Book Description

There is no better introduction to R.K. Narayan than this remarkable collection of stories celebrating work that spans five decades. Characters include a storyteller whose magical source of tales dries up, a love-stricken husband who is told by astrologers he must sleep with a prostitute to save his dying wife, a pampered child who discovers that his beloved uncle may be an impostor or even a murderer. Standing supreme amid this rich assortment of stories is the title novella. Told by the narrator's grandmother, the tale recounts the adventures of her mother, married at seven and then abandoned, who crosses the subcontinent to extract her husband from the hands of his new wife. Her courage is immense and her will implacable -- but once her mission is completed, her independence vanishes. Gentle irony, wryly drawn characters, and themes at once Indian and universal mark these humane stories, which firmly establish Narayan as one of the world's preeminant storytellers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Young and Old-A Beautiful Book
A Grandmother's Tale by R.K Narayan is not only a beautifully written book it is easily accessible for children and adults alike. I read this book as a young adult and fell in love with all of Mr. Narayan's prose and have continued to read his entire collection.

The story is a narrative in a narrative where Mr. Naryan is writing his Grandmother's story, a look into an India where child marriage was normal and ananas were still the currency. I can not stress how beautifully written (and translated) this book is as it allows for a reader to journey through an old India which is filled with ancient and family traditions.

This book is relatively short and very easy for a middle school child to read. I would highly recommend this book to parents who are looking to introduce a new type of genre into their children's reading routing. For adults, this book can easily be finished in a day (if not two hours) and it will leave you reaching for more of Mr. Narayan's works.

So, if you are looking for a new addition to your book collection that is unique and well written, turn to the works of Mr. Narayan and be swept away to India.

Wonderful and Evocative Stories
Grandmother's Tale was my introduction to Narayan and frankly I have been wondering where he's been all my life.These stories are wonderful.They are the kind of stories that stayed with me for several days after reading them.Narayan brings you to a time and a place with each story.His characters are believable, his stories moving, his writing impecable.Each story is full of humanity.I really enjoyed this collection and look forward to reading more of his work. ... Read more

Book Description
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

R. K. Narayan (1906—2001) witnessed nearly a century of change in his native India and captured it in fiction of uncommon warmth and vibrancy. The four novels collected here, all written during British rule, bring colonial India into intimate focus through the narrative gifts of this master of literary realism.

Swami and Friends introduces us to Narayan’s beloved fictional town of Malgudi, where ten-year-old Swaminathan’s excitement about his country’s initial stirrings for independence competes with his ardor for cricket and all other things British. The Bachelor of Arts is a poignant coming-of-age novel about a young man flush with first love, but whose freedom to pursue it is hindered by the fixed ideas of his traditional Hindu family. In The Dark Room, Narayan’s portrait of aggrieved domesticity, the docile and obedient Savitri, like many Malgudi women, is torn between submitting to her husband’s humiliations and trying to escape them. The title character in The English Teacher, Narayan’s most autobiographical novel, searches for meaning when the death of his young wife deprives him of his greatest source of happiness.

These pioneering novels, luminous in their detail and refreshingly free of artifice, are a gift to twentieth-century literature. ... Read more

Product Description
Classic, reprint, retelling of an epic inspired by a Tamil version. used widely as a text ... Read more

Book Description
Formerly India’s most corrupt tourist guide, Raju—just released from prison—seeks refuge in an abandoned temple. Mistaken for a holy man, he plays the part and succeeds so well that God himself intervenes to put Raju’s newfound sanctity to the test. Narayan’s most celebrated novel, The Guide won him the National Prize of the Indian Literary Academy, his country’s highest literary honor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

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

Are we creators or merely reactors?
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.

A Saint Despite Himself
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.

A tale of rural India that fails to capture the imagination
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.

Guide for your spiritual journey
Caveat- if you have watched the Hindi film Guide by Dev Anand and think you already know enough about the book, you are wrong! The author hiself was almost disgusted with the film.

