism." Indeed, though a modern work, many of the characters and situations in this book seem lifted out of folklore, as brilliant translated and realized by Narayan (much as he retold the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and others). On the surface, it is a simple story, well-told, yet has powerful undercurrents, particularly on the purpose of one's life, and the contradictions of each "path" we choose. The relationship of the Raja with the holy man is brilliant, particularly as Narayan allows us to see the messiness of cutting one's self off to follow a path of individual salvation.

A short book, but one that I return to often. To truly enjoy it, it's important not to impose a Western perspective on it, or even look for "novelistic" elements in the narrative. Simply read it and let yourself fall into Narayan's folkloric world, which exist as much here as in some enchanted world at the beginning of history.

Did I mention the book is often hilarious as well?

This book is a gem, it has very witty sentence structures that make you laugh out loud. It equally articulates the many phases that man goes through in life very aptly, using the tiger as a fine metaphor. A treasure that you can revisit and pass on from one generation to the next. For me it's R.K. Narayan's most profound book- indeed one must have lived fully, in order to write it down this succintly.

I had to read this for a class and I thorougly enjoyed it. It's a simple read but there's so much in there for you to think about. I would very strongly suggest A Tiger for Malgudi!

The protagonist of this story is a tiger! He is young and ferocious (as we all fancy we are), he faces the cruelties of the world (being made into a show animal), he reacts through murder and carnage (as might be natural for a tiger), and he evolves into a philosophical and detached being, no longer quite " a beast."

The story of his evolution into an enlightened soul is uplifting.
The message, I think, is that every soul, not just human, has a consciousness, and strives for something.

The proof in the power of Narayan's crystal clear narrative is that the reader feels for the tiger, respects him, and admires him for the soul he has become. (Few lucky folks can attain the state of this smart cat!) Like many Narayan stories, he tackles a challenging premise and makes it appear effortless.

READ THIS! READ THIS!

Original, entertaining, deeply thoughtful, and ultimately profoundly spiritual, this simple book takes the reader on an adventure within the being of a magnificent tiger. The tiger evolves from a proud, ruthless, and mighty ruler of the jungle to a sadly domesticated circus creature to a spiritually aware and transfigured being. His growth is mirrored in the life of his "master," to whom he refers from the very start of this account and whom we finally meet toward its glorious end. Along the path of the tiger's evolution, we also meet many an animal and human whose essential personalities and quirks are clearly drawn. The reader can easily overlook Narayan's inconsistent narrative voice, which is sometimes from within the tiger himself and sometimes from the third person. Too, one is amused by the absurdity of Indian bureaucracy and corruption as "officials" at one point try to figure out what to do with the tiger as he freely roams from village to village, and the book is flavored by India's "gestalt." But simple spiritual messages are delivered in the last 25 pages or so as the master and tiger make their way to the master's retreat and reside there in peace: "It's often said that God made man in his own image, it's also true that man makes God in his own image." "When you address a prayer to God, you are only praying to yourself...or at least you are entitled to half that prayer...". "...only the foolish waste their lives in fighting."

I wonder if the author of "The Life of Pi" is familiar with this work. Also, the author of "Water for Elephants" would love this work. Narayan is a world-class author who deserves to be read, particularly now as the world lurches toward a delusional catastrophe.

The second of a series of novels written by R.K. Narayan, who created an entire fictional city and then filled it, book after book, with its people. Also known as "The English Teacher," in U.S. editions, a young man begins a traditional arranged marriage, but soon loses his wife to illness. As the protagonist attempts to penetrate the border separating life and death, seeking reunification with his wife, and attempts to care for his son, the reader is guided through Narayan's fictional world and into the depths of the hero's heart. Searing but inspiring for any reader facing the loss of a loved one. A masterful transition from Narayan's charming first novel, "Swami and Friends," about a young boy's adventures. Also recommended: "The Guide," ironic comedy about the rise of man who is mistaken for a seer.

