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The Grandmother's Tale
The book is about Narayan's great grandmother who is forced to travel far and wide in search of her husband, as narrated to him by his grandmother
97 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
28 people are currently reading
532 people want to read
About the author
R.K. Narayan
143 books1,934 followersR. K. Narayan is among the best known and most widely read Indian novelists who wrote in English.
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.
Most of Narayan's work, starting with his first novel Swami and Friends (1935), captures many Indian traits while retaining a unique identity of its own. He was sometimes compared to the American writer William Faulkner, whose novels were also grounded in a compassionate humanism and celebrated the humour and energy of ordinary life.
Narayan who lived till age of ninety-four, died in 2001. He wrote for more than fifty years, and published until he was eighty seven. He wrote fourteen novels, five volumes of short stories, a number of travelogues and collections of non-fiction, condensed versions of Indian epics in English, and the memoir My Days.
-Wikipedia & Amazon.co.uk
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.
Most of Narayan's work, starting with his first novel Swami and Friends (1935), captures many Indian traits while retaining a unique identity of its own. He was sometimes compared to the American writer William Faulkner, whose novels were also grounded in a compassionate humanism and celebrated the humour and energy of ordinary life.
Narayan who lived till age of ninety-four, died in 2001. He wrote for more than fifty years, and published until he was eighty seven. He wrote fourteen novels, five volumes of short stories, a number of travelogues and collections of non-fiction, condensed versions of Indian epics in English, and the memoir My Days.
-Wikipedia & Amazon.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 6, 2021
This book tells about the story of the great grandmother (Bala) of one of the most beloved authors i.e. R.K.Narayan. She was married to a man at an early age of 7 to a boy of 10 (which was the norm during those times : the girl gets sent to the groom's place only when she grows up & gets mature enough). Before their consummation of marriage, the groom goes away joining a group of pilgrims going to Pandaripur.
After that no one knows about his whereabouts. Her life became worse as years passed by as she was already married in name to a man who was not even existing in her life! Unable to bear the gossips going on about her , she leaves home determined to find her so called husband, braving her way to Poona all by herself.
She found him after all, he being prosperous and married. She took matters in her own hands determined to get back her husband after all the years of separation & humiliation she had faced.
After years of patience & playing with the trust she gained from the other wife, she manages to get back with her husband.
They lived till old age with their children after returning back to Kumbakonam until their deaths were planned by someone in their household (no spoilers here!).
The story goes in the form of a narration with bits of facts regarding the life of the author thrown here & there.
The change in the nature of Bala from being a docile girl to an aggressive woman is really appreciable👍
This is one superb read!
After that no one knows about his whereabouts. Her life became worse as years passed by as she was already married in name to a man who was not even existing in her life! Unable to bear the gossips going on about her , she leaves home determined to find her so called husband, braving her way to Poona all by herself.
She found him after all, he being prosperous and married. She took matters in her own hands determined to get back her husband after all the years of separation & humiliation she had faced.
After years of patience & playing with the trust she gained from the other wife, she manages to get back with her husband.
They lived till old age with their children after returning back to Kumbakonam until their deaths were planned by someone in their household (no spoilers here!).
The story goes in the form of a narration with bits of facts regarding the life of the author thrown here & there.
The change in the nature of Bala from being a docile girl to an aggressive woman is really appreciable👍
This is one superb read!
