The Best of Laxman: The Common Man Meets The Mantri

by R.K. Laxman

A collection of gems from India's best loved cartoonist. From financial crises to the woes of householders, from political instability to rampant corruption, Laxman's cartoons capture the entire gamut of contemporary Indian experience. Hilarious and thought-provoking at the the same time, this is a treasure house of humour from one of the most striking voices commenting on Indian socio-political life today. This is a revised edition of the 1990 original.

Genres: Comics

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

'''Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Iyer Laxman''' (born October 23 1924, Mysore, India) is an Indian cartoonist, illustrator and humorist. He is widely regarded as India's greatest-ever cartoonist and is best known for his creation ''The Common Man".

R. K. Laxman was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan by the Government of India. He has won many awards for his cartoons, including Asia's top journalism award, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, in 1984.

Reviews

[Md. Shahedul Islam Shawn]

Ugly appearance of political power, political deviation, corruption and social norms, typical indian society. imaging with great sense of humour.

[Gautam Gopal Krishnan]

The Common Man Meets The Mantri is a book of cartoons curated to depict the political satire showcased by one of the most famous and influential Indian cartoonists, R.K.Laxman. He had a long and illustrious career, best known for his work spanning over five decades at The Times of India, beginning in 1951. The timing and subject matter of his illustrations provide a wonderful insight into the happenings of newly independent India.

The "Common Man" character has the distinctive appearance of an old, bald man with wispy white hair, wearing round glasses and clad in a traditional dhoti and checked jacket. He has a puzzled look and generally observes events with quiet resignation. In this collection, which was originally published in 1990 and later revised in 2000, the reader gets to see this character have a front-row seat to political absurdities, governmental corruption, and the everyday struggles of the average citizen.

The introduction does great justice to setting the tone for the 200 or so pages of comics that follow. Given that the Common Man never intervenes in the happenings of current events, it is endearing to view Indian democracy and its growth through a passive yet sharp satirical lens.

[Sri]

Laxman is a genius. There's no doubt about it.

[Prithwish Chakrabarti]

Satirical cartoons at its high. Collection of Laxman's Times of India frames. Eternal collection and can be contemporary in Indian Politics at any time line.

[Sundeep Supertramp]

The original review of this book is posted on my blog...


To read the original review of this book, click here...