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The Painter of Signs (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics) (Paperback)

by R. K. Narayan (Author) "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 ..." (more)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Classics; New Edition edition (28 Jan 1982)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140185496
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140185492
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 1.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 44,103 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #2 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > N > Narayan, R. K.

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Product Description

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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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
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh, fun, and full of charm., 28 April 2003
By Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
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.

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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful novel and an important piece on social history, 13 Feb 2003
By "lexi_wades" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
Narayan mixes the themes of love, literacy and population control in this unusual take on boy-meets-girl storyline. India’s society seems to hustle and bustle as Narayan brings it to life, the characters, especially the ones Raman meets at the beginning of his story- the lawyer and the bracelet seller are illustrations of life drawn with a sharp eye for the flaws and habits of the individual.
Narayan juxtaposes old and new India in the characters of Raman’s aunt and Daisy. Raman’s aunt constantly harkens back to her grandfather’s days of concubines and she is obsessed with housework. Daisy is passionate about spreading the message of child prevention to the overpopulated countryside. Both however have many similarities in personality and their final desertion of Raman. They show how new India might have different ideas to the old way but underneath there is little difference. Even without their hidden meaning both Daisy and Raman’s aunt are wonderful characters and only second to Raman (despite a dubious idea towards rape).
This is both a wonderful novel for fictions sake but also a fantastic study on the attempts the family planning organisation in the 1970’s made to try to convince a religious and fatalistic society to start to control their own destinies and the individuals (such as Daisy) who were dedicated to this cause.
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6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Humorous yet thoughtful book, 5 Jun 2001
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. India is portrayed at its best and at its worst and this book really gives an insight into the Indian mind, the Indian character and Indian behaviour. An excellent and moving read.
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5.0 out of 5 stars 20th Century Touching Classic
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. Read more
Published on 20 May 2007 by Uncle Moley

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