January 10, 2023
'The Grandmother's Tale' by R.K. Narayan is a semi-autobiographical tale of the author's maternal great-grandmother Bala. It is a story which is highly entertaining & convincing enough to believe as a reality. The audacity of the traditional South-Indian young wife Bala making off alone in the latter part of the 19th century or even before to search for her wayward husband Viswa is entertaining, full of adventure & humorous. The waywardness of Viswa & his odd habit of setting out whenever & wherever he chooses giving trouble to everyone is something worth the read. 'The Grandmother's Tale' though part a memoir is nevertheless penned in the 'to the point' satirical style of R.K. Narayan that makes it quite similar to the Malgudi stories. The illustrations in this book by R.K. Narayan's famous cartoonist brother namely R.K. Laxman makes the text come alive with all the scents, smells, tastes & other delights of South-India. The way Bala the desperate but daring wife forces her husband to return with her back to their original home is very much something different from the regular damsels in distress tales of Indian brides during this historical era. Bala emerges as a strong female character, even though initially she was married to Viswa while both of them were 7 & 10 years of age respectively. This book should definitely be read for those who want to feel uplifted to the point of hilarity & those who want to know more about Bala, the head-strong & willful great-grandmother of one of India's finest novelists R.K. Narayan of the Malgudi Days fame. Those wanting to read a short book just to lighten the mood & yet to get a real taste of what South-India is like should definitely choose this book to read. It is an easy to read book & quite a page-turner like all of Narayan's books. Alas that the book is too short, somewhat of a similar size to Narayan's Malgudi novel titled 'The Talkative Man' which in itself is another comic masterpiece. I love all of R.K. Narayan's books as he is my most favorite author of all time. This is probably the 5th or 7th time that I'm reading this memoir & I am still entertained by it & thrilled to visit the beautiful illustrations all over again. This is one artistic brother duo that I cannot get enough of! My favorite part of this book is the way Viswa & Bala get married as children & the comical way the child Viswa tries to get a look at his own child wife but is always pulled up for the same by his father-in-law. Bala perpetually washing the household's clothes even at the tender age of 7 in the backyard reminds me constantly of my own home & area where the women are always doing the same practically all the time. I highly appreciate the additional information Narayan gives in the book for the actual location of Bala's & Viswa's home & what became of the front door of that famous home. Those who are ardent R.K. Narayan lovers like me therefore will find this same information very useful when read along the famous memoir 'My Days' by the same author.'The Grandmother's Tale' gets 5 stars from me!
July 25, 2019
Definitely worth the read. Cultural and familial Narayan is strong, vibrant character driven stories. Ironic, IMHO, for a culture that sees the "group" identity/ role as the onus and not the individual, to have such powerful intrepid individuals who reign in it. And over it too.
March 12, 2018
Husband hunting anyone? R. K. Narayan has been writing for almost six decades when he published this book. His journey began as simple story writer of India in 1935, it spanned his lifetime and gave us a master story-teller.
While R. K. Narayan heard this tale from his Grand Mother, narration of this story happens in a 3rd person view. We see Bala grow from a docile young girl to a strong, smart and surprisingly cunning woman. How Bala finds Vishwa and how she gets him back is the main part of the story. Most of all, I can not imagine this strength and vigor in a young lady of today. There is a radical change in women in R. K. Narayan's stories from 1935 to 1992.
Grandmother's Tale by R. K. Narayan is a must read for the amazing (unexpected) Bala. No wonder since R. K. Narayan did not stop writing when he was rejected for publication, it is not in the family blood.
As opposed to the women of 50's India, Bala is another strong character from his tales.
Maybe if you are in for a story of husband hunting & unexpected character development then go for this novel. For the love of stories, please don't expect it to be another grandma tells you stories of Gods & Godesses or summer days with mangoes and pickles. Finally, its story of a woman that's it.
PS: Avoid reading reviews with the story of this novel, it will ruin the many surprises that await you.
While R. K. Narayan heard this tale from his Grand Mother, narration of this story happens in a 3rd person view. We see Bala grow from a docile young girl to a strong, smart and surprisingly cunning woman. How Bala finds Vishwa and how she gets him back is the main part of the story. Most of all, I can not imagine this strength and vigor in a young lady of today. There is a radical change in women in R. K. Narayan's stories from 1935 to 1992.
Grandmother's Tale by R. K. Narayan is a must read for the amazing (unexpected) Bala. No wonder since R. K. Narayan did not stop writing when he was rejected for publication, it is not in the family blood.
As opposed to the women of 50's India, Bala is another strong character from his tales.
Maybe if you are in for a story of husband hunting & unexpected character development then go for this novel. For the love of stories, please don't expect it to be another grandma tells you stories of Gods & Godesses or summer days with mangoes and pickles. Finally, its story of a woman that's it.
PS: Avoid reading reviews with the story of this novel, it will ruin the many surprises that await you.
July 11, 2022
One thing you realise throughout the narrative, more specifically at all instances wherein the author kept asking questions to his grandmother who had no replies, cause she hadn't asked such questions as a child herself, shows to a great extent the societal setup in those times wherein women were expected to accept everything without question or protest.
R.K. Laxman's sketches were present here and there, which made it a bit more pleasant read for me. However, the story felt somewhat lacking, and a few questions answered, would have been most welcomed.
R.K. Laxman's sketches were present here and there, which made it a bit more pleasant read for me. However, the story felt somewhat lacking, and a few questions answered, would have been most welcomed.
