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Swami and Friends

R.K. Narayan,

Madhukar Dharmapurikar (Translator)

4.22 · Rating details · 12,618 ratings · 543 reviews

"There are writers—Tolstoy and Henry James to name two—whom we hold in awe, writers—Turgenev and Chekhov—for whom we feel a personal affection, other writers whom we respect—Conrad for example—but who hold us at a long arm's length with their 'courtly foreign grace.' Narayan (whom I don't hesitate to name in such a context) more than any of them wakes in me a spring of gra ...more

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Paperback, 190 pages

Published October 1st 1994 by University Of Chicago Press (first published 1935)

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· 12,618 ratings · 543 reviews

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Feb 02, 2021 Tanu rated it really liked it

Shelves: cultural, children, classic, fiction, reviewed, humor, physical-copy

The book's core theme is childhood. The author has done an excellent job of highlighting how children are influenced by their environment and community. Readers enjoy the amusing approach to human nature's dual character.

Swami's relationships with his parents, teachers, friends, and grandma are depicted in a charming manner by the author. The seamless portrayal of a variety of emotions such as innocence, love, hurry, naughtiness, envy, and optimism is also adorable.

This is one of those "chil ...more

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Sep 02, 2021 Ammit P Chawda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.25 ⭐

Absolutely loved it!!!!

GENRE - FICTION - KIDS CLASSIC, COMEDY.

This book reminded me of my School days and all the monkey tricks I would do with my friends. Long before when there was a time when there would be no mobile phones and computers around we would rely on friends and family to pass our time and connect, I wish those time come back and there be no Smartphones and computers.

This book is about a boy named Swaminathan (Swami) who belongs to a fictional town of Malgudi in India and his ...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Lars Guthrie rated it it was amazing

I would never have known about Narayan had not the parent of a child with whom I worked introduced me with a Christmas present of the Everyman's Library Edition of the four 'Malgugi' novels. Another lucky reward of my job. The first of these novels, 'Swami' is the story of a ten-year-old boy in a small town in southern India, just as Gandhi's independence movement is gaining traction.

Narayan's effortless prose is deceptively free of judgment, even style--a clean and spare narration that looks w ...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Priyanka rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011

Swami and friends has got such an innocence that they will make you smile, remind you of the 'big problems' you had to face when you were a child and all those ridiculous things you did.

For example, I used to write letters exactly like this one

"I am studying here because my father came here. My mother is also
here. All of us are here. And we will be only here. I am doing well. I hope
you are doing well. It is very hot here. I had fever for three days and drank
medicine. I hope I will read well and ...more

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Jul 27, 2018 Daren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, india, 4-star, indian-subcontinent, indian-author

This is Narayan's first book, and therefore the first of his famous Malgudi books.

It is a clever book, in its own way - mainly because it gets into the head of a ten year-old boy, living in a small Indian village. Narayan has really nailed this - the things that are important to a ten year-old, the confusion of a ten year-old, the innocent, lack of understanding that a ten year-old has in the ways of the adult world. It also picks up on the simplicity of relationships - the transition of childho ...more

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Oct 26, 2019 Reading_ Tamishly rated it it was ok

*top 10 disappointing reads of 2019*
So glad I am finally done with this beloved children's classic!
I loved the writing style. But somehow I couldn't enjoy this read as much as I had anticipated.

Without a doubt, the author did show his best trying to represent the characters that's relevant to those times. This book was first published in 1935. I appreciate the heavy influence in the writing of all the things that were relevant then. The political upheaval and the unrest; the struggle of the com *top 10 disappointing reads of 2019*
So glad I am finally done with this beloved children's classic!
I loved the writing style. But somehow I couldn't enjoy this read as much as I had anticipated.

Without a doubt, the author did show his best trying to represent the characters that's relevant to those times. This book was first published in 1935. I appreciate the heavy influence in the writing of all the things that were relevant then. The political upheaval and the unrest; the struggle of the common men and the strive to get educated and in sync with the surroundings that came as a result of the British rule during those days.

I liked the first half of the book much, much more than the second half. The characters were developed in a way I felt that the adult characters were represented fairly well while I have got issues with the child characters. I seriously doubt their age. And they are totally unlikable specially that of the main character, Swaminathan aka Swami. I would say he is pretty inconsiderate and manipulative at times. Mani, one of his best friends, is a big bully and always looking for ways to pick up a fight. Then there's this kid Rajam, an egoistic kid just because his father is a police superintendent. None of these kids are cute or charming or has that childlike nature in them. They are rude most of the times. They are rather manipulative and selfish. All these issues are portrayed as somewhat alright in this book which I believe made this book rather unenjoyable.