Book is sublime. Raju the guide is very ordinary person but his story shows us how extra-ordinary one's life can become. Indeed it is one. One has to just discover it. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

'A great book!!'
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'. ... Read more

Book Description
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

In the novels of R. K. Narayan (1906-2001), the forefather of modern Indian fiction, human-scale hopes and epiphanies express the promise of a nation as it awakens to its place in the world. The three novels brought together in this volume, all written after India’s independence, are masterpieces of social comedy, rich in local color and abounding in affectionate humor and generosity of spirit.

Mr. Sampath–The Printer of Malgudi is the story of a businessman who adapts to the collapse of his weekly newspaper by shifting to screenplays, only to have the glamour of it all go to his head. In The Financial Expert, a man of many hopes but few resources spends his time under a banyan tree dispensing financial advice to those willing to pay for his knowledge. In Waiting for the Mahatma, a young drifter meets the most beautiful girl he has ever seen–an adherent of Mahatma Gandhi–and commits himself to Gandhi’s Quit India campaign, a decision that will test the integrity of his ideals against the strength of his passions.

As charming as they are compassionate, these novels provide an indelible portrait of India in the twentieth century. ... Read more

Book Description
A sweeping tale of abduction, battle, and courtship played out in a universe of deities and demons, The Ramayana is familiar to virtually every Indian. Although the Sanskrit original was composed by Valmiki around the fourth century BC, poets have produced countless versions in different languages. Here, drawing on the work of an eleventh-century poet called Kamban, Narayan employs the skills of a master novelist to re-create the excitement he found in the original. A luminous saga made accessible to new generations of readers, The Ramayana can be enjoyed for its spiritual wisdom, or as a thrilling tale of ancient conflict. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

An Accessible Version for the Beginner
I should say immediately that I have no background of any kind in Indian culture, myth or religion. So in reading this small volume I was a complete outsider and a complete beginner in the Ramayana epic. For me, this retelling (in prose) was an excellent first step into unknown territory. I was able to follow the thread of the story and at the same time get a good sense of the epic grandeur behind the myth. I learned about the inviolability and power of a promise, no matter how whimsical or ill-conceived it appears when given; the sacredness of all life, even that which appears lowly; the presence of gods among us in a great variety of forms; and at least one idealized view of the relationship between a man and a woman.

Oh, and it was a whopping good story, much deeper and more packed with meaning than the Greek and Roman myths I was raised on as a child. As I think back, I can recall the Greco/Roman mythology only as a collection of pleasant stories of gods who behaved like children, made decisions for petty reasons and who liked to interfere in the lives of men simply to cause trouble, fulfill sexual desire or seek revenge. I remember wondering when I read Greco/Roman myths how anyone could have "believed in" such gods or even taken them seriously in the way religion is taken seriously today.

The Ramayana conveys a completely difference sense of the divine which, although very ancient, is still significant in the modern world. In the Ramayana gods and humans are always seeking spiritual enlightenment, to do good in all the worlds and to honor each other. The Ramayana is inspiring in the best sense of word.

I also found the introduction by Pankaj Mishra very helpful in understanding the history of the epic and its continuing importance to Indians. There is also a useful Cast of Characters with name pronunciations and a small Glossary at the end explaining some important terminology that appears in the book. If you're new to the Ramayana, as I am, I highly recommend this book.

A fun read to include in your Indian cultural study
I'm an anglo-American who works at a U.S. company that includes thousands of Indian.Like everyone, I've found the more I know about a person's culture the better we work together.I think this stems both from better understanding values and thought tendencies, as well as good will from making the effort.While I've studied a lot about Japanese and European history and folklore, my knowledge of what an Indian child learns does not extend much past having watched the movie "Ghandi".

My 12-year-old son has been interested in Indian mythology and chose this book.I found it lying on the table one day, scanned the intro and got hooked.The fact that Ramayana is so pervasively known across the diverse states of India made it seem like an essential book for me.

As I enjoyed the adventures, romance and morality stories I kept wondering about what the original poem is like.Others reviewing here seem to agree that the while Narayan's adaptation is modern, accessible and abbreviated, it is faithful to the spirit of the original.

