Malgudi Days

by R.K. Narayan

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 colour, revealing the essence of India and of human experience.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, India, Classics, Indian Literature, Literature, Asia

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1943

About the author

R. K. Narayan is among the best known and most widely read Indian novelists who wrote in English.

R.K. Narayan was born in Madras, South India, in 1906, and educated there and at Maharaja's College in Mysore. His first novel, Swami and Friends and its successor, The Bachelor of Arts, are both set in the enchanting fictional territory of Malgudi and are only two out of the twelve novels he based there. In 1958 Narayan's work The Guide won him the National Prize of the Indian Literary Academy, his country's highest literary honor.

In addition to his novels, Narayan has authored five collections of short stories, including A Horse and Two Goats, Malguidi Days, and Under the Banyan Tree, two travel books, two volumes of essays, a volume of memoirs, and the re-told legends Gods, Demons and Others, The Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. In 1980 he was awarded the A.C. Benson Medal by the Royal Society of Literature and in 1982 he was made an Honorary Member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

Most of Narayan's work, starting with his first novel Swami and Friends (1935), captures many Indian traits while retaining a unique identity of its own. He was sometimes compared to the American writer William Faulkner, whose novels were also grounded in a compassionate humanism and celebrated the humour and energy of ordinary life.

Narayan who lived till age of ninety-four, died in 2001. He wrote for more than fifty years, and published until he was eighty seven. He wrote fourteen novels, five volumes of short stories, a number of travelogues and collections of non-fiction, condensed versions of Indian epics in English, and the memoir My Days.

-Wikipedia & Amazon.co.uk

Reviews

[Federico DN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mundanely meaningful.

A 32 short story collection by RK Narayan, national dearest and one of the most successful Indian writers of all time.

This was a fine collection on the whole; with many Best (which are always supremely welcomed), a sizeable amount of Good, and one third of Meh, which isn’t bad, as long as it is not 1-star.

"Second Opinion" is not necessarily the best either, just a favorite of mine (since I could relate to it at a personal level) and found, generally speaking, to be one of the ones that most transmits about Indian norms and traditions. It’s also the longest, averaging 30p, when almost all others range from 5 to 12 pages. Still, every little story usually contains, in their own way, some different share and morsel about Indian culture and every-day life. And if I had to go into the essence of this collection, I’d say the motto that comes to mind is “Mundanely meaningful.” There’s an interesting introduction by Jhumpa Lahiri too, not that I really care, most times I just find her vibe “Mundanely depressing.”

Normally I’d review each and every single one of these stories individually, but since next to none were singly added to GR, I had to settle with my one-liner only, which I hope is enough to remind myself what the general story and point was about, in case I ever decide to come back here to check them out, someday.

Go for the Best, consider the Good, whatever the Meh.

The Best :
★★★★★ "Second Opinion." [4.5] Thy mother’s will be done.
★★★★☆ "The Axe." Home is where the heart is.
★★★★☆ "The Doctor's Word." Because I said so.
★★★★☆ "A Shadow." [3.5] A Star Father is born.
★★★★☆ "Lawley Road." [3.5] "If the statue won't come to Mohammed…”
★★★★☆ "The Blind Dog." [3.5] Inadvisably loyal.

The Good :
★★★☆☆ "The Missing Mail." [3.5] The show marriage must go on.
★★★☆☆ "An Astrologer's Day." [3.5] Déjà vu! I see dead people!
★★★☆☆ "Trail of the Green Blazer." No good side-deed goes unpunished.
★★★☆☆ "Gateman's Gift." Schrödinger’s envelope.
★★★☆☆ "Fellow Feeling." If you throw a stone into the gutter it’ll only spurt filth.
★★★☆☆ "The Tiger's Claw." “Bravery.”
★★★☆☆ "Attila." Burglar’s best friend.
★★★☆☆ "Selvi." You are fired.
★★★☆☆ "Emden." You can’t teach an old dog new streets.
★★★☆☆ "Wife's Holiday." Misfortune favors the rogue.
★★★☆☆ "Out of Business." Grand prize.
★★★☆☆ "The Martyr's Corner." Jolly days are over.
★★★☆☆ "Iswaran." [2.5] Riding imaginary horses is risky business.
★★★☆☆ "Such Perfection." [2.5] God works in mysterious toes.

The Meh :
★★☆☆☆ "Father's Help." [2.5] The student who cried teacher.
★★☆☆☆ "Forty-Five A Month." [2.5] Daddy’s girl.
★★☆☆☆ "The Edge." [2.5] Baby unboomer.
★★☆☆☆ "A Willing Slave." [2.5] Family comes first?
★★☆☆☆ "Mother and Son." [2.5] Mother knows werst.
★★☆☆☆ "Naga." Snakes, monkeys, and strumpets.
★★☆☆☆ "God and the Cobbler." Namaste.
★★☆☆☆ "Leela's Friend." Brat.
★★☆☆☆ "The Snake-Song." Reluctant snake charmer.
★★☆☆☆ "Engine Trouble." Don't look a gift engine road in the mouth.
★★☆☆☆ "Hungry Child." [1.5] Big Daddy 1999.
★☆☆☆☆ "Cat Within." [1.5] Charlatan.

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PERSONAL NOTE :
[1943] [264p] [Collection] [Partly Recommendable]
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Mundanamente significativo.