The writing, the sequence of events and character portrayal are flawless in the first half of the book. The second half of the book is a bit messed up. It looks like the author wanted to include so many things about politics, the education system, friendship, school life, cricket, emotions and craziness all at once! But as many as such things were there, the ending was abrupt and a bit underwhelming. And the nature of these kids remain questionable. And I think the overflow of emotions from Swami is a bit out of place as compared to that of Rajam's and Mani's. And yes, these characters are all over the place without much impact.

I really wanted to love this book. But meh... This is the first time that I am not overwhelmed by everything in a book by my fav author.

Looking forward to the next read.

***Main issues why this is a 3 star read for me:
🔹Lack of character personality and mispresentation
🔹Lack of sense in the sequence of events in the later half of the book
🔹An underwhelming ending ...more

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Mar 23, 2014 Ian Laird rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: father-son, fiction, favourite, india, indian-author

I first read Swami and Friends in 2005, and have re-read it to kick off a little review project

Narayan Project - No. 1 of 26*

This is a beautiful book about childhood, specifically boyhood, told by a master story teller about to begin his long and fruitful creative life.

Famously, Swami and Friends is the work which got RK Narayan his start, when a friend in London showed the manuscript to Graham Greene, leading to its publication, after the friend ignored RKN’s instruction to throw the work into ...more

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Jan 19, 2015 Annette mathews rated it really liked it

Shelves: indian-fiction

I have heard many things about R.K Narayan . I am ashamed to say that I have not read a single book of his till now, him being such a renowned writer not to mention the fact that he was an Indian. I saw his books at a book fair recently.At first , I was hesitant to buy his books ,but then my dad compelled me ,So I ended up buying two of his books .
Better late than never.
The story is about Swami,Mani and Rajam who were foes at first but then went on to become great friends .What I like most in th ...more

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Jul 01, 2013 Bigsna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: indian-authors

:-) Simple and sweet. Much enjoyed reading this very classic book that became the popular Malgudi Days on TV.

RK Narayan picks up the tone of Swami and his friends so well. What I found really funny was how all the boys (Swami, Mani and Rajam)take themselves so seriously, when they haven't a clue about most things.
One of the funniest incidents was when the boys decide to form a local cricket club and wonder if the government would charge them a tax for forming the club, as the government seemed ...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Smiley rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

In fact, I enjoyed reading all of the 19 Chapters in the first Narayan novel since I'd never read him before. It's one of the novels published in the Everyman's Library series and I couldn't help admiring him as well as his writing style, narrative and sense of humour to the extent that I could visualize how the rural Indians lived in the remote country nearly similar to my rural Thailand some 55 years ago.
I'm sorry I don't have the Everyman's Library hardcover nearby, therefore, I can't write m ...more

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Aug 26, 2018 Padmaja rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Finished it last night in a single sitting as I wasn't able to sleep 😅 reading this reminded me of my childhood and my heart craved for the innocence of those times. I absolutely love Swami's character since childhood. ...more

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Nov 06, 2020 Prabhjot Kaur rated it liked it

Shelves: culture, indian-author, cultural, children, fiction, indian, classics

It's always a delight to visit the fictional town of India, Malgudi. R.K. Narayan has created such an amazing world and I can never get enough of it. Swami and Friends is based in pre-partition India when it was still under the British Raaj.

This talks about all the issues surrounding those times and some issues are still present in present day India. Issues such as political unrest, importance of education and respecting different religions. This book is about Swami, Mani and Rajam and how they ...more

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Mar 28, 2020 Aubrey rated it liked it

Shelves: person-of-everything, r-2020, antidote-think-twice-all, 1-read-on-hand, 3-star, r-goodreads, reviewed, shorty-short, antidote-think-twice-read, young-adult

3.5/5

For some time, there's been a niggling in the back of my mind that every so often jabs me with the realization that I've been rather complacent with my replenishment of Indian literature in my personal collection. A brief overview shows a compendium of writings by Indian women, a couple of postcolonial feminist nonfiction treatises, some biographies, scattered single or double works by a handful of authors, and a work so diasporic in nature that I'm not sure whether it bears mentioning, wit 3.5/5

