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A hero must save the woman he loves. Ravana, the Supreme Lord, has enslaved all the gods. Although he now rules the world, he cannot resist a beautiful woman. When he catches a glimpse of the princess Sita, he falls under her spell and steals her away. Her beloved husband, Rama, will do anything to get her back. With the help of the brave monkey Hanuman, he journeys across the world to find her. But the evil Ravana will not give up Sita without a fight. ... Read more

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Collection of writings on Indian philosophy, poetics and literature, an original volume ... Read more

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Fresh from the Truth Printing Works, the weekly "Banner" enjoys a certain distinction, and its closure comes as a shock to both its editor Srinivas, and the printer and financier Mr Sampath. Their change of direction into the glamour of film production leads, however, to unmitigated chaos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An Asian touch to a Western standard
In many ways R.K. Narayan offers nothing more than a standard novel peopled with a standard cast of characters going through a standard story which develops along a standard plot. Is the only point of interest that the setting and the characters are Indian? Not quite.

The cast includes the main character Srinivas, who edits a newspaper, and his sidekick Mr. Sampath, who prints it. We also meet Srinivas's wife and son, his landlord, a menagerie of neighbours and associates, and briefly Mr. Sampath's wife and family. Sampath is a more colorful fellow than the self-effacing and dependable Srinivas, but it is Srinivas who grows and develops through the novel, which except for a quick flashback at the start progresses very linearly from beginning to end.

This is all very conventional, but there are unexpected twists. One of the supporting characters dies in the middle of the novel for no reason at all. It just happens. Another character falls in love, again for no reason at all--it just happens. Someone writes a relative for money and worries about the rebuke that will accompany the sum. Surprisingly a kind supportive word arrives instead with the cash.

Life twists and veers off in unlooked for ways, which is a very Asian way of thinking. We shouldn't worry or bother about the accidents of life. "It was like bothering about a leaf on a torrent -- whether it was floating on its right side or wrong side" writes Narayan. Existence is what matters. Life goes on.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

pseudo intellectual tour de force or someone on hashish
When I started the book I thought it rather interesting and it reminded me of Naipaul's Mr.Biswis's House....but the story quickly became loose and unbelievable and then just plain crazy.
I have half a notion that Narayan plucks words out of the air "Chevrolet" "corn fields" and puts them in places where they jolt and don't belong.Coffee is used constantly...The story is completely unbelievable and insane when the movie studio part of it starts.This guy is no Naipaul that is for sure, it is amazing he is popular.If I had not read he wrote the books in English I would have put off
this bad writing and story to the translation.I cannot believe this author
is famous.

charming
I bought this in Madras and that same night Chandra brought up Narayan in conversation -- raised in Mysore, brother to RK Laxman.Malgudi is not Mysore, though, but smaller, provincial, in the orbit of Madras -- perhaps some place like Chenglepat, Seshadri's birthplace. This book has aloose, whimsical mood to it.The twin protagonists, the unworldly editorand the worldly yet also idealistic printer, are wonderful.But the storyisn't very tight.Short as it is, it reads as if written in installments. Interesting that it was published in London several years beforeIndia.I think that this book influenced Naipaul's House for Mr. Biswas --Naipaul recognized his own father in Narayan's thwarted editor.

An underrated masterpiece
Narayan's writing has immense natural charm and elegance: it is never less than an absolute delight. He often, I think, relies too much on these qualities, and skates over some of the more profound themes. But that isnot the case here. The themes are dark indeed: grinding poverty,exploitation, primitive superstitions - indeed, human suffering in general.What can one do when surrounded on all sides by such horrors? Becomeindifferent to it - assume a philosophy that claims that such things areso, and must be so, as they are part of the eternal equilibrium. Andmeanwhile, the suffering continues.