August 6, 2019
This is more like a short story published as a novella. Partly fiction, partly biographical, the author leaves it for you to decide which part is what. Overall interesting story line about a determined woman's search for her husband and her triumphs. Engrossing read
September 26, 2014
This is Narayan's very last book, wherein he even references his "My Days" book. Given that it must have been written in 2000s, it still exhibits Narayan's style to the core. The style is simple and vivid at the same time and brings joy to the readers who can relate to the anecdotes which are shared. It is a personal story of Narayan's great grandmother, who exhibited a enormous resolve and courage to bring back her husband who had run away from the town at the age of 10. The story as narrated by Narayan's grandmother, is about how this young girl named Bala (Balambal) embarks to find her husband and brings him back and they raises a family and the "interesting story" which follows after Bala's death.
February 5, 2016
There are many types of authors. Some of them, like the great Kahlil Gibran, teach us the basic truths of life with great eloquence. Some others, like the equally great Marcus Aurelius, teach the greatest of philosophies in the simplest of languages. And, then there are authors like R.K.Narayan, who have the knack of telling simple things in simple language and yet making it interesting enough. ‘Grandmother’s Tale’ is a sample for that talent of R.K.Narayan, who is famous more for his manner of telling a tale, than for the eloquence with which it is told. But, this book is a simple sample, though.
Said to be the last book of R.K.Narayan, and set in the era of British Empire in India, this book recounts the life of his great grandmother Balambal (mother of his maternal grandmother), as told by his maternal grandmother. Balambal, his great grandmother, gets married at the young age of 7 to a boy from her neighbourhood, Vishwanathan, who was 10 years old at the time of their marriage. After a bit of initial interest in his wife, an innocent pre-teen curiosity about her, Vishwa leaves the town with a group of pilgrims headed to the northern parts of the country, without informing anyone, except Bala.
Within a week’s time, the whole town sets in search of Vishwa, fearing the worst about his fate. Soon the dust settles and everyone comes to his/her own conclusion about Vishwa’s fate. Bala, being aware of her husband’s decision, remains confident though. But, when she starts growing up and turning into a woman, tongues start wagging about the possibilities of her having become a widow and thus being ineligible to visit the temple or lead a normal life as she has been doing. Infuriated, Bala leaves the village, vowing to come back with her husband.
After going through a lot of ordeals, she at traces her husband at last in Pune and manages to bring him back to her native village by cunning behavior and feminine obduracy. Then she goes on to lead a long, peaceful life with her husband and their offspring, till her death due to old age. The tale goes on to tell us about Vishwa, who lived for some more time with all the troubles related to old age and loneliness that plagues one after the demise of one’s companion of such long time, before meeting his death at the hands of a conspiring servant.
A simple tale overall, the book is filled with the wit, twists and uncanny knack of RKN to make even the most ordinary of events seem interesting. What more, the book is embellished with lovely drawings by his famed sibling, R.K.Laxman. A worthy read, if you are looking to pass an hour of your time by reading a book that will be simple and yet riveting enough to be un-put-down-able.
Grandmother’s Tale – as interesting as only the grandmother’s tales can be!
Said to be the last book of R.K.Narayan, and set in the era of British Empire in India, this book recounts the life of his great grandmother Balambal (mother of his maternal grandmother), as told by his maternal grandmother. Balambal, his great grandmother, gets married at the young age of 7 to a boy from her neighbourhood, Vishwanathan, who was 10 years old at the time of their marriage. After a bit of initial interest in his wife, an innocent pre-teen curiosity about her, Vishwa leaves the town with a group of pilgrims headed to the northern parts of the country, without informing anyone, except Bala.
Within a week’s time, the whole town sets in search of Vishwa, fearing the worst about his fate. Soon the dust settles and everyone comes to his/her own conclusion about Vishwa’s fate. Bala, being aware of her husband’s decision, remains confident though. But, when she starts growing up and turning into a woman, tongues start wagging about the possibilities of her having become a widow and thus being ineligible to visit the temple or lead a normal life as she has been doing. Infuriated, Bala leaves the village, vowing to come back with her husband.
After going through a lot of ordeals, she at traces her husband at last in Pune and manages to bring him back to her native village by cunning behavior and feminine obduracy. Then she goes on to lead a long, peaceful life with her husband and their offspring, till her death due to old age. The tale goes on to tell us about Vishwa, who lived for some more time with all the troubles related to old age and loneliness that plagues one after the demise of one’s companion of such long time, before meeting his death at the hands of a conspiring servant.