Una colección de 32 cuentos cortos por RK Narayan, uno de los escritores indios más queridos a nivel nacional, y uno de los más exitosos de todos los tiempos.

En su conjunto, ésta fue una buena colección; con muchos de lo Mejor (que siempre son muy bienvenidos), una cantidad considerable de Buenos, y un tercio de Meh, que no está mal, siempre y cuando no sea 1-estrella.

"Segunda Opinión" tampoco es necesariamente el mejor, sólo uno de mis favoritos (ya que pude identificarme con él a nivel personal) y me pareció, a nivel general, uno de los que más transmiten sobre las normas y tradiciones indias. También es el más largo, promediando 30p, cuando casi todos los demás oscilan entre las 5 y 12 páginas. Aun así, cada pequeña historia suele contener, a su manera, alguna parte diferente sobre la cultura india y la vida cotidiana de todos los días. Y si tuviera que profundizar en la esencia de esta colección, diría que el lema que me viene a la mente es "Mundanamente significativo." También hay una interesante introducción por Jhumpa Lahiri, aunque no es que realmente me importe, la mayoría de las veces encuentro su vibra "Mundanamente deprimente."

Normalmente reseñaría todos y cada uno de estos cuentos individualmente, pero como casi ninguno fue agregado por separado a GR, tuve que conformarme con mi línea única, que espero sea suficiente para recordarme de qué se trata cada historia en general y su punto, si es que decido volver acá para revisarlos, algún día.

Ir por lo Mejor, considerar lo Bueno, loquesea lo Meh.

Lo Mejor :

★★★★★ "Segunda Opinión." [4.5] Hágase la voluntad de tu madre.
★★★★☆ "El Hacha." El hogar es donde está el corazón.
★★★★☆ "La Palabra del Médico." Porque lo dije yo.
★★★★☆ "Una Sombra." [3.5] Nace un Estrella Padre.
★★★★☆ "Calle Lawley." [3.5] ”Si la estatua no va a Mahoma…”
★★★★☆ "El Perro Ciego." [3.5] Desaconsejadamente leal.

Lo Bueno :
★★★☆☆ "El Correo Perdido." [3.5] El show matrimonio debe continuar.
★★★☆☆ "El Día del Astrólogo." [3.5] ¡Déjà vu! ¡Veo gente muerta!
★★★☆☆ "El Rastro de la Chaqueta Verde." Ninguna semi-buena acción queda impune.
★★★☆☆ " El Regalo del Portero." El gato de Schrödinger.
★★★☆☆ "Simpatía." Si tirás una piedra a la alcantarilla sólo saldrá suciedad.
★★★☆☆ "La Garra del Tigre." “Valentía.”
★★★☆☆ "Atila." El mejor amigo del ladrón.
★★★☆☆ "Selvi." Estás despedido.
★★★☆☆ "Emden." No puedes enseñarle a un perro viejo nuevas calles.
★★★☆☆ "Vacaciones de la Esposa." El infortunio favorece a los desgraciados.
★★★☆☆ "Fuera de Negocio." Premio mayor.
★★★☆☆ "El Rincón del Mártir." Los días alegres se acabaron.
★★★☆☆ "Iswaran." [2.5] Es peligroso montar caballos imaginarios.
★★★☆☆ "Tanta Perfección." [2.5] Dios obra en dedos misteriosos.

Lo Meh :
★★☆☆☆ "La Ayuda del Padre.” [2.5] El estudiante que lloró maestro.
★★☆☆☆ "Cuarenta y Cinco al Mes." [2.5] La nena de papá.
★★☆☆☆ "El Borde." [2.5] Anti Baby boomer.
★★☆☆☆ "Una Esclava Dispuesta." [2.5] ¿La familia primero?
★★☆☆☆ "Madre e Hijo." [2.5] Madre sabe lo mepeor.
★★☆☆☆ "Naga." Serpientes, monos, y rameras.
★★☆☆☆ "Dios y el Zapatero." Namaste.
★★☆☆☆ "El Amigo de Leela." Mocosa.
★★☆☆☆ "La Canción de la Serpiente." Encantador de serpientes reacio.
★★☆☆☆ "Problema de Motor." No mires el diente a un motor de carretera regalado.
★★☆☆☆ "Niño Hambriento." [1.5] Un papá genial 1999.
★☆☆☆☆ "El Gato Dentro." [1.5] Charlatán.

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NOTA PERSONAL :
[1943] [264p] [Colección] [Parcialmente Recomendable]
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[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malgudi Days, written by R.K Narayan, chronicles the lives of people in the fictional town of Malgudi. The stories, which share the lives of everyone from entrepreneurs to beggars, all take place in and near this Indian village. Thus the heart and the soul of that village is on display and we find it is a place where most people are haunted by illiteracy and unemployment. Yet despite the ubiquity of the poor many of the stories come across with humorous good-natured episodes of their lives. Among the stories the reader meets an astrologer, a gatekeeper, and a young man yearning to pass the examinations. There are also animals including a forlorn dog who befriends a blind man and a ferocious tiger (perhaps a hint of Narayan's short novel, A Tiger for Malgudi). Above all there is a pervasive irony that reminded me of other short story stylists from O'Henry to Chekhov and Gogol. More often a character's dreams or expectations do not lead to the results he desires. This keeps the reader guessing as to what the next story will show in the lives of people who become endlessly fascinating, if only for the reason that you have met them before in your own town. In his introduction R. K. Narayan observes that "I can detect Malgudi characters even in New York: for instance, West Twenty-third Street . . possesses every element of Malgudi, with its landmarks and humanity remaining unchanged--"(p 2).
Following publication of this collection, the stories in this book were made into both serials and cinema. Through these tales the author, R.K Narayan, captures the readers' heart with his journey through the village of Malgudi and its' not so unfamiliar denizens.