R.K.Narayan's books offer a wonderfuly detailed and intricate view of the South Indian world,and The Vendor Of Sweets fits into this mould to a T.In this novel,the life of Jagan, the vendor of sweets, and the trials and tribulations of his life are wonderfully captured. What is refreshing, however, is the description of the South Indian way of life that is provided by Narayan--the way Jagan runs his business, the views,opinions he possesses,the fears he entertains.Narayan also vividly portrays the confusions and fears that a person from such a conventional milieu would face when thrown into unconventional situations-- such as having a foreigner for a daughter-in-law, for example. Being a South Indian myself, I can truly appreciate the imagery that his writing evokes, and can also vouchsafe for the fact that it is no easy task to put across to readers whatever he has managed to convey in his books.On the whole,to summarize this review in one sentence:read the book;you will not be disappointed.

As Every other book by R.K.Narayan,this captivates your imagination making you smile about little wonders of life.Very interesting book and I really like the writing style of this author who manages to make you see a simple person,his personality and his life in a small Indian town.Can really identify oneselves in some situations which are both comic and retrospective.

R. K. Narayan has once again proved that he is a master writer. Anybody who wants to know Hindu mythology but doesn't know where to start should buy this book and also R.K.Narayan's other books like 'Ramayana' and 'God, Demons, etc'.

R.K. Narayan's novel, The Guide, written in 1958, is recognised as one of the author's best. (It's selected within a collection of "1000 books to read during your lifetime" collection which some French publishers were selling over Christmas). It tells the story of Raju, whose father was lucky to own a shop near a spot where a railway station was going to be built. Raju was then a boy who enjoyed his life outside, and when the tracks and station were built, the shop in the station was entrusted to his father. The boy soon started helping him, pleased at not having to be sent to school any more. But the father died accidentally, and Raju who must have been 12 or so, took over, and over the years cleverly understood the interest of the railway, because not only did he see the importance of the shop for travellers, but also that of the travellers' needs. He became a tourist guide, and is so keen and scruple-free that his business flourishes.

Then comes the day when a special tourist arrives in Malgudi (Narayan's fictitious pet town situated in the South): he's a historian, a lover of old inscriptions and engravings. He wants Raju to take him to some caves in the mountains where archaeological treasures have to be surveyed. Along with him is Raju's destiny, in the form of his wife, Rosie. She's as different from him as Raju's quick practicality is from old stone inscriptions. The husband, called Marco by Raju (because of some connection with Marco Polo the discoverer) is a bespectaled intellectual who seems to drag his wife around like so much baggage. She's an educated young woman, but belonging to a caste of dancers which condemns her to accepting whatever her husband decides for her. Among which, no dance. When she meets Raju, who is staggered by her beauty and dancing skills, he quickly enters her life, and looks at her in a way that wins her over to him, in spite of her wife's principles. In fact, the trio settles in the mountain, near the caves, even if it means for Raju to leave his shop and guide business unattended.

A story of self-deception begins. Narayan suggests that Raju has been bitten by the "snake-lady", has been bewitched, and that in his mind, instead of the astute self-made money-maker, a "saithan" now rules supreme. He cannot leave Rosie, who makes him lose appetite for everything except her. Classic situation indeed. Of course, in time the husband gets to know about the liaison, and sends Raju away, with Rosie concurring. A month elapses, and one morning she arrives at his little hut where he lives with his mother. This time, it's as if she's been thrown out. I pass some events, but their life together, fragile as it is in middle-century India, prospers because Raju's flair for business surfaces again; he manages to turn Rosie into a traditional dance diva, and acting as her impresario, soon reaches a style of living which he had never before attained. But there's something wrong in their enterprise. Raju has big debts, a distant enemy in the shape of Marco who hasn't divorced Rosie, and a habit of spending, lying and procrastinating which the reader understands will lead to his downfall.

This would all be rather banal, if the structure of the novel wasn't in fact quite different from the way I have told the story. We start with a forlorn Raju who has just left prison, and is resting on the steps of some abandoned temple, when a peasant stops by, and starts conversing with him. Narayan hints that, perhaps of his "disciple-like nature", he mistakes Raju for the temple-priest, and little by little the aimless and hungry Raju is looked after. The chapter closes and we are plunged into his old life near the future railway. One more chapter, and we come back to the temple, and Raju's increasing success as adviser, sage and eventually swami, when a drought threatens, the villagers believe he might help them though prayer and fasting to bring the rain.

