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Product Description
In this wry, funny, bittersweet story, love gets in the way of progress when Raman, a sign painter, meets the thrillingly independent Daisy, who wishes to bring birth control to the city of Malgudi.
About the Author
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. Narayan died in 2001.
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First Sentence
Raman's was the last house in Ellaman Street; a little door on the back wall opened, beyond a stretch of sand, to the river. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Raman's was the last house in Ellaman Street; a little door on the back wall opened, beyond a stretch of sand, to the river. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This bittersweet novel is as fresh and charming today as it was when originally published in 1976. Telling the story of Raman, a conscientious sign-painter, who is trying to lead a rational life, the novel is filled with busy neighborhood life and gossip, the alternating rhythms and sounds of the city from morning till night, and the pungent smells and tantalizing flavors of home cooking, as Narayan portrays everyday life in Malgudi. The city is growing and changing, as its inhabitants try to carve out some individual successes within the juggernaut of "progress."
Raman, a college graduate, brings a sense of professionalism to his sign-painting, taking pride in his calligraphy and trying to create exactly the right sign, artistically, for each client. Living with his aged aunt, a devout, traditional woman whose days are spent running the house and tending to her nephew’s needs and whose evenings are spent at the temple listening to the old stories and praying, Raman prefers a rational approach to life. Then he meets Daisy. A young woman devoted to improving the lives of women and the standard of living of the country through strict family planning, Daisy becomes his biggest customer, commissioning signs for all the family planning clinics she helps establish through the city and outlying rural areas. Ram soon finds his attraction to Daisy more powerful than this desire to remain "rational."
Narayan is a master of domestic scenes, presenting the major and minor conflicts of family life through the different points of view of the participants. Respect for his characters and a good-humored (and often humorous) presentation of their issues give warmth to his scenes and allow the reader to feel real empathy with the characters. Raman’s belief in his own rational enlightenment and his simultaneous vulnerability to Daisy’s manipulations provide the author with unlimited opportunities for dramatic irony. Scenes between Ram and his devout, elderly aunt provide a glimpse of the conflicts between old and new India, in addition to the generational conflicts every family faces between its young and its old. Scenes between Ram and Daisy reflect the changes in the role of women in society, as women become more assertive and liberated. Though he is presented as a unique, individualized character, Ram, the painter of signs, is, in a sense, Everyman, facing his coming-of-age as all men before him have done in cultures around the world. Only the details (and the sights, and sounds, and smells) are different.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This is another of R K Narayan's brilliant pieces of fiction. He really has a gift for capturing small town life as it really is in India.
This particular book is a slim volume and a bittersweet look at an ordinary man living his life and falling in love. The main character really is rather endearing, though at times you feel frustrated about the way he behaves! The perfect way to read this book is on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Take your time and let this wonderful evocation of small-town India wash over you.
This particular book is a slim volume and a bittersweet look at an ordinary man living his life and falling in love. The main character really is rather endearing, though at times you feel frustrated about the way he behaves! The perfect way to read this book is on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Take your time and let this wonderful evocation of small-town India wash over you.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
One of the most beautiful books I've read in a long time. A lovely, simple story of a man's quest for love. Raman is portrayed in a certain way that dubs down his personality. He is personified as a meekest of men, a humble 'painter of signs'. And yet what lies beneath is a very passionate man - with a strong desire to produce the highest quality in his artwork but also to capture the heart of an independent, driven woman.
The story focuses on Raman's ongoing relationship with his elderly aunt and his blossoming friendship with Daisy. Indeed the story deals with a number of issues regarding family culture at its time - and the sacrifices pressed on the main characters.
The book presents a wonderful development of a humble man's life. The end of the story is touching. If one message is clear in this lovely book its that you should be very careful what you wish for in life.
The book warrants 5 stars on all fronts - story, prose, discourses, setting and the final outcome.
I would without a doubt recommend this book to anyone who prefers a frank and honest read. If you want to be read a humble yet humourous little story, this is it.
The story focuses on Raman's ongoing relationship with his elderly aunt and his blossoming friendship with Daisy. Indeed the story deals with a number of issues regarding family culture at its time - and the sacrifices pressed on the main characters.
The book presents a wonderful development of a humble man's life. The end of the story is touching. If one message is clear in this lovely book its that you should be very careful what you wish for in life.
The book warrants 5 stars on all fronts - story, prose, discourses, setting and the final outcome.
I would without a doubt recommend this book to anyone who prefers a frank and honest read. If you want to be read a humble yet humourous little story, this is it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Besotted signwriter
I bought this book when travelling in Nepal, slim, easy to carry, but it was its title that caught my eye. (My late father was signwriter. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Noel
A lovely little tale.....
Too often these days we see novels trying to be oh so clever. This is not one of those.....it's a story in the original sense of the word - brilliantly written, moving, sweet and... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Kitaj
Life beautifully depicted in miniature
This is the first time I have ever come across the work of R. K. Narayan, but I will be making an effort to find more of it. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
Ah Raman!
A beautiful, simply told story that conjours up the sights and sounds of a small town in the midst of change. Ah Raman! What a wonderful character! Read more
Published 18 months ago by nickmoon42
An Indian Alexander McCall Smith
Narayan's imaginary town of Malgudi was a huge influence on Alexander McCall Smith and his fans will enjoy these Indian stories.
Published on 21 Feb 2010 by booksetc
A wonderful novel and an important piece on social history
Narayan mixes the themes of love, literacy and population control in this unusual take on boy-meets-girl storyline. Read more
Published on 13 Feb 2003 by Alex Magpie
Humorous yet thoughtful book
This tale captures the lives and dilemmas of the characters, and makes one realize how much one's life can be altered by a chance encounter. Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2001 by P. Douma
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