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While the colourful sweetmeats are frying in the kitchen, Jagan immerses himself in his copy of the Bhagavad Gita. A widower of firm Gandhian principles, Jagan nonetheless harbours a warm and embarrassed affection for his wastrel son Mali. Yet even Jagan's patience begins to fray when Mali descends on the sleepy city of Malgudi full of modern notions, with a new half-American wife and a grand plan for selling novel-writing machines. From different generations and different cultures, father and son are forced to confront each other, and are taken by surprise . . .
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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'Conquer taste, and you will have conquered the self,' said Jagan to his listener, who asked,'Why conquer the self?' Jagan said, 'I do not know, but all our sages advise us so.' Read the first page
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'Conquer taste, and you will have conquered the self,' said Jagan to his listener, who asked,'Why conquer the self?' Jagan said, 'I do not know, but all our sages advise us so.' Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Within the framework of this short and incisive novel, the author achieves not only the telling of a family tragedy, understated and quotidian, but also the evocation of beautiful images, places and even fragrances. With the backdrop of a cottage industry of sweet manufacture, a tale unfolds which presents and assesses Indian village life, the conflicts between generations, and the lure of the ever-tantalizing West. Narayan invites us into his imaginary town and lets it and its inhabitants reveal themselves. With his keen observance and elegant style Narayan has created a classic novel. He is a master craftsman, this is a book that has something to offer everyone.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Amazingly well-written and insightful
12 July 2001
Format:Paperback
R.K.Narayan's books offer a wonderfuly detailed and intricate view of the South Indian world,and The Vendor Of Sweets fits into this mould to a T.In this novel,the life of Jagan, the vendor of sweets, and the trials and tribulations of his life are wonderfully captured. What is refreshing, however, is the description of the South Indian way of life that is provided by Narayan--the way Jagan runs his business, the views,opinions he possesses,the fears he entertains.Narayan also vividly portrays the confusions and fears that a person from such a conventional milieu would face when thrown into unconventional situations-- such as having a foreigner for a daughter-in-law, for example. Being a South Indian myself, I can truly appreciate the imagery that his writing evokes, and can also vouchsafe for the fact that it is no easy task to put across to readers whatever he has managed to convey in his books.On the whole,to summarize this review in one sentence:read the book;you will not be disappointed.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Interesting but hardly great or even good literature
2 July 2011
Format:Paperback
I decided to read The Vendor of Sweets because it was on a list of important books that should be read and having read all the Western authors I decided to read the Asian ones as well. I also lived in India for a year as an American visiting scholar in New Delhi. I disagree with the other review in that I do not think the book provides a comprehensive view of life in India. It focuses in a very limited way on one person and his son and their relationship. The basic story line is simple enough. The owner of a candy store has a son who drops out of an Indian college, goes to the United States, gets married, and comes back to India with his wife and a half-baked idea to produce a machine that will write stories. The son wants his father to invest a lot of money in this idea, but the father has reservations.
I found the son to be a real jerk. He is totally self-absorbed, even at the start of the book, disrespectful of his father and just tries to use him to gain his own ends. The wife is minipulative. The father, for his part, condescends to the son, spoiling him along the way. I do not think this relationship is typical of Indian families.
I am giving it three stars which means it is worth reading but not at the expense of reading other books about India that are far more engrossing and informative.
I found the son to be a real jerk. He is totally self-absorbed, even at the start of the book, disrespectful of his father and just tries to use him to gain his own ends. The wife is minipulative. The father, for his part, condescends to the son, spoiling him along the way. I do not think this relationship is typical of Indian families.
I am giving it three stars which means it is worth reading but not at the expense of reading other books about India that are far more engrossing and informative.
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