Naturally, because the book is called The guide, the reader is quickly led to make the link between the various meanings of the word: tourist guide, spiritual guide. And when Raju watches Rosie and encourages her (even if with mixed intentions), one might say he's a guide there too, because he does indeed guide her towards her self-fulfilment. The problem of the book is what to make of the reflection about this guide figure. Raju is evidently not a guide in the sense of a political or moral guide who leads a community towards his destiny. Everything he does is self-centred. He guides people, but with his own interest in mind all the time. R.K. Narayan is making a satirical point here: the guide that people look up to is himself the one most in need of a guide. This is clear when Raju reflects upon what his friend Gaffur the taxi-driver advises him: to leave Rosie and all the stress connected with the false situation he has let himself enslaved by, and go back to his old joyful, carefree life. Raju says that, at the time, this was excellent advice, but he also that he was incapable of following it.

In fact he is constantly running away from his responsibilities. For example when he knows he has all those debts, and prefers taking a cheap lawyer rather than face the problems, and go through the uncomfortable but real world of responsibility. As a lover also, he lives from day to day, never wondering who the person he shares his life is, really is. He has drunk her blood, so to speak, gorged on her, but he's lived with a stranger. Even when he decides at the end to go ahead with the abhorred fast to bring back the rains, as the crowds of villagers have asked him, he adopts an attitude which he hopes will make the decision forgetful:
"With a sort of vindictive resolution he told himself "I'll chase away all thought of food. For the next ten days, I'll eradicate all thoughts of tongue and stomach from my mind". The resolution gave him a particular strength..."
But then something he had perhaps not foreseen happens:
"He developed on those lines: "if by avoiding food I should help the trees bloom, and the grass grow, why not do it thoroughly?" For the first time in his life, he was making an earnest effort; for the first time he was learning the thrill of full application, outside money and love; for the first time he was doing a thing in which he was not personally interesting." (p. 188-89)

So the question is: is this salvation? Has Raju learnt the lesson? Has he finally passed on the other side, where selfishness yields to selflessness? Have circumstances been his master, and has he found the guide he had been needing all his life? If the answer is yes, then the book is a moral or religious parable, telling us that there is a meaning, a balance of right or wrong on earth, no matter how ill-advised men live, their dharma will one day be forced on them. But if it's no, then everything must be considered maya, illusion, and life on earth is one big farce. I would personally opt for the second solution, because nothing really in the book prepares us for salvation. On the contrary, RK Narayan stresses continuously his character's thoughtlessness. No salvation for Raju then, as far as I'm concerned, in spite of the quotation above which one can read as the statement of his punishment.

But on the other hand, what the book might be saying is "something" (or somebody) guides the guide. Thanks to Raju, Rosie has found her way. Thanks to his love and determination (even though self-interested), she has been given a freedom she probably would never have been given otherwise. It is just that Raju is punished the way he is, and just that Rosie is freed. Destiny (or the order of things) has utilised Raju as an instrument of liberation for her, and has punished him for his self-centredness. In that respect, the title "The guide" might well refer, not to Raju, but to this other Guide above, which uses our human choices in order to make his own justice come to fruition.

The Guide is like a weaving. It is intertwined, deep, and rich. In it you will see the amazing way human lives can evolve.

I am in complete agreement with G. Young's review. In essence, the book is an account of the spiritual journey of a man who becomes a saint despite himself, written with humor, compassion and consummate skill. My favorite book by my favorite author.

Narayan does an excellent job of depicting rural life in India, in all social classes, in the mid-twentieth century, and this tale of an engaging but flawed protagonist whose life takes unusual turns is reasonably readable.

However, the narrative style seems slow and oddly detached. Perhaps Narayan wanted it to be plain, straightforward, and hypnotic. But it comes across as simplistic and even a bit superficial.

The ending is dramatic and is one point in which Narayan's narrative strategy succeeds. But much of the book could have been told in a much more sprightly and nuanced manner.

N.K. Narayan's The Guide, for which he won the National Prize of the Indian Literary Academy, his country's highest literary honor, is a deep yet wryly humorous examination of the frailties of humans and the meaning and consequences of our actions. The main question seems to be, "Are we creators of our own destinies, or are we mere reactors to the people and circumstances which surround us? And, furthermore, does it really matter, in the end, why we do what we do? Or is the final result the only thing that matters?" What more important inquiry can there be? An entire philosopy course could be taught using this wonderful book as the basis.