I plan to read it again, or perhaps another adaptation, in order to commit the character names to memory.It will be fun to discuss with my Indian friends -- especially if I remember it better than they do!

Interesting and fairly easy to understand
This book was required reading for one of my college classes. It proved to be interesting and not terribly difficult to read.

Narayan's Ramayana
As a fan of Narayan's work, I was fascinated to see how he would tackle the grand subject of the Ramayana, a work that runs through and certainly influences all of Narayan's stories.The result is one of his most delightful and beautifully written novels. I think it is important to approach this book not as "THE" Ramayana, but one storyteller's unique vision of the timeless epic--even as a variation on one of his Malgudi novels (the characters certainly bare a distinct resemblance).Narayan's writing is extremely sensitive, refined, yet full of humor and charm.Throughout he adopts the tone of a storyteller, openly acknowledging that he is only "retelling" a story by a much greater storyteller, and leaving out the juciest parts at that.His little asides where he explains, "And here the poet described the scene so touchingly..." are at once reverent and amusing, as Narayan wisely omits anything too excessive or poetic that might derail his narrative. But the story itself is wonderful, a colorful, full-blooded telling of the Ramayana, sparse, fast-moving, but with all the hallmarks of Narayan's style.This book is a must for any fan of Narayan's fiction, Indian writing, or mythology.Narayan effectively conveys the epic's timelessness, with characters and situations that echo throughout literature and film, full of profound human emotions.And this is always one of Narayan's chief strengths, to create believable, complex human characters.In his treatment, even Rama and Sita emerge as sympathetic individuals, not the cardboard cut-outs all too common given their extraordinary powers.In short, this is a magical and engaging work that I know I will read again and again in the years to come.I invite you to do the same!

A Gripping Story out of a Great Epic.
The story of Ramayana is in the blood stream of everyone from India. The original epic was written in the 4th century BC in Sanskrit, by Valmiki. Poets in every Indian language have retold this story. This present book relying on the Tamil Kamban version, presents before the reader the essential story of Ramayana. R.K Narayan, with the command of the English language and love for fast story movement, narrates the kernel of the epic poem in an engaging manner, for the sake of the English reader not familiar with the original version. Naturally, some of the elaborate details had to be left out and some narratives had to be condensed. This made the enormous epic into an enjoyably gripping story, in less than 200 pages. ... Read more

Book Description
Four gems, with new introductions, mark acclaimed Indian writer R. K. Narayan’s centennial

Introducing this collection of stories, R. K. Narayan describes how in India “the writer has only to look out of the window to pick up a character and thereby a story.” Powerful, magical portraits of all kinds of people, and comprising stories written over almost forty years, Malgudi Days presents Narayan’s imaginary city in full color, revealing the essence of India and of human experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Excellent Short Stories
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.

One of the best Indian writers
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.

India calling
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

Revisiting the old classic.. Nostalgia makes it sweeter
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.

Incredible stories!
Malgudi Days was my introduction to R.K. Narayan and frankly I have been wondering where he's been all my life. These stories are wonderful. They are the kind of stories that will stay with me for several days after reading them. Narayan brings you to a time and a place with each story. His characters are believable, his stories moving, his writing impeccable. Each story is full of humanity. I love this classic author! I really enjoyed this collection and look forward to reading more of his work. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

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 theroles that governed marriages in the 1930's. I must admit he is not too faroff base in depicting marriage arrangements and the struggles of women inthe 21st century. At times I was disappointed with its realism, the speech,the actions of the characters. It was all too familiar. A powerful andhonest portrayal of how husbands and wives act in marriage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A story of triumph
This is a story of the triumph good over evil. In some ways it is much like the many mythological stories told to young Indian children at temples and schools by their elders.

The important thing in those tales and in this one as well, is to realize that just because something is "evil", it isnt entirely unholy or deviod of any good. Bhasmasura, the demon whom this tale is based on, was a very powerful and devoted disciple of God. Similarly, Vasu has his strengths as well. The reader will notice how the two faces of the same coin start merging. The simple print shop owner who was docile and timid enough to print the lawyer's invites for "free" changes over the course of the book to become more street wise and less of a push over much like Vasu.