For some time, there's been a niggling in the back of my mind that every so often jabs me with the realization that I've been rather complacent with my replenishment of Indian literature in my personal collection. A brief overview shows a compendium of writings by Indian women, a couple of postcolonial feminist nonfiction treatises, some biographies, scattered single or double works by a handful of authors, and a work so diasporic in nature that I'm not sure whether it bears mentioning, with little beyond some age old memoirs and a single work by my beloved Roy to signal at any active planning of further purchases on my part. It seems, with a case such as India, I cannot rely as much on my instinct for old/translated works, what with contemporary Anglo being the most prominent representative at most book sales. Even here, while I was glad to be able to finally get around to Narayan through incorporating in a reading challenge, I do not feel any urge to pursue more of his bibliography, save for the rather dry appeal of his having successfully worked his way into various literary canons of my particular language and country. More than this being a work which falls a little more towards the younger aspect of humanity in its attempt to bridge the generations is the fact that, ultimately, this is a story that I've heard before, with the colonial rule and the lack of women and the cricket and the controversial uprisings against everything British. Now, I certainly haven't come even close to experiencing the story in every way that it can be possibly told, but while Narayan's evocation of youthful experiences was at first charming, it didn't sustain itself enough over even its brief number of pages for my cynical gaze. A shame, but an honest personal response nonetheless, and that's the best I can do at times.

I've very little interest in thematically choosing my reading based on whatever contemporaneous events are swirling around me. Thanks to my obsessive book hoarding habits that look less and less ridiculous as quarantine procedures go on, I'm hardly lacking for at least one work that would fit the times, but while my appetite for newly composed nonfiction has grown by leaps and bounds as I've aged, I've always been far more of an escapist than anything else. So, when the world started struggling and my life started adjusting in the wake of it, I turned to a setting on the other side of the world and nearly a century into the past: one, because it's a member of my current bevy of challenge reads; two, because it's been on my shelves forever; and three, because it was the sort of cheery youthfulness that I thought would be good for my state of mind. It certainly was good in that respect, but I was never a little Indian boy, or a little boy for that matter, and I was always half distracted wondering where all the little girls were in this landscape of schools, tennis courts, and the fierce summer heat, where Christians get in trouble for being religious bigots and the cart man is the biggest hero of them all. Entertaining with all its youthful rapscallions, to be sure, but not a varied enough picture of Malgudi's world for me not to be a little dismissive of the next dreaded brush with the teacher's authority or the next work of magnanimity performed by the police chief's son. Highly relevant to a younger form of myself, I'm sure, but it's rather too late for that, and I am not of the temperament for which this work manages to survive the gap between child and adult.

So. Another venerated name in classical literature (somewhat) beyond the Anglo pale of things under my belt, but not one I plan on perusing unless a particularly beautiful edition of unread work(s) crosses my path (I'm superficial like that). I likely left this work too long for it to appeal now, but I was already twenty when I first added it, and considering how frequently (and, honestly, in most instances pathetically) Anglo children's literature finds its way into the best and brightest lists, this was a chance to return the favor. It was good enough that I wouldn't mind recommending it to younger folks (although one scene involving the main character child whacking another younger one over the head was rather off-putting, to say the least), especially those who are already being warped by their US surroundings against the country from which their ancestors hail. For me, I'm better off going forward with my plan to revisit some favorites of my childhood, which, depending on how long my area's shelter in place order lasts, may happen sooner rather than later with books I had originally checked out as children's services reference material that, now, can't be returned for some time. The sooner I can return them, though, the better, as I want to embark on my Indian literature replenishment plan sooner rather than later, and I'm not yet desperate enough to resort to ordering online. ...more

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Nov 23, 2010 Amalie rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grade-8-to-12, india

Without a doubt, R K Narayan is one of the most famous Indian writers and a great story teller. His stories are gently humorous. Swami and Friends is one of his first published novels based on R. K. Narayan’s experiences as a village school teacher. There is absolutely nothing boring about this novel and is one of my favourite stories about children.