[Arupratan · Rating 4 out of 5]

দক্ষিণ ভারতের একটি ছোটো মফস্বল শহরের নাম মালগুড়ি। ভারতের মানচিত্রে যদিও "মালগুড়ি" নামের কোনো শহরের অস্তিত্ব খুঁজে পাওয়া যাবে না। লেখকের মস্তিষ্কপ্রসূত নাম এটি। তাই বলে কি শহরটা মিথ্যা? একেবারেই নয়! এই গল্পসংকলনটি পড়লেই বোঝা যায়, নামটি নিছক কাল্পনিক হলেও, শহরটি মোটেও কাল্পনিক নয়, শহরের মানুষজন কাল্পনিক নয়, এই সংকলনের ৩২টি গল্পে বর্ণিত ঘটনাগুলোও কাল্পনিক নয়।

বস্তুত, ভারতবর্ষের হাজার হাজার অজ্ঞাত অখ্যাত মফস্বল শহরের প্রতিনিধি হয়ে দাঁড়িয়ে রয়েছে মালগুড়ি নামের এই অস্তিত্বহীন শহরটি। বইয়ের ভূমিকায় লেখক নিজেই বলেছেন : If I explain that Malgudi is a small town in South India I shall only be expressing a half-truth, for the characteristics of Malgudi seem to me universal. আধুনিক বিশ্বসাহিত্যের দরবারে সবচেয়ে বেশি পরিচিতি এবং স্বীকৃতি পাওয়া একডজন ভারতীয় (ফিকশন) বইয়ের তালিকায় এই বইটি স্থান করে নেবে, এই ব্যাপারে কোনো সন্দেহ নেই।

আর. কে. নারায়ণের লেখা আগেও পড়েছি আমি। বেশ কিছুকাল আগে যদিও। কিন্তু তাঁর সরস এবং অনায়াস গল্প বলার ভঙ্গিটি ভুলে যাইনি। ভুলে যাইনি তাঁর তীক্ষ্ণ পর্যবেক্ষণক্ষমতা। গল্প বলার এই ছিমছাম নিরিবিলি ধরণটি আমার ভীষণ পছন্দ। কোনো চালাকি কিংবা বাহাদুরি নেই, গদ্যভাষা নিয়ে অহেতুক এক্সপেরিমেন্ট নেই, প্লটের মারপ্যাঁচে পাঠককে চমকে দেওয়ার চেষ্টা নেই, শেষ অনুচ্ছেদে ও-হেনরি মার্কা টুইস্ট নেই। প্রতিটা গল্প ধরে ধরে বিচার করলে সবকটি গল্পের মান সমান নয়। যে-কোনো সংকলনের ক্ষেত্রেই যেমনটা হয়ে থাকে আরকি।

কিন্তু তাতে কিছু যায় আসে না। সবকটি গল্পের একত্র সমাহারে "মালগুড়ি ডেইজ" যেন একটি অভিন্ন অভিনব নন্‌-লিনিয়ার উপন্যাসের রূপ ধারণ করেছে। গল্পগুলোর চরিত্ররা, তাদের নানারঙের সুখ দুঃখ সমস্যা সংশয় আশা আকাঙ্ক্ষা, তাদের জীবনের বৈচিত্র্যময় একঘেঁয়েমি — সবমিলিয়ে, মালগুড়ির বিষয়বস্তু ও প্রাসঙ্গিকতা আমাদের কাছে একেবারেই অপরিচিত নয়। অপরিচিত নয় বলেই এর আবেদনও চিরন্তন। এবং সর্বজনীন। Universal !

বইটি প্রকাশিত হওয়ার পরে মালগুড়ি শহরের পাশে প্রবহমান সরায়ু নদী দিয়ে অনেক জল বয়ে গেছে (নদীর নামটিও কাল্পনিক!)। জীবন অনেক আধুনিক হয়েছে, জটিল হয়েছে, জীবনের গতিবেগ বেড়ে গেছে। কিন্তু মানুষ এখনও "মানুষ" রয়ে গেছে। ভারতবর্ষ কেমন দেশ? কেমন এই দেশের জনসাধারণ? কেমন তাদের চিন্তাভাবনা? তাদের জীবনযাপন? — ভবিষ্যতে এইসব প্রশ্ন যদি কেউ আমাকে জিজ্ঞেস করে, আমি তার হাতে "মালগুড়ি ডেইজ" তুলে দেবো।

[Usman Hickmath · Rating 5 out of 5]

R.K.Narayan’s ability to write about ordinary people and events interestingly is exceptional. His works are enchanting like the works of Anton Checkhov. Narayan is a legend. He must be celebrated. In a land where mediocre writers, whose imaginations won’t go beyond premarital sex and job in an investment bank, are treated like rocks stars, it is a shame that Narayan is not celebrated.

When publishers are maintaining official pages for famous authors on Facebook it is sad to know that there is none for R.K.Narayan. Wish if some publisher could do this as a mark respect for this wonderful writer.