Every form has its good and bad. R. K. Narayan wraps up this little nugget of truth with some very humurous touches in The Man-Eater of Malgudi.

Ok
It was an ok book. Didn't really come together till the end, made it hard to understand and really enjoy.

The Maneater Rulez
This is the most unexplainable book! I cant say whether its stupid or ot. its so hilariious but has too much of inimportant and useless stories which have no relation with anything. i have to write a book report so i read it. anyone else who has too will really like it. i didnt think it would be good but pretty much liked it. i like the ending especially. anywayz, now i'm going to copy the other persons review, give it to my teacher and get 5/5. thanx amazon and the reviewer from manchester!

One of Narayan's best
"Man eater of Malgudi" by R.K. Narayan,one of India's first internationally-known writers who chose to write in English, is easily one of the author' best works. Vasu,a big blustering bully, moves into the lazylittle South Indian town of Malgudi,the fictional town in which nearly allof Narayan's stories are set, and overturns the life of Natarajthe town'sprinter. A colourful retinue of other characters: the "sizzling"prostiute Rangi,a poet, Nataraj's practical assistant, the lovable templeelephant Kumar...all add to the novelunique charm and fascination.Muchof the novel's complexity lies in the fact that Narayan loosely bases histale on the ancient Indian myth of a blustering demon Bhasmasura whoterrorises the world of mortals.Much has been written about Narayan's'comic vision'. Beneath the frothy light-heartedness of 'Man eater...' is aserious and complex exploration of many issues central to life in modernIndia - an individual's caste and how it determines his life andrelationship with others, the battle between 'good' and 'evil' and howthese values are determined by a society, the confrontation betweenmodernity and tradition - a way of life which is thoudands of yearsold.These issues are further highlighted by the fact that Narayan usesEnglish the language of 'modern' India and, at the same time, adopts therhytmns, sytanctic structures and diction which make for a unique brand of'Indian English' The novel also transcends the regional in that it toucheson some of the tragi-comedy of human life, some of the boredom, horror andglory that make up our existence.

One of Narayan's best
'Man eater of Malgudi' by R.K. Narayan, one of India's first internationally acclaimed writers who chose to write in English, can easily be rated one of the author's his best efforts. A story set inthe smallSouth Indian town of Malgudi in which most of Narayan's stories areset,'Mane eater ...' capturesmuch of the mind-bogglingly intricateaspects of modern Indian life. Much of the complexity of the novelcomesfrom the fact that Narayan's plot is loosely based on theIndian myth of'Basmasura' a powerful demon who wreaks havoc on the world and is finallydestroyed in the most ridiculous manner. Much has been written and saidabout 'Narayan's comic world view'. It is perhaps wise to think of thisnovel as a good instance of the writer's amazingly complicated use of thecomic mode - under the light-heartedness, charmand cheer is apowerfulawareness of the complexities of Indian society and indeed,life itself :the conflict between tradition and modernity, the intricate inter-castedynamicswhich dictate the way characters think and relate to each other,the war between 'good' and 'evil', 'weak and 'strong'. Narayan capturessome of the beauty, the sadness, the laughter and the glory of humanexistence.The author's use of English is especially interesting becauseNarayan's very 'Indian' English capttures the syntactic structures andrhythmns of India's native languages. Besides,the use of a 'modern' Westernlanguage in this little Indiantown which is still deeply rooted in a wayof life which is thousands of years old, itself signifies some of thenovel's themes.Narayan's mode of story-telling owes much much to theancient Indian tradition of ofolk-narrative . One can say without any much,exaggeration that this one of the best books in English ever written by anIndian. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Splendid piece of work
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.

The Folkloric Imagination
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?

The Book You've Been Looking For
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 youare 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.

Excellent
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!

What's wrong with being a beast?
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! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Amazingly well-written and insightful
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. ... Read more

Book Description
For Raman the sign painter, life is a familiar and satisfying routine. A man of simple, rational ways, he lives with his pious aunt and prides himself on his creative work. But all that changes when he meets Daisy, a thrillingly independent young woman who wishes to bring birth control to the area. Hired to create signs for her clinics, Raman finds himself smitten by a love he cannot understand, much less avoid—and soon realizes that life isn’t so routine anymore. Set in R. K. Narayan’s fictional city of Malgudi, The Painter of Signs is a wry, bittersweet treasure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Not just a charming travelogue
Narayan's The Painter of Signs is considerably more than a charming travelogue or a narrow slice of provincial Indian life.While giving us all of that and with considerable charm,Narayan creates characters and situations that touch the heart and delve deeply into the essential contradictions of human life.

While some, including Monica Ali, who wrote the informative introduction to the latest edition call Narayan a comic writer, he can more accurately be called a serio-comic one.This book, like many of his novels, has its tragic components.

There is a basic dichotomy within Daisy, the committed family planner and sexually repressive young woman. Similarly, Raman yearns to be a rationalist but finds himself overcome by sexual thoughts.Thus, when the two young people inevitably get together, it creates a hopeless tension that finally destroys their relationship.

The complications of their "modern"love story is played out against the tranquil life of Raman's aunt, who has her act together.This would all seem cheery if we didn't know that the aunt is leaving Malgudi to go to Benares, the holy city, to die, alone, separated from Raman, her surrogate child. (Raman's parents were victims of modern life--killed in a railway accident.)

While the book gives us considerable insight into daily Indian life, it gives us even more into the lives of young people trying to find their way in a world changing before their very eyes.Narayan does not avoid the controversies of the times.Set in the days of Mrs. Gandhi's Emergency,Painter of Signs deals with the contradictory impulses of family planning:to make a good life for some, we deny potential life for others,an ironic opposition almost no one on either side of the issue is willing to confront, probably because it is basically unsolvable. And Narayan sees that.At the end of the book, Daisy is off on her Quixotic quest to limit births;the aunt is deprived of her home; and Raman is left with only his memories of the time with Daisy.He returns to the lesser life of The Boardless and his cronies , and his own business life as a minor artist, a painter of signs.

Narayan has painted for us a very charming and deceptively simple picture of the complexities of Indian and human life.

Tiresome Classic
I began this book with great enthusiasm, having purchased it in Chennai during my third trip to India. I wanted to read of village life and also have more insight into the culture and personality of India, since I am a western "white man." The book was written during Indira Gandhi's leadership and reflects her authoritarian campaign to control India's skyrocketing population through sterilizations and forced family planning. Raman, the village painter of signs, is a confirmed bachelor and "rationalist" until he meets Daisy, who is an independent, very un-Indian-like woman working fanatically for the government's population control campaign. Daisy ran away from home when her family tried to arrange her marriage, dislikes children, and just isn't the marrying kind. Of course, Raman falls head over heels for Daisy and Daisy seems to like Raman, but this isn't a romantic tale.
I can understand why this book is a classic and was very forward thinking when it was written, but I found the writing ultimately tiresome and predictable and skimmed through much of this to the inevitable end. I'm not so sure I want to read more from Narayan, but I've been told to read the Swami stories, so I'll try again. If you're an impatient reader, be warned, this writer is not for you. I'm hoping to get more from Luce's book, "In Spite of the Gods." Luce is a British journalist who's written about his personal experiences with the extreme dichotomies of modern-day India.