Swami/Swaminathan is a ten-year-old boy in a small town in southern India called ‘Malgudi’ (The fictitious southern Indian town which is the settin ...more

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May 20, 2019 Vikas Singh rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-book

This is the first book by R.K. Narayan. Graham Greene who helped getting it published called it "A book in ten thousand". Narayan introduces the quaint little town of Malgudi. He beautifully captures the trails and tribulations of a young child and his small dreams and joys. We get to see a very authoritarian society out to stiff out children's natural learning and growing up process. A great read and a great insight into Indian way of life in small town back in 30's. ...more

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May 09, 2020 Smitha Murthy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, fiction, children, friendship, india

I needed something ‘light’, and unlike my friend who picks up gory murders as light reading, I turned to the much-loved world of one of India’s most beloved novelists, RK Narayan.

These whimsical tales of a lost childhood were just what I needed. Swami’s capers made me smile and chuckle and forget the world around me a little bit.

A classic children’s treasure.

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Jan 28, 2017 विकास नैनवाल rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2017, would-read-it-again, indian-reads-2017, r-k-narayan

It was a delight to meet you again, Swami. I can only say this, we'll meet again soon,my friend. Loved the book. Highly recommended. ...more

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Jul 10, 2019 Sookie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: literary-fiction, novella, i-lit

I was quite close to swami's age when malgudi days aired on TV. The faces on the show were familiar and the stories had a comforting feel to them. Where I am from, swami is a school staple. We see life in a small town where there is a strong British presence in schools and in government offices . Narayan writes about life in such small town where people have now lived for years in a system that looks complacent but the omnipresent head of foreign rule is ever present. Amidst all this we see swam ...more

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Oct 27, 2021 Raghav Bhatia rated it it was amazing

There's magic in this story. Not the bombastic, whoa-inducing kind of magic; rather the quiet kind of magic that one finds in food made by a mother's hand, or in the music of monsoon rain. I don't know whether this is well-written or not, but I suppose that I barely noticed the writing at all is a mark of fine craft. ...more

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Jul 24, 2021 adya rated it really liked it

Shelves: comfort, classics, short-story-collection

R.K. Narayan rather strikes me as the Ruskin Bond of the south. The incredible homely quality of both the authors' writings makes for very comforting books!
Really enjoyed this glimpse into the small town life in Malgudi (although I do prefer Malgudi Adventures to any other book of Narayan's).
The M.C.C. and its portrayal of children in colonial India in the 1930s was super funny!

Side note- Very amusing to see that fathers teaching their kids mathematics is the same now as was then! Also I wish ...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Surabhi rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

Swami and Friends is the first of a trilogy of novels written by RK Narayan, a celebrated English novelist from India. The novel, which is also Narayan's first, is set in pre-independence days in India, in a fictional town - Malgudi, which has almost become a real place in India today, due to the wide recognition and popularity of Narayan's many novels. His novels are known for their 'deftly etched characters, his uniquely stylized language and his wry sense of humor'.

Swami and Friends is the st Swami and Friends is the first of a trilogy of novels written by RK Narayan, a celebrated English novelist from India. The novel, which is also Narayan's first, is set in pre-independence days in India, in a fictional town - Malgudi, which has almost become a real place in India today, due to the wide recognition and popularity of Narayan's many novels. His novels are known for their 'deftly etched characters, his uniquely stylized language and his wry sense of humor'.

Swami and Friends is the story of a 10-year-old boy, growing up during this particular time, his innocence, wonder, mischief and growing pains. He is a student at Albert Mission School, a school established by the British which gives importance to Christianity, English literature and education. His life is dramatically changed when Rajam - a symbol of colonial super power - joins the school and he and Rajan become friends.

The central theme of the novel is growing up of young Swami. He is a spontaneous, impulsive, mischievous and yet a very innocent child. His character is a child in the fullest sense of the world. Through Swami's eyes the reader gets to peak in to the pre-independence days in South India. The life portrayed in the novel is accurate in its description of the colonial days - the uprisings, the rebellions, the contempt and the reverence the natives had for their subjugator, together with varied elements that have become one, such as cricket and education.
The novel, first intended for a very young audience, later expanded into a universal one, for its simple narrative and depiction of colonial India. Today in India it is recommended as a textbook or a reference book. One of the most glaring facts about the novel is the similarity of children through out the world, and how they have not changed since the time the novel was written. Children are all mischievous, impulsive and innocent like Swami. They all play and enjoy just like Swami, and try to circumvent doing homework by ingenious excuses and methods. Like Swami most children - even today- attend schools that do not nourish their heritage and culture, throughout the world including the US.

The criticism of the educational system and the lack of faith in it is a common theme of Narayan. It runs throughout this trilogy Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts and The English Teacher. Narayan's own father who was a principal did not think much of the system as Narayan and his many fictional characters, such as Swami, Chandran, Krishna, Sriram and a host of others. But the educational system comes under grave criticism in this trilogy, and discussed at length in The English Teacher. (Read The English Teacher web page in this site.) It is not that Narayan thought that education was useless, but rather that the school and education system founded by the British was irrelevant. He was maybe among the second generation of persons who received a formal education in India during the time, and saw how his grandparents and many other of his countrymen surviving, thriving and living as good human beings, perhaps even better than the 'educated folk,' without any education.

...more

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Mar 23, 2018 Zoeb rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Legend has it that 'Swami And Friends' was one of the four books of R.K Narayan that Graham Greene had a lion's share in publishing to the Western world. Had it not been for Greene, we, as a collective human race, would have been deprived of the extraordinary beauty of simplicity and sincerity in prose and literature.

One of the things that makes these wonderful Swami tales stand so tall above their peers of adventures of other intrepid boy heroes is its winsome believability, the sheer serenity ...more

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Mar 29, 2018 Rebecca rated it really liked it

Shelves: indian, 2018-reads

So homely, so amusing.. And a bit sad towards the end. R K. N. weaves the story such that I almost believed I was in Malgudi.. Now off to rekindle some nostalgia by watching the DD series on you tube

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Jul 19, 2016 Kanwarpal Singh rated it liked it

This book is about Swaminathan and his friends adventure story of 3 main characters Swami, Mani and Rajam and there are stories that revolve around them, they had there fair share of fun ,they stand by each other, they did certain things that friendship stand for , they have fair share of tantrum before becoming friends, They have innocence in them , that are got manipulated , have typically Indian parents who want to control life of children and interfere in there affairs, Stories of they got t ...more

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Dec 21, 2019 Sam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book had been in my to-read list for a long, long time and finally, after many years, I got the opportunity to read it and without doubt, it has lived up to its potential! There can never be a book like this one, with simplicity and nostalgia wrapped in every sentence and every incident relating to the innermost core of the heart.

But just reading this book is not sufficient. The television series is a perfect companion after reading R.K Narayan’s books and deserves an award of its own!

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Apr 25, 2013 Manish Purohit rated it really liked it

"Ye Daulat Bhii Le Lo, Ye Shoharat Bhii Le Lo, Bhale Chhiin Lo Mujhase Merii Javaanii, Magar Mujhako Lautaa Do Bachpann Kaa Saavan, Vo Kaagaz Kii Kashtii, Vo Baarish Kaa Paanii..." these magical lines by Sudarshan Faakir beautifully sums up the importance of childhood memories in our lives.

'Swami and Friends' brings out that 'bachpann' in you which is silently hidden in some corner of your heart. There is something especial about this book that separates it from all other creative masterpiece. T "Ye Daulat Bhii Le Lo, Ye Shoharat Bhii Le Lo, Bhale Chhiin Lo Mujhase Merii Javaanii, Magar Mujhako Lautaa Do Bachpann Kaa Saavan, Vo Kaagaz Kii Kashtii, Vo Baarish Kaa Paanii..." these magical lines by Sudarshan Faakir beautifully sums up the importance of childhood memories in our lives.

'Swami and Friends' brings out that 'bachpann' in you which is silently hidden in some corner of your heart. There is something especial about this book that separates it from all other creative masterpiece. That persona of innocence and childhood charm which (I'm sure) everyone would have felt during his childhood days comes alive when one is reading this book & it takes you back in those days. Page by Page, incident by incident, chapter by chapter...you re-visit your childhood with the panorama of school days and mischief you played coming before your eyes.

The book is about Swami (a child everyone must have lived his / her childhood with), his whole gang of friends & their adventure in the school. It beautifully captures the perspective of a ten year old boy towards school, adults & stuff around. The life during those days meant juggling around between classes, home work, playing mischief with friends, strolling in sun & making strategies to convince parents for the permission to play. Purity in thoughts & actions, something that even now brings silent smile to the face (Well...it did brought smile to my face when I was writing this). Added to this, the literary zest of R K Narayan really takes you to the magical world of Malgudi (which is essentially a virtual town in southern India) & its slightly eccentric people who are gullible and are still untouched by the winds of change sweeping over India.