R.K Narayan brings to life the people and places as he narrates the story. I would strongly recommend this book for the people interested in Indian culture.

This book is a collection of short stories written in very simple language. What really makes the difference is the connection it establishes with the readers. Stories are about simple people and simple issues in life. RNK is one of the best authors I have read. He has his own style of writing.

Malgudi Days, a collection of short stories by R. K. Narayan happens to be my favourite book. The book is a compilation of different short stories that covers a plethora of emotions. It is the right balance between humour, and a dose of drama to cater to different moods of the reader. What makes this book unique is the simple, yet artistic narrative style, used by the author. The descriptions make the reader see the setting clearly. Add to it the perfect blend of beautiful Malgudi, with its rural charm and eccentric to ordinary characters, the narrative is complete. Most stories deal with normal people and their lives in a mainly middle class milieu in south India. In reality, Malgudi is an imaginary town set in the southern part of the country. But its description can be traced to any real town.

The tales come with sprinkling of gentle irony along with a humour. The endings are rather abrupt, which leave an indelible impression on the mind. The simple narrative that Narayan uses is his typical style. So, if you want to take a trip down south and explore the colours of India, you must indulge in the book and read it to your heart's content.

The stories deal with normal lifestyle of the middle class people in South India. Actually, Malgudi is an imaginary town in the southern part of India but its characteristics match with any real town. The tales come with a gentle irony and witty humour. The endings are rather abrupt and it leaves an impression in your mind. This way you are bound to think of them even after reading. The simple way, in which the book comes, is typical to Narayan.

So, if you want to explore the colours of India, you must indulge in the book and read them to your heart's content

I reread Malgudi days after 20 or so years! It was a delight just as it was when I read them the first time. Only this time; being in the US, made the Characters more endearing! Looking through the mist of time the village with all its sounds sights and smells looked prettier than a real one. This is a book for you all ex-pats to curl up on a snowy winter day with a hot cup of tea (even better if someone makes hot Pakoras to go with!) and enjoy.
To the non-Indian friends, may be a hot coffee and some chicken nuggets (or soy nuggets!) and winter days.
To the couple of readers who were disappointed! Well the whole point behind these stories is to capture the life as it flows. The climax is in the journey itself.

Malgudi Days by R.K. Narayan offers the reader a wonderful chance to experience the ordinariness and pleasant magic of life on the Sub-Continent.

This collection of short stories provides an array of vantage points from which the reader can consider Indian life. While meant to be tongue-in-cheek commentaries or light hearted reflections on the social and political realities of India, Narayan doesn't fall short of capturing and relaying a truly authentic feel.

Personally, this book made a wonderful traveling companion as I toured the South of India. The details of the stories were more manifest in the environment around me than in any other part of the country, yet the story themes were in no way constrained by locale. They very much hold a universal appeal.

If you enjoy the writing of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, then you will enjoy the work of R.K. Narayan.

Here's a thought. Swami, R. K. Narayan's protagonist in Swami and Friends, is a forerunner of . . . take a deep breath . . . none other than Bart Simpson. Swaminathan, the plucky ten-year old, the classic irreverent underachiever, is always in one pot of hot water or another. He can be selfish, prevaricating, disrespectful to his elders, and dishonest in his dealings with his peers. Not your basic role model. But he still retains a boyish innocence, a fading purity in his search for what is fun. His father, while certainly not as laughably stupid as Homer Simpson, is no Father-Knows-Best figure of paternal perfection. He is over-involved with his work and does not always treat his children or wife with the respect and kindness they deserve. Swami's grandmother sleeps in a darkened hall, sometimes loved, and sometimes neglected, her advancing dotage often burdensome to the child.

Swami thinks like a 10 year old. Everything he wants is of utmost urgency. He cannot conceive of consequences or of delayed gratification. Peer relationships are far more important to him than long-term success in school. He is still concrete in his thinking and struggles with his studies. But within his delicate, formative being are competing forces battling for his very soul. There is a lot of personality we see here, already formed, and some of it is disturbing. He is easily swayed, lacks self-confidence, and can easily lose himself in the crowd. How will this young person fit into India as it struggles for independence and into the India that will follow?