[Harun Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

মালগুড়ি কোনো মানচিত্রে নেই। মানচিত্রে না থাকায় একটা সুবিধা হয়েছে। একই জায়গায় না থেকে মালগুড়ি যে কোনো জায়গায় থাকতে পারে। মালগুড়ি বাস্তবের পৃথিবীতে নেই, অথচ এর রাস্তাঘাট, অলিগলি সব আমি নিজের হাতের তালুর মতো চিনি। আর মালগুড়ির মানুষজনদের আমি জন্ম থেকে দেখে আসছি। তাদের হাসি, দুঃখ, উদ্বেগ, ক্ষোভ, ঘৃণা, ঈর্ষা, হতাশার সাথে আমি আবাল্য পরিচিত। এতো ঘনিষ্ঠভাবে পরিচিত মানুষদের গল্পের বইয়ে পেয়ে আমি বেশ চমকে গেছি। কী অদ্ভুত একটা ব্যাপার! প্রকৃতপক্ষে আমি নিজেও মালগুড়ির বাসিন্দা!

[Daren · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, close enough to the end of 2017 for me to determine my favourite reads. Malgudi Days is my 2017 BEST SHORT STORY COLLECTION BOOK. (Albeit a little controversially, as I am judging the chapters as individual stories...)

This book is great. It has a lot going for it - short chapter like stories all interconnected by the location (Malgudi, Narayan's fictional Indian town) and with some character crossovers, it is very readable, covering a range of topics key to Indian life. The characters are a brilliant mix of 'impossible not to love' and 'unlovable', from all walks of Indian life (equating to caste), and are all interesting.

I have previously read the Penguin P60 Tales from Malgudi, some of which are taken from this book. In my view, the P60 really took the best short stories, a fantastic section. Nevertheless, this book is brilliant for dipping in and out of, or reading in short bursts, like I did over lunchtimes for a few days.

Narayan has a real talent for character description, and I really enjoy his writing, improving as I read more. Some of these are just hilarious, others have a wry twist to them, or a does or irony.

I can't really recommend this enough. 5 stars.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first time reading R.K. Narayan, and I am smitten. His fictional southwest Indian town of Malgudi, in all of its local color and variety, comes alive for the reader in these stories.

“Oh what a place, it is like the world of God Indra that our pundits describe. You find everything there.”

The idea of Malgudi began with Narayan’s 1930 novel Swami and Friends, and these stories followed, written over a span of 40 years from the 1940’s to the 1980’s.

Narayan’s writing is gentle, instructive, and peppered with irony. His early love of Dickens and Hardy comes across, and whether he’s telling of snake charmers or exorcists, desperate mothers or disheartened doctors, he displays deep insight into humanity.

As always with a collection, I liked some stories more than others, but all were enjoyable treats. My favorites:
The Doctor’s Word, where a doctor calls on a special skill to try to save his best friend
The Tiger’s Claw, featuring a very exciting fight with a Tiger, but was it real?
Atilla, where a misunderstood dog becomes a hero
and
God and the Cobbler, exploring a search for enlightenment

I’m so happy to have discovered this author, and look forward to trying his novels soon.

[Khush · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Malgudi Days' is a fascinating town, but it exists only in R.K Narayan's work. It is a lovely place to inhabit. It is lovely because unlike the rest of India, with its big cities, its hinterlands, Malgudi is just the right size and has everything in it that a town needs. Nothing too bad happens here, nor too many great things happen either. Malgudi resents change and extremes of any kind. It is a cool town most of the times, and whenever something unusual happens in Malgudi, it is always contained at the end, and the peace is always restored, no matter what the problem is.

Narayan depicts the lives of people who live in Malgudi, their problems, their struggles, their happiness and so forth. So what we see in Malgudi is gripping, authentic, and one relates to it. One inhabits the world that Narayan displays, but it will be banal to say that he represents larger realities India (or even of Malgudi). His Malgudi is very selective; its landscape is endearing but it is not innocent. It excludes many. It largely deals with the lives of upper caste Brahmins, as if they are the only people who matter. While in real life, the place might be rife with lower caste men and women, those who clean and run the city, but they are nowhere to be seen in his works.

Narayan claims that he only has to look out of his window to pick up a character. Indeed, this seems true, but he never sees a low caste person – particularly an untouchable. He sees marginalized people and their problems, but he does not see 'caste.' To see it is to deal with it, to see it is to acknowledge it, and this could be too much for Narayan. It is not easy to question one's own privilege, which most of the time is attained and maintained by screwing somebody else.

So whatever happens in Malgudi is very selective. Most stories deal with Brahminical lives, and wherever non-Brahminical people surface, they are stripped off their caste identities. Narayan must have dealt with lower caste men and women on a daily basis, but in his stories, they do not emerge. The whole landscape of the town, its playground, school, bank, temple, train station, houses are spaces that are thoroughly brahminical.

So Narayan shows us a world that is real but exclusive. It is a world that is simple, middle class, and pure. Whatever threatens Malgudi's purity, is always tamed towards the end. The peace is gained, the caste-order upheld.