This is one of those books falling in the 'children fiction' category, which will provide the same (or infact more) joy to adults too as it makes them remember those forgotten cherished childhood moments. The sweetness and naturalness of the book makes it a must read for all...for the simple reason that we all deserve to feel that innocence & tenderness once again...as somewhere down the line, the thought always comes to each of our mind "Wish I could re-live those moments one more time"

If the above thought have stirred your mind ever. . .Go this is a chance for you to steal some of them!!

Rating: 5/5

Visit the following link to read the detailed review
http://www.musingsofawanderingheart.b... ...more

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Aug 12, 2021 Semi Murderous ^_^ rated it it was amazing

I forgot I read this book when I was like 13-14. I will go cry now in *nostalgia*
Please excuse me.
P.s if you didn't like it, it's because you didn't read it when you should have. You were late. Sucks for you. This book is perfect. I will sell your soul to the Devil if you say otherwise you piece of shit. Okay bye. Have a nice day.
:) ...more

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May 24, 2013 Rishi Prakash rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I did come back to Malgudi Like I had said after reading "Bachelor of Arts"! And in 1 simple line I am thrilled to be at Malgudi even though it took me so many years! R.K.Narayan is just a genius without any doubt. His writing skills are exemplary; simple yet so effective.
Swami must be one of his best characters for sure which I can convincingly say after reading this book. He is just someone who will never ever leave you once you get to know him. He is sweet, very funny, unpredictable and defi I did come back to Malgudi Like I had said after reading "Bachelor of Arts"! And in 1 simple line I am thrilled to be at Malgudi even though it took me so many years! R.K.Narayan is just a genius without any doubt. His writing skills are exemplary; simple yet so effective.
Swami must be one of his best characters for sure which I can convincingly say after reading this book. He is just someone who will never ever leave you once you get to know him. He is sweet, very funny, unpredictable and definitely unique :-) I can read as many books as I can get my hands on which have been written around him.
Coming to this book, it is a simple story of Swami and his 6 friends set in the greatest village "Malgudi"; it has everything which a group of boys can do in 1930's and trust me they do have a lot of things to do!
There are many parts in this book which will really make you laugh which i did many times while reading. There is this chapter where Swami is talking to his old grandmother and telling her about his friend; that entire interaction is absolutely hilarious. And if I have to pick one small paragraph from the book to give a flavour of what I am referring to then read the below lines:

Once swami's father dictates arithmetic problem.

Rama has ten mangoes with which he wants to earn fifteen annas. Krishna wants only four mangoes. How much will Krishna have to pay?

Now read description of swami's state of mind

swaminathan gazed and gazed at this sum, and every time he read it, it seemed to acquire a new meaning. He had the feeling of having stepped into a fearful maze...

His mouth began to water at the thought of mangoes. He wondered what made Rama fix fifteen annas for ten mangoes. What kind of a man was Rama? Probably he was like Sankar. Somehow one could not help feeling that he must have been like Sankar, with his ten mangoes and his iron determination to get fifteen annas. If Rama was like Sankar, Krishna must have been like pea. Here Swaminathan felt an unaccountable sympathy for krishna.

“Have you done the sum?” Father asked, looking over the newspaper he was reading.

“Father, will you tell me if the mangoes were ripe?”

You just have to read it- no matter what :-) ...more

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May 17, 2016 Mahima rated it liked it

R.K. Narayan's writing is so beautifully simple that you just cannot help but appreciate it. Reading this book was like reading about a place that I have never visited (indeed I have never visited South India), but a place that feels like home. When you read something like this, you realize that when you're an Indian, every place in India, no matter if it is in the South or the North - with all its diversity, it is home. ...more

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Dec 22, 2017 Sahana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book took me back to childhood, full of innocence and exaggerated drama. Swami's imagination, his inability to do Math, his hatred for school and his loyalty to his friends are some examples of relatable nostalgia. I also have a soft corner for the novel's characters and it's setting. The book reminds me of simpler times and even simpler people, an era that's missing and grossly required in today's world. ...more

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About R.K. Narayan

R.K. Narayan

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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 the ...more

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“Swaminathan had never thought that this story contained a moral. But now he felt that it must have one since the question paper mentioned it.” — 1 likes

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