A simple tale overall, the book is filled with the wit, twists and uncanny knack of RKN to make even the most ordinary of events seem interesting. What more, the book is embellished with lovely drawings by his famed sibling, R.K.Laxman. A worthy read, if you are looking to pass an hour of your time by reading a book that will be simple and yet riveting enough to be un-put-down-able.
Grandmother’s Tale – as interesting as only the grandmother’s tales can be!
June 9, 2019
A mix of typical RKN humour and an incredible true story pieced together in the oral narrative tradition. Light read!
February 17, 2019
This is not a typical RK Narayan 'novel.' This seems to be a fairly autobiographical work - a retelling of Narayan's own great-grandmother's life at a rather indefinite period of time. RK Narayan's characteristic humor is sprinkled throughout the book, but you get the sense, that by now a great writer's skills were waning. Even those waning skills still make for compulsive reading. And perhaps, that's what's separates other writers from him.
November 12, 2013
The Grandmother's Tale by R K Narayan
There was a time when grandiloquent languages gave me sleepless nights. How I wished I could use such words while writing. It was then I accidentally chanced upon R K Narayan's books which thankfully broke all my misconceptions. I knew at once that a story could be told beautifully with simple words too. My all time favourites are ' The Guide ' and ' The English Teacher'. But there are several more to explore.
Coming to Grandmother's tale, I did have a different picture before reading it. I was associating the title of the book with so many things such as pickles , Tairu saadam, the mischief of Swamy and many tales told by his grandmother. But it was not so. The book was about Bala and Vishwa, RK's great grandparents and their life from marriage till their death. Though I could read this book at a stretch, I could not relish it as I have done many of his other books.
RK's grandparents tied the knot when they were little children. Unlike today, the husband and wife could not be together until the young wife Bala attains puberty. Once in a while, they were left alone only for a few minutes to talk to each other. Many of their such meetings went awry as they could not muster the courage to talk to themselves. But eventually in one of such meeting, Bala somehow manages to talk to him. All she did was to point out to Vishwa, a dark patch under one of his ear. To this, he replies “ This is a lucky sign and my mother says I would be a king,” which became true. He becomes rich but at the cost of Bala. The story is all about how Bala manages to bring back his husband who left her and got married to another woman. As the story was completely told only from the point of Bala, there were many questions unanswered. Why did Vishwa become ready to desert his second wife though he loves her and come back to his first wife whom he hardly knows. What happened to Surma, his second wife when she was abandoned by Vishwa. Though he prospered after coming back to his village why didn't he make any effort to search Surma.
I grabbed this book as I was quite lured by the picture of the book where a small boy was seen sitting with his grandmother with inquisitive eyes on a swing.
I love RK's book. But for this one I will just 2/5.
There was a time when grandiloquent languages gave me sleepless nights. How I wished I could use such words while writing. It was then I accidentally chanced upon R K Narayan's books which thankfully broke all my misconceptions. I knew at once that a story could be told beautifully with simple words too. My all time favourites are ' The Guide ' and ' The English Teacher'. But there are several more to explore.
Coming to Grandmother's tale, I did have a different picture before reading it. I was associating the title of the book with so many things such as pickles , Tairu saadam, the mischief of Swamy and many tales told by his grandmother. But it was not so. The book was about Bala and Vishwa, RK's great grandparents and their life from marriage till their death. Though I could read this book at a stretch, I could not relish it as I have done many of his other books.
RK's grandparents tied the knot when they were little children. Unlike today, the husband and wife could not be together until the young wife Bala attains puberty. Once in a while, they were left alone only for a few minutes to talk to each other. Many of their such meetings went awry as they could not muster the courage to talk to themselves. But eventually in one of such meeting, Bala somehow manages to talk to him. All she did was to point out to Vishwa, a dark patch under one of his ear. To this, he replies “ This is a lucky sign and my mother says I would be a king,” which became true. He becomes rich but at the cost of Bala. The story is all about how Bala manages to bring back his husband who left her and got married to another woman. As the story was completely told only from the point of Bala, there were many questions unanswered. Why did Vishwa become ready to desert his second wife though he loves her and come back to his first wife whom he hardly knows. What happened to Surma, his second wife when she was abandoned by Vishwa. Though he prospered after coming back to his village why didn't he make any effort to search Surma.
I grabbed this book as I was quite lured by the picture of the book where a small boy was seen sitting with his grandmother with inquisitive eyes on a swing.