All this makes the book soundtremendously heavy: it isn't. It is wonderfully witty and charming; attimes, it is uproariously funny. I do not know of any other writer who cando justice to such serious themes with so light a touch. This seems to meone of the great underrated novels of this century. ... Read more

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REQUIRED, THE STORY-TELLER COULD HAVE AN AUDIENCE BUT IN THIS CASE HE WOULDN'T BE READING FROMHIS MS, BUT WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE VILLAGERS. I MUCH PREFER THE STORY-TELLER ALONE. ... Read more

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

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Some affectionately shorten it to TM: I have earned this title, I suppose, because I cannot contain myself. My impulse to share an experience with others is irresistible." As a young journalist struggling to establish a reputation, TM is always on the lookout for a good story. The one he shares with the reader this time is about the mysterious Dr. Rann and his effect on the people of Malgudi-a world of "small men, small schemes, big talk, and limited means," as V.S. Naipaul aptly described Narayan's enchanting city. Dr. Rann arrives in Malgudi wearing a fancy blue suit and claiming to be researching a project for the United Nations. He inveigles TM into taking him to his home on Kabir Street, where he begins an extended visit as a house-guest. TM learns through local gossip that the secrete scholar is seducing one of Malgudi's young girls, and then a large woman from Delhi arrives and relates the amazing tale of her futile attempts to reclaim the same man, her erratic, wandering husband. In the novel's hilarious and touching denouement, TM realizes that not only he but also Dr. Rann and his implacable wife are all engaged in creating fictions about themselves and their lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Talkative Man
This is my first Narayan book, and I very much enjoyed it.It's a quick, enjoyable read that manages, over a short space (116 pages), to create some vivid and memorable characters. The story also resonates on some deeper level as a study of love, marriage and the forces that drive some men to obsessively and serially pursue and seduce women.

The story is narrated by Talkative Man, a local journalist in Narayan's fictional town of Malgudi.He meets a purported doctor from Timbuktoo who has supposedly come to the town on a mission for the United Nations.The doctor takes up residence first at the town's train station and then with Talkative Man.He has no real job and no visible means of support, but is a dapper dresser and elegant man with whom all the locals are taken.As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that he is a womanizing predator who seduces young women and then abandons them without warning.The climax comes when Talkative Man attempts to prevent the doctor from seducing a young Malgudi woman whom Talkative Man has known since birth.I don't want to give away more of the plot than that because the twists in it are so much fun.

Want light, pleasant, and relaxing?Visit Malgudi
A well-dressed but enigmatic stranger claiming to be from Timbuctoo takes advantage of a small-town journalist in this short novel set in the fictional town of Malgudi, India, that R. K. Narayan has brought to life in an entire series of books.The journalist (and well-known busybody) is our narrator for the story of Dr. Rann, who is ostensibly preparing a report for the U.N. on �futurology�, although he seems to do little enough work.Dr. Rann drifts into this quiet little backwater of a town and quickly makes himself at home, helping himself to what few amenities are available. Our journalist begins to feel somewhat taken advantage of, until the good doctor�s wife shows up.But not to worry, things work out well enough in the end, (with some clever manipulation), and if any parties are less than thrilled with the outcome, at least no one is seriously worse off than they were before.

The brevity of this novel (116 pages) is such that Narayan addresses it himself in a postscript, but to say that this book is too short would be a mistake.It struck this reviewer that by cropping the early and middle sections still further, one could have made a very creditable novella with this material without losing much.As it is the middle section does seem to drag a bit.The best feature of this book is Narayan�s delicate touch with characterization, sketching familiar types with just a few lines: the old librarian and his wife, their granddaughter Girija, the distraught station master, the old porter, Varma (who owns The Boardless Hotel), the Deputy Minister, and even the President of the Lotus Club.The locale almost stands as a character itself, constantly intervening with its all-too-familiar small town inquisitiveness and morality, but still adding an exotic touch to the story.While not a real thigh-slapper, Narayan�s upbeat tale is written in a pleasant, easy-to-read style that is as accessible to teens as adults.There�s nothing really special going on here, but if you�d like a quiet, relaxing vacation in South Asia but just can�t get away, Malgudi may be just the place for you.

His best book
Having read all his books, this one is the one that stays with me longest.The prose is as excellent as ever and the story is extremely interesting. ... Read more

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SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE EDITION WITH A NEW PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR; AUTOBIOGRAPHY. ... Read more

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Brings together four novels of that irrepressible master of storytelling. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Lawley Road and Other Stories
As Every other book by R.K.Narayan,this captivates your imagination making you smile about little wonders of life.Very interesting book and I really like the writing style of this author who manages to make you see a simple person,his personality and his life in a small Indian town.Can really identify oneselves in some situations which are both comic and retrospective. ... Read more