interesting....
yes.. this book is a real masterpiece...
actually most of nowadays's main issues are evocated!
for instance, there islot of allusions of indira gandhi's campaign( nerhu 's daughter) of sterilization ..
there is also mentioned the corruption of our societies, the phenomenon of sexualiy( which is more and more here in our everyday life)
raman 's main issu is his disatifaction whith life.... he sees himself as taking part of this corruption , because he serves all his corrupted costumers....he can't accept his ederly aunt's beliefs since he is a rationalist.. heis stubborned in his vision of life: no one can makes him change his mind...
moreover, he thinks that he is under-rated by people.... his pofessional values aren't recognized and he suffers from it.
his conception of life change when he meets daisy ( by the way, her name puzzled him a lot because even if her aspect is quite traditional , her name isn't. )
daisy is a strong woman who's quite different from other indan's women...
first of all, she lives alone!!( and that's quite unusual)
morever , she is a symbol of feminism since she works on her own and she doesn't need a husband to take care of her... She is a woman who acts like a man.
raman immediatly fall in love with her, because of her " unusual personality".
well, i advice you to read this book , because all along it , we have references to raman's thoughts which are really true..
the author has quite an objective look on our world... and it'll makes you think...

Fresh, fun, and full of charm.
This bittersweet novel is as fresh and charming today as it was when originally published in 1976.Telling the story of Raman, a conscientious sign-painter, who is trying to lead a rational life, the novel is filled with busy neighborhood life and gossip, the alternating rhythms and sounds of the city from morning till night, and the pungent smells and tantalizing flavors of home cooking, as Narayan portrays everyday life in Malgudi.The city is growing and changing, as its inhabitants try to carve out some individual successes within the juggernaut of "progress."

Raman, a college graduate, brings a sense of professionalism to his sign-painting, taking pride in his calligraphy and trying to create exactly the right sign, artistically, for each client.Living with his aged aunt, a devout, traditional woman whose days are spent running the house and tending to her nephew's needs and whose evenings are spent at the temple listening to the old stories and praying, Raman prefers a rational approach to life.Then he meets Daisy.A young woman devoted to improving the lives of women and the standard of living of the country through strict family planning, Daisy becomes his biggest customer, commissioning signs for all the family planning clinics she helps establish through the city and outlying rural areas.Ram soon finds his attraction to Daisy more powerful than this desire to remain "rational."

Narayan is a master of domestic scenes, presenting the major and minor conflicts of family life through the different points of view of the participants.Respect for his characters and a good-humored (and often humorous) presentation of their issues give warmth to his scenes and allow the reader to feel real empathy with the characters.Raman's belief in his own rational enlightenment and his simultaneous vulnerability to Daisy's manipulations provide the author with unlimited opportunities for dramatic irony.Scenes between Ram and his devout, elderly aunt provide a glimpse of the conflicts between old and new India, in addition to the generational conflicts every family faces between its young and its old.Scenes between Ram and Daisy reflect the changes in the role of women in society, as women become more assertive and liberated.Though he is presented as a unique, individualized character, Ram, the painter of signs, is, in a sense, Everyman, facing his coming-of-age as all men before him have done in cultures around the world.Only the details (and the sights, and sounds, and smells) are different.Mary Whipple

the painter of signs
THE PAINTER OF SIGNS IS A VERY GOOD BOOK.IT IS ABOUT A PAINTER IN THE IMAGINARY TOWN OF MALGUDI.HIS NAME IS RAMAN.HE LIVES AT HOME WITH HIS AUNT WHO TAKES CARE OF HIM.SHE TOOK CARE OF HIM FROM THE TIME HIS PARENTS DIED.SHE IS A VERY RELIGIOUS PERSON AND GEOS TO THE TEMPLE EVERYDAY.RAMAN PAINTS SIGNS FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE.FOR EXAMPLE:THE BANGLE SELLER.ONE DAY HE IS ASKED TO PAINT A SIGN BY THIS LADY.RAMAN GETS ATTRACTED TO THIS LADY,DAISY,AND STARTS VISITING HER.MEANWHILE,DAISY IS PLANNING A BIRTH CONTROL CAMPAIGN.SHE IS GOING TO VISIT SOME OF THE REMOTE VILLAGES TO EXPLAIN THIS.SINCE,RAMAN HELPS HER SHE DECIDES TO TAKE RAMAN WITH HER.WHY DON'T YOU READ THIS VERY GOOD BOOK TO FIND OUT THE RESULTS OF THE CAMPAIGN AND WHAT HAPPENS TO RAMAN AFTER THIS. ... Read more

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