While Narayan picks up a character or a situation by glimpsing from a window, he never sees sex anywhere. His characters have almost zero sexuality. Only when I read too much of him, I think of his stories in this light. It is another indication how he ignores the obvious. Dealing with sexuality creates its own problems. He does not want to deal with it even in stories, something so integral to human experience and existence. Dealing with sexuality is actually dealing with caste; both are interlinked. One cannot talk about caste and remain silent about sex. So Narayan cleverly avoids both. For him, peace is very important, even if this peace demands exclusion, silence and erasure of non-brahmins.

Another deeply problematic aspect one sees in his work is that he does not want Malgudi to be improved. Slow changes are fine, but any drastic change is opposed. It might disturb the existing hierarchies of caste on which the whole society is hinged. Too much change is unwelcome in his world. It might break harmony, destroy peace, unleash chaos.

His works thoroughly support caste and in some very forceful way perpetuates it. But his manner is always simple, always benign. Brahminical ways of being in the world.

[Swati Tanu · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How can two living entities possessing intelligence and judgement ever be tied together for a lifetime?"

This book is a Timeless Classic. This world created by R.K. Narayan, Malgudi is absolutely magical and wonderful. In this, the author writes about ordinary people's lives and brilliantly depicts everything that is interconnected. You are missing out if you haven't read this book. The writing of R.K. Narayan is both simple and beautiful. His writing style is simple and easy to understand. This collection of short stories is a compilation of short stories. Malgudi is a fictional town, and the stories revolve around its residents. All of the characters, including their challenges, appear to be real and well-thought-out.

You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.

[Prashant · Rating 4 out of 5]

No bookshelf is complete without malgudi days.

[Deepa Swaminathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories listed here are my favourites in the order of preference.

1. Engine trouble (Lucky enough to win a road roller): This, according to me, is the best of the lot! Here the protagonist wins a road roller as a prize in some fair! The same minute start his troubles when he has to transport the huge vehicle to his home. He has to then pay rent to park the vehicle on a field. He manages to employ a driver, a temple elephant and 50 coolies for transporting it in the midst of an amused crowd of onlookers. This arrangement itself makes the poor guy half bankrupt. On the way, the road roller crashes into a compound increasing the expenses double-fold. In the end, he manages to wriggle out of this mess with nature’s intervention!

2. Attila: (The friendly dog): History says Attila was a brave and dynamic leader. But this story is of Attila, the huge pet dog in a Malgudi household. The dog has a formidable and obnoxious appearance but is of a very friendly nature. He won’t bark at any stranger or even a thief for that matter, much to the dismay of his masters! One night, a petty thief manages to steal ornaments and make away with his booty and Attila follows him quietly all throughout thinking him to be a casual guest. How Attila manages to unintentionally get him caught forms the rest of this hilarious story.

3. Fathers help: (Remembering School Days!): This features our little friend Swamy, who shirks homework, tries all ways and means to stay away from school (In short, all the qualities that were present in us when we were young). One morning, to stay away from school, he builds up a false story of how his teacher canes and punishes all students. He narrates it with such potency that his father gets furious and hands over a long letter to Swamy to give the principal. What will Swamy do now?

4. The willing slave: (Playing with Granny): This touching story is about the innocuous and sweet relationship between a 70+ year old maid and a 5- year old little girl. No doubt this story would transport us to our childhood when a similar elderly granny would play with us.

5. Selvi: (The renowned voice): This is about a 25 year old famous singer. She is meek, obedient and submissive. All her singing concerts, bank accounts, visits to her own mother and each step of her feet are controlled by her husband. This story is about how she liberates herself from her husband’s clutches. In the end, he finds himself alone pleading her to come back home. *

6. Second Opinion: (Don’t trust just one doctor): This story changes from tragic to hilarious! A carefree youth is enjoying his life till his mom expresses a desire to get him married. The youth easily spurns the idea and moves on. He gets to know from the town doctor that his mom faints periodically and she might pass away anytime. This put him in a state of gloom and he agrees to marry the girl his mom has selected. Now, he suddenly feels he should have a second opinion of another doctor. Finally, it so turns out that his mother is perfectly fine! What will he do now?

7. The Cat within: (Ghost in the jug): A satirical story mocking at age-old belief on ghosts and evil spirits. In those days, when any person was beset with such a spirit, exorcists would be called in. Such an exorcist is once called to chase away a noisy ghost from a jug in a shop. Vigourous clanking noises emanating from the shop in the graveness of the night send chills down the spines of villagers. Since there is no electricity, no one has the courage to go in. Eventually a cat emerges from the shop with a jug stuck on its head!


Pros: Heartwarmingly simple language, vivid descriptions and instant metamorphosis from the hustle bustle of today’s life to a beautiful old town of Malgudi.

Cons: At the cost of being called blasphemous, I admit that there are some cons which prevent me from giving 5 stars. Some stories had such an abrupt ending that I regretted having read the story at all! At the most interesting point, where one longs to know what happened next, the story ends. I was left trying to find whether some pages have been torn by some malicious reader but all the page numbers showed continuity. It took some time for me to recover from the shock then.

[Kavita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malgudi was an earth-shaking discovery for me, because I had no mind for facts and things like that, which would be necessary in writing about Malgudi or any real place. I first pictured not my town but just the railway station, which was a small platform with a banyan tree, a station master, and two trains a day, one coming and one going. On Vijayadasami I sat down and wrote the first sentence about my town: The train had just arrived in Malgudi Station. - R.K. Narayan

From the pen of one of India's finest writers, R K Narayan's stories are simple but manage to capture the essence of life, love and relationships magnificently. Set in a fictional South Indian village of Malgudi (mixture of Malleswaram and Basavangudi), Malgudi Days depicts life in pre-Independence India with a unique flair. The stories are funny, emotional or bittersweet and remind us that life really is all these things and sometimes all at the same time. Life from the perspective of the common people is showcased in all its vivid detail and that era of Indian life captured in print for all time to come in this book of short stories.

I love this book and would read this again and again. It's a comfort book for me.

[Yules · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short, entertaining stories, probably none of which will remain with me for long.

Except for one called “God and the Cobbler,” about a hippie traveling through India and a poor manual laborer. The hippie, romanticizing the poor, is “struck by the total acceptance here of life as it came.” Like so many of us, he thinks someone else will have the real answers, the secrets to happiness. “He noticed on the highway, in villages and rice fields, men and women going about their business with complete absorption—faces drawn and serious but never agitated. He felt that they might have a philosophy worth investigating.” The poor cobbler tries to explain that his life is arduous and almost unbearable, but he, too, idealizes the hippie, believing him to be a god. When the cobbler confesses to having once set a neighbor’s house on fire with the children asleep inside, the traveler reveals that he himself once “set fire to villages and, flying over them, blasted people whom I didn’t know or see.” (A war pilot? Or some divinity in one of His bad moods?) Maybe Narayan meant to poke fun at these two characters, but I like to think that they both slip between delusion and transcendence.

I'd like to go back to this author with something longform.

Update: I did go back for a full novel, The Guide, where Narayan once again proves remarkably good at skewering credulous travelers.

[Sahil Kadu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in a fictional town of Malgudi, these collection of short stories by R.K. Narayan captures the essence of everyday Indian life with humour, empathy, fate, irony, deception and resilience; celebrating human spirit while subtly criticizing social norms. Each of these stories have their own warm and wit; evoking a deep sense of nostalgia for the pre 2000 era. This is a simple yet powerful storytelling!!

[Austin George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful collection of short stories centered around a fictional town in South India called Malgudi. I enjoyed most of the stories in this book.

[Pooja Dhami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanaswami is hailed as one of the most influential writers that India has ever produced. The beauty of this book lies in the simplicity with which the author portrays ardent, human emotions.
This book comprises of thirty-two short stories that provide a kaleidoscopic view of Malgudi, a small, fictional village from post-independence India, with each story reminding us that we are only human.
In an introduction to the book, author Jhumpa Lehri implores the reader to read one story each day. Let this be your 'Month with R.K.Narayan'. I, however, failed to do so and found myself devouring story after story everyday.
With his remarkable works of art, he introduced the world to Indian-English literature and made his way from our textbooks to our hearts.

[Bloodorange · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories feel universal; I am uncomfortably aware that this comment - from a white reader, on a non-white author's work - may smack of insensitivity to difference, but they feel universal the way greatest Russian literature does; they present human weaknesses and imperfection in a humorous, but, more frequently, objective and non-judgmental way.

My favourite story was Engine Trouble; I really liked and may use An Astrologer's Day, The Missing Mail, Lawley Road, God and the Cobbler, and Hungry Child.

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This edition brings together some of the best stories R.K.Narayan penned ( 33 stories) and have been previously published in two volumes- Astrologer's day and other stories (16 stories) and Lawley road and other stories (8 stories). It also includes nine of his later stories. Great read.

[Ravi Prakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost every student in India is familiar with Malgudy Days written by R. K. Narayan. Either in written form or broadcasted on television, the stories of Malgudy Days, like Shaktimaan and Chacha Chaudhry have influenced and entertained people . Anyone can think that I am exaggerating this , but it is true about Malgudy Days.

The book is the collection of thirty three stories. I omitted the first story, ‘ An Astrologer’s Day’, since I have read this in Intermediate and as a teacher I taught it so many times that it always seemed fresh in mind. I also remembered while turning the pages that I have watched the story, ‘Naga’ and still some blurred images were playing in minds. I think that anyone who picks Malgudy Days to read in our country must get the joy of reminding the childhood fun. R. K. Narayan’s portrayal of character and humor can’t let anyone leave a story unfinished.

Every story talks about the various facets of common man’s life. If we leave the stories from The Talkative Man, the events in every story look genuine. I think the main purpose of The Talkative Man is to serve humor on the place of reality. The longest story in the book is titled, ‘Second Opinion’, the story of a boy’s inner dilemma to marry or not to marry in order to save his mother’s life.

Some stories like, ‘The Tiger’s Claw’ , ‘The Snake Song’, ‘Engine Trouble’, ‘Lawley Road’ and , ‘Cat Within’ make you laugh. Stories like, ‘ An Astrologer’s Day’, ‘Trail of The Green Blazer’, ‘ The Martyr’s Corner’, ‘ Hungry Child’ and ‘Emden’ leave you in a vogue and compel you to think about the ending and to praise of Nrayan’s art of story-telling. Stories like , ‘Missing Mail’ , ‘The Doctor’s Word’, ‘Fourty Five a Month’, ‘Out of Buisness’, ‘The Axe’ , ‘ A Shadow’ , ‘Leela’s Friend’, and ‘Selvi’ simply shows the frailties, strength and natural instinct of mankind- these stories affect deep in one’s conscience. Well, it is my personal opinion that ending of three stories seemed to me awkward as I haven’t prepared myself even one percent for such endings, stories like, ‘ Ishwaran’ in which a boy who was getting failure every year in the intermediate exam, commits suicide in madness after seeing his result as passed. Another story, ‘Such Perfection’ was beyond my ability to get its theme. The third story, ‘Gateman’s Gift’ has also an awkward ending, perhaps Narayan exaggerated the innocence of the then common people.

R. K. Narayan was often asked, “Where is Malgudy?” and his answer was often, “ If I explain that Malgudy is a small town in South India, I shall only be expressing a half-truth, for the characteristics of Malgudy seem to me universal.” So the best quality of these stories is their universality. Anyone can find the characters of Malgudy in Newyork as well as in a village of India. The fight for existence, little wishes, big dreams, ridiculous plans, all these are parts human beings around the globe and Malgudy Days is the mirror of all these.

[Joy H.]

Added 4/11/12.
Below is from a post I wrote in my GR group 4/11/12:

Just by chance I've stumbled on a good thing. Someone somewhere mentioned Malgudi Days (first published 1942) by R.K. Narayan. It's a book of engaging short stories set in India, "revealing the essence of India", as the GR description says.

I didn't think I'd be interested in reading it at first. So I did the next best thing... ordered the movie adaptation from Netflix.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244911/
http://movies.netflix.com/Search?v1=M...
===================================================
"Based on R.K. Narayan's literary works, this vivid 13-episode series captures daily life in the fictional southern Indian town of Malgudi. Originally broadcast on India's National Channel, director Shankar Nag's warm and engaging series shares universal themes -- ranging from love and hate to religion and daydreams -- played out by a cast representing the spectrum of society: beggars, servants, masters, rich and poor." (from the Netflix description)
===================================================

Well, as I got into it, I decided to get the book from the library. Now, when I see that the DVD has an episode which is also in the book as a short story, I read the story first and then watch the episode. It's really interesting to see how the story is treated on film, right after you read it in the book. It certainly helps in the appreciation of the story and the characters.

As the description above says, the stories are "warm and engaging". The haunting Indian music in the background (played on a flute-sounding intrument) sets the atmosphere so well. The characters are so well drawn, both in the book and the movie. They're simple characters with universal emotions. Highly recommended for something a little bit different from what we're used to. It's indeed an escape to another world, so different from ours.

[Suhasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malgudi Days was a big part of Indian childhood of "90s kids". There was no one who grew up not watching at least a few episodes of Malgudi Days on the good ol' DD and marveled at the South Indian actors (Kannada mainly) speaking fluent English and Hindi like it was nothing. The stories remained etched in our hearts due to memorable acting by veterans in the industry. Many of the stories including the one with snake charmer/snake song, "engine" and astrologer remained with me even after two decades and brought a smile on my face when I was finally reading those stories in the book.

R.K. Narayan has so beautifully captured the landscape and people of Malgudi in his novels over the course of five decades that it transcends language or nationality. You just feel the raw nature of the rural day-to-day lives of ordinary people ranging from cobblers, snake charmers to astrologers and landlords. Told usually from a third person perspective, these stories display the mundaneness of the "malgudians" and how they go about their lives. Dramatic things do happen, but it stays true to the low-key nature of Malgudi.

Why are these stories from 1940s, 50s still relevant?
RKN through his simple writing brought up many issues which plagued the society back then and few continue to do even now.
In "Selvi", he writes about a famous singer who is bogged down by her husband who takes all her decisions for her and tells her what to do at every point.
"The Blind Dog", where animal cruelty takes the center stage which even now people consider "normal".
"Forty Five A Month", where a father prioritizes work over childcare.
"Iswaran", a boy pressured and bullied about his academic performance.

Some of my favourites:
"Engine Trouble" - Big a** engine, small a** town, what could go wrong!
"The Snake Song" - When the snake makes you dance...
"Cat Within" - Cat makes the town go crazy!
"The Edge" - Snip, snip
"Lawley Road" - Renaming places for politics, sounds familiar?
"Attila" - Cute little puppy!
"An Astrologer's Day" - A narrow escape!

P.S: Look-up "Malgudi railway station, Shivamogga" btw 😉

[S.Ach · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my book club chose "Malgudi Days" to read in the month of April, I was thrilled. Because, I see my hometown, the place where I had spent half of my life, is exact replica of Malgudi. Same kind of characters, same kind of atmosphere, same kind of happenings. So, reading various stories of Malgudi, is like gossiping about others in my hometown.

Since it was the second time, I was reading the stories of Malgudi, and also just a year or two back, I had re-watched the whole series once again (The TV adaptation is as good if not better than the book), I was not expecting to be surprised or thrilled by the stories any more. This time my expectation was to relive my memories. There has been so much said about Narayan and his creations, that me adding anything would be like showing a candle to the sun. So, I thought as a review at the end, I would just point out my favourite stories from the edition. When I started list the stories, I ended up choosing more than 80% of the stories from the collection. Each and every story presents a different but relatable slice of life, in the simplest of language.

Narayan remains my favourite story-teller from India.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed the fiction of R.K. Narayan for over f40 years, and I am glad to say that the collection of stories that is Malgudi Days contains some of his best work. It is so good, in fact, that it almost reads like a novel. All the stories are set in Narayan's fictional city of Malgudi, only with different characters. In fact, most of his fiction is set in the same place. Reading his work, one feels the same way about Faulkner and his mythical Yoknapatawpha County.