The Simpsons is arguably one of the best satires of contemporary American life because it forces us to look closely at ourselves. When we laugh at the Simpsons, we laugh at ourselves. There is something awfully familiar about their imperfections. Swami and Friends is a lot like that. There is something funny and familiar in Swami and Friends, even for this 21st century American reader. Narayan gives us a very clear picture of southern India in 1930 and he is setting the stage for India's place in the post-colonial world. This vision is presented through the hopeful but not-so-innocent eyes of a child.

I bought this book based on my memory of the wonderful Indian series "Swami". while the stories from the series are not part of the book, I found the book to be absolutely fascinating. R.K.Narayan is surely one of the giants of Indian fiction!

Swami and Friends is the story of idyllic childhood, when life for some lucky kids consists entirely of avoiding the homework and playing all the time in the street with friends. Swami is one such lucky boy, studying in standard 1 A, at Albert Mission High School. We are soon introduced to his class mates and they are a reasonable lot. Shanker's specialty is to top every exam, the `Pea' and Somu occupy the middle positions but Mani is Swami's best friend who sits on the last bench and takes more than one year to clear some classes. Together Swami and Mani lord over the class and just barely manage to scrape past the exams. They live for summer vacations.

But this peaceful setting is disturbed occasionally by the stern headmaster of the school and sometimes by the religious study teacher, Ebenezar. Though real chaos happens when a new boy, Rajam, comes to study in Swami's class. Rajam's father is the police commissioner of the town. In 1930, that would mean working for the British Government. After some scuffles that threaten to involve wooden clubs on Mani's part and an air gun on Rajam's, peace descends on 1 A again and Swami, Mani and Rajam become fast friends. We see them getting involved in forming a cricket club and harassing cart drivers.

But all good things come to an end, and Swami manages to get thrown out from his school. He participates or rather gets caught in Anti-British protests. Next day, when his headmaster tries to cane him, he runs away swearing he will never come back. His father is forced to change the school. Still, his friendship with Mani and Rajam totters along, till Swami manages to run away from the second school too. He feels that now there is nothing left but to run away from home also. Eventually Swami returns home, only to find one of those childhood's great calamities, lying in wait for him. The book ends on a bitter-sweet note.

Imagine "The Wonder Years" set in southern India. This first novel by R.K. Narayan details the adventures of a rather obstinate boy named Swaminithan. His "chums" include the usual mix: the bully, the brain, the leader, etc..., and the developing relationships between them accounts for a substantial chunk of the plot. After making friends with the new kid in town, Swami gets involved in a fraudulent financial scheme, quits school (repeatedly), and eventually runs away from home to escape his teacher's torments and his father's displeasure. Although his parents surely love their son very much, they, like most other adults, are rather shadowy figures in this book. The day to day challenges of school (both academic and social) are by far the most important facets of this boy's life.

In short, there's a great deal about this book that will be familiar to Western readers despite the exotic setting. Highlights include the time Swami gets caught up in a day of political protest that winds up trashing the school, and the time Swami runs away from home and has to face the terrible tiger. Less enjoyable is the section that deals with cricket, a sport that has absolutely no fascination for this reader and very little for the most of the world outside of India. Still, Narayan's style is just about impeccable; warm, soothing, and gently comic, with a fine understanding of human nature, and an easy acceptance of human weakness. It's not Narayan's best book (the plot could be tighter) but it's a very good starting point for someone who's just discovering this fine writer.

Call it a trip down the memory lane or a story of a little boy, this is one book to delight all and sundry. Graham Greene calls it 'A book in ten thousand'. It is that and much more.

R K Narayan is without any doubt one of the most famous Indian writers. His books echo the simple lives and daily trials of the people of 'Malgudi'. This in fact is Narayan's first foray into the world of literatue.

The book is about a little boy Swamy who hates school, loves to play all the time (what else but cricket?), snuggles beside his grandma every night and has his own gang of friends. Swami's family life mirrors the typical Hindu brahminical household. There is no central plot in the book and it is more episodic. One fictitious incident of the Indian freedom struggle is superbly shown through the eyes of a child.

More than anything, the book is a reflection of our own childhood days when longed for the classes to end, the teachers we loved and hated, the school bully with whom it was great to strike up a friendship, the special kid whom we had to impress and the peon who, we were sure, knew all the questions of the examination.

There are books more profound than this running into hundreds of pages. But we realize that sometimes simple words and plain language of an effective writer can make a bigger impact if it is something we can relate to. This is a story that can be read pretty quickly but one that you will stay with you for a while.

amazingly tender. Narayan is a master story-teller.

This book is autobiographical. It depicts painful struggle of the author to come to terms with passing away of his young, beloved wife- dreams, nightmares, spirits, planchet et al.

In fact after reading the book you ask- How did the author survive to tell the tale?

On another level this book is almost therapeutic if you read it after you lose some one very dear to you. I read it again after I lost my own mother and experienced its healing touch.

This one's my favourite Narayan - along with the Maneater of Malgudi, this occupies a very special place in my book-shelf. The English Teacher - a.k.a. Grateful to Life and Death - is a sad story, sadder than most of Narayan's Malgudi novels. But the tragedy is softened by the wry humour that runs through the novel.

'The feeling,' Narayan writes on the first page, 'again and again came upon me that as I was nearing thirty I should cease to live like a cow (perhaps, a cow, with justice, might feel hurt at the comparison), eating, working in a manner of speaking, walking, talking, etc, - all done to perfection, I was sure, but always leaving a sense of something missing.' You can see what I'm talking about.

The story, as Narayan narrates in his autobiography 'My Days', is intensely personal.
'The English Teacher is autobiographical in content, very little of it being fiction. The "English Teacher" of the novel ... is a fictional character in the fictional city of Malgudi, but he goes through the same experience I had gone through...'

'That book,' he writes, 'falls in two parts - one is domestic life and the other half is "spiritual."'

The second half comes as a bit of a surprise, but Narayan tackles the difficult subjects of death, deprivation and desolation masterfully. Narayan takes you through the story gently. There are no shocks, nothing disturbing. This is a sad tale, gently told.

The book ends on a note of hope - 'it was a moment of rare, immutable joy - a moment for which one feels grateful to Life and Death.' The reviewer who spoke of how Narayan manages to 'communicate ... the extra-ordinary ordinariness of human happiness', I think hit the nail right on the head.

Through his unobtrusive insights, Narayan paints a beautiful picture of a small fictional South Indian town - Malgudi (which is in reality, a mixture of images derived from his hometown in the Kumbakonam District of Tamilnadu and Mysore in Karnataka. Narayan's description of the life of South Indians- their simple houses, grandmothers, earnest young men, garrulous retired men, street dogs, cricket playing youngsters- all make for a compelling picture, funny and poignant simultaneously.

I cannot recollect the number of times I have read this book - The old Indian TV serial "Malgudi Days" immortalized Narayan's imagination on Indian television. Of course, Malgudi days dealt primarily with Narayan's celebrated "Swami and his friends", but the small town also serves as the backdrop for this semi-autobiographic novel of Narayan.

The English teacher- Krishnan leads a blissful life with his wife and daughter. Life takes a cruel turn when his wife dies of typhoid. The rest of the book deals with Krishnan's struggle, seances through which he communicates with his wife's soul and finally- the magnificent ending of the book, when the author finally realizes the true meaning of life and he experiences "a moment of pure immutable joy; a moment for which one feels grateful to life and death"

The book is based on Narayan's real life; In his own words, very little of the book is fiction...There are loving references to Susheela- her height (in reality, Narayan's wife was taller than him!), the description of her midnight-blue silk saree, the fragrance of jasmine that enveloped everything associated with her....One can only begin to sense the magnitude of Narayan's loss. Through this book, Narayan has accorded the Indian way of life and his love the greatest possible respect and honor.

Writers such as R.K. Narayan, P.G. Wodehouse, write without aspiring for greatness. Like a flower which grows without thinking, their words flow naturally filling page after page with the innate simplicity of life. There are no bones, attached strings or dark clouds with silver linings looming on the horizon. How simple is life!

An extremely funny book that at the same time evokes empathy and makes the heart flow with the milk of human kindness. Certainly not his best writing (Guide, Swami & Friends, The Vendor of Sweets), but definitely recommended.

He is indeed in the top 5 list of all time. Not merely as an Indian author, but very universal, making us realize how similar we all are. I would certainly include his books in the package we send out to the first extra-terrestrial species we spot.It would give them an excellent idea of humanity.