I love RK's book. But for this one I will just 2/5.
July 31, 2019
This book is composed of 3 short stories, all with major theme about marriage.
The first short story is about an Indian writer's grandmother's table about her mother, how she was married at a young age and whose husband disappeared on her and what she did to go find him and bring him back home decades later.
The second tale is about a corrupt low official, married with 2 daughters, who becomes greedy with age causing him to destroy his marriage, his relationships with his daughters and grow old alone.
I don't remember the third short story.
While the first short story is unique and dates back in history, the second short story can still be of actuality today as money is still a major cause of breakups and divorce.
These stories are well written with characters well developed and a story's morale about not to judge the image of an old person today as he/she might have lived a totally different life years before. The book is interesting and easy to read.
The first short story is about an Indian writer's grandmother's table about her mother, how she was married at a young age and whose husband disappeared on her and what she did to go find him and bring him back home decades later.
The second tale is about a corrupt low official, married with 2 daughters, who becomes greedy with age causing him to destroy his marriage, his relationships with his daughters and grow old alone.
I don't remember the third short story.
While the first short story is unique and dates back in history, the second short story can still be of actuality today as money is still a major cause of breakups and divorce.
These stories are well written with characters well developed and a story's morale about not to judge the image of an old person today as he/she might have lived a totally different life years before. The book is interesting and easy to read.
July 25, 2017
This book contains three entertaining stories of ordinary people at a phase in their lives that lead them to act in a way which brings out the whimsical nature of human beings. These stories set light on the complex, sometimes amusing and whimsical side of human beings that lead them to attain sometimes selfish and sometimes selfless ends.
September 6, 2020
Grandmother's Tale
R.KNarayan
This book is a mixture of fiction and autobiography..The entire novel cover through Bala's story..before her marriage and after marriage ....how she faces the issues..
R.KNarayan
This book is a mixture of fiction and autobiography..The entire novel cover through Bala's story..before her marriage and after marriage ....how she faces the issues..
April 2, 2018
Mr. R.K. Narayan's writing never ceases to amaze me. The simplicity, the style, the story, all are captivating.
October 7, 2023
A well-written book about the tale of a woman and her husband.
October 2, 2024
i am having such mixed thoughts regarding this, finished it in one go as i expected but i am at loss of words to explain my feelings after reading this one.
Vishwa is such a B though.
Vishwa is such a B though.
March 15, 2025
Like always, Narayan Sir's books are always a delight to read.
December 28, 2013
This is the last “novel” written by the great man and I must say a perfect conclusion for sure. He has come back to his normal self here after his last book which was completely off track!
This book is about Bala and Vishwa, RK's great grandparents and their life from marriage till their death. It tells the complete story from the time when marriages used to happen at a very young age and the bride or the groom had no idea whatsoever what it meant for them! It has been very well described here too when Bala first looks at her groom while sitting for the wedding rituals and realises “I remember this guy from the other lane always playing whenever i have passed from there”!
The character which stands out here is Bala (great grandmother) with her energy and zeal to do things rather than accepting her fate. When I sit back and look at all RKN novels which started in 1935 and concludes with this one in 1992 then the slow change in the female characters is quite noticeable. RKN’s writings cover a span of nearly six decades which saw remarkable changes in women's priorities and choices, their approach to cultures, traditions, customs and social norms. The submissive and docile woman of the 1940s and 1950s, and the educated and assertive woman of the 1960s and 1970s have been substituted by the bold and rebellious one of the 1980s and 1990s which we see in Bala. He obviously had a vision on the empowerment of women which was spot on when we see how things have been moving coming to 21st century.
A must read to enjoy and appreciate the sheer simplicity with which the strength of a character has been developed with her age.
This book is about Bala and Vishwa, RK's great grandparents and their life from marriage till their death. It tells the complete story from the time when marriages used to happen at a very young age and the bride or the groom had no idea whatsoever what it meant for them! It has been very well described here too when Bala first looks at her groom while sitting for the wedding rituals and realises “I remember this guy from the other lane always playing whenever i have passed from there”!
The character which stands out here is Bala (great grandmother) with her energy and zeal to do things rather than accepting her fate. When I sit back and look at all RKN novels which started in 1935 and concludes with this one in 1992 then the slow change in the female characters is quite noticeable. RKN’s writings cover a span of nearly six decades which saw remarkable changes in women's priorities and choices, their approach to cultures, traditions, customs and social norms. The submