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The story opens with Raju going to the barber just outside the prison. The barber knows he has just been released - he has seen so many over the years that he can recognize the look of such a man. We are not privy why Raju has been in prison. Soon, however, we get his story.
The GR description and many reviews speak to the corruption of Raju, the Railway Guide. Does Raju always take the straight path? No. He is a fellow to whom life has given lemons and chooses to make lemonade. It helps that he ...more
The GR description and many reviews speak to the corruption of Raju, the Railway Guide. Does Raju always take the straight path? No. He is a fellow to whom life has given lemons and chooses to make lemonade. It helps that he ...more
After Raju is released from prison in southern India, he takes up residence in a deserted temple and soon finds himself being treated as a holy man. As we hear how this develops, he tells in the first person the tale of how he went from being a small-time shopkeeper to a people-pleasing tour guide fascinated by a traditional Indian dancer called Rosie, and how that led him into prison.
It's a wonderful comedy of errors with a very obtuse anti-hero. All the characters seem to fall into every trap ...more
It's a wonderful comedy of errors with a very obtuse anti-hero. All the characters seem to fall into every trap ...more
I'm glad this book was recommended to me by one of my Goodreads Groups because I don't think I ever would have picked it up otherwise. The story moved along simply enough, with the protagonist remembering earlier episodes from his life and recounting bits to others. I enjoyed the rise and fall of the main character as he moved from a poor person scraping together a life as a tour guide at a railway station to a rich and influential person to a prisoner to, finally, a Swami. I never felt wholly c
...more
Apr 16, 2011
Heather (DeathByBook)
marked it as to-read
Jan 31, 2012
Daman Sahni
marked it as to-read
Aug 25, 2013
Karen Michele Burns
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
my-5-star-books,
1001-books-completed
Nov 26, 2013
Stephany
marked it as to-read
Jun 10, 2015
Branko Jovanovski
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Jul 06, 2015
Lindsay
marked it as to-read
Feb 17, 2016
Denise
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May 27, 2023
Natalie
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May 20, 2024
Bud
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