Malgudi Days is, in fact, a good place to start if you've never read Narayan before. There is a gentleness to these stories, as if the gods of India were carefully guiding the footsteps of the characters one meets.

A Tamil, Narayan wrote in English. It is interesting that we owe to another great writer -- Graham Greene -- the publication of Narayan's first four novels. It was a singularly generous and perceptive act.

[Jigar Brahmbhatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The focus in each story remains on a single character, almost always, against a larger canvas. The narrative style is beautifully detailed, mindful of social norms and the tragicomedy that arises from change, and yet it is light. We follow a character through his or her whimsies and the mini-adventure they engage in, but there is always an awareness of a larger community around it. The effect is generated story by story.

In one we meet an astrologer who is put to scrutiny by a stranger and a surprising connection is established between them in just five pages. A concerning postman takes a crucial decision on delivering a telegram at the risk of loosing his job, a young boy is left with an old snake when his father leaves him... the cumulative effect is that a sense of place and time emerge around us and we are engulfed by it, so that when we meet a man who has planned to take his young daughter to cinema and is gathering courage to ask his manager for few hours off, we are aware that the postman is in the vicinity, that if the salaryman takes a wrong turn he will meet the astrologer on his way home, that the young boy is still trying to get rid of the old snake on a nearby mountain... because R K Narayan is not interested in concluding the stories. He is keenly aware of the dramatic conflict required to give a rounded feeling to each story but the stories are not really over. We leave the characters in some action or the other, and yet we are satisfied by the end of it. Life goes on, Narayan suggests. And that is why the stories have the ability to grow in your mind, remaining as fresh and humane today as they were decades ago.

I see the seeds sown by Narayan sprout into such children as the characters in Miguel Street or Firozsha Baug. Observant comedy learned from mostly British writers of his time aside, Narayan suggested a view of the world maturer and universal than most writers are capable of. Neither revelling in superfluous optimism nor given to stubborn pessimism, Narayan portrayed life in its many flavours, never melodramatic but always caring. This is life, he seems to be saying through these stories, and it is a crime to fix it in some definition or a view.

The characters of Malgudi live on in a timeless loop, reminding us what it means to be human.

[Arunothia Marappan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of several short stories that have a unique plot. They have been narrated in a beautiful manner with lots of details that will bring up a nostalgic smile to any Indian born (probably not as much for Gen Z maybe :P)

[Aditi Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow soon.

[Saranya ⋆☕︎ ˖ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I forgot to do a review on this...

Malgudi, R.K. Narayan's fictional South Indian town, is concerned with the existential crisis of a talkative man, the woes of a misguided astrologer and the endearing shenanigans of a doctor who tries to cure everything with a single, all-purpose remedy. It's the kind of place where the biggest drama might be the arrival of a new signboard and frankly, it was boring:(

Narayan's characters are, without a doubt, wonderful humans but his stories did not appeal to me much. The characters stumble, scheme, dream and they occasionally achieve a moment of quiet profundity that creeps up on you like a monsoon cloud. However, I felt a pang of sympathy for the hapless vendor who just can't seem to get his business off the ground.

I'm saying it again: it did not appeal to me but it might appeal to others. What makes Malgudi Days shine is its gentle humor and keen observation of everyday life. Narayan doesn't mock his characters but he embraces them with a charming blend of amusement and affection. He paints a vivid picture of a world where tradition bumps up against modernity, often with amusing consequences.

So, if you’re suffering from literary fatigue, if your brain is tired of convoluted plots and brooding protagonists, do yourself a favor and spend some time in Malgudi.

[✨Rashi✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC
Remarks on some stories (will add as I read):

1. An Astrologer's Day
I loved how the author described the atmosphere. wasn't expecting that plot twist

3. The Doctor's word
Stories with characters in moral dilemma always intrigue me

4.Gateman's Gift
mildly disturbing ngl

5. The Blind Dog
‘What can we do with a creature who returns to his doom with such a free
heart?’
I think the title is really clever.

7. Tiger's Claw
Ooh this was interesting

8.Iswaran
..This didn't go in the direction I expected...

10. Father's Help
I've read this story in our textbook years ago!

11. Snake Song
Aah I'm loved this story! I live the writing style and the description. I also love how there has been a theme of artists and art in a few stories by far.

12. Engine Trouble
This was such a fun story

RTC

[Renu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing compilation of short stories. All the stories in it were a concoction of sweet and sour moments of the lives of people in Malgudi. Around the end of the story, readers will find themselves more engaged for the surprising turn of the events. The word choices turn the dark stories funny. Some stories, may even leave you teary-eyed but not sad, as the cute-funny words neutralise it. As R.K Narayan mentioned, each story was inspired by the lives of the Indian people. Stories such as "The Edge" and "Emden" also reflect the political situation of India. "The Edge" is about the mass sterilisation drive of 1976 (again not a happy time to be in, but the narration will make you laugh or giggle at least). "Emden", the German ship, as I recall, has been mentioned in Sanjeev Sanyal's book "The Incredible History of the Indian Ocean" too.

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This world created by R.K. Narayan, Malgudi is absolutely magical and wonderful. In this, the author writes about people's day to day lives and captures everything beautifully that is all interconnected.

R.K. Narayan's writing is simple and wonderful. All the characters seem real and well thought out including their struggles. An amazing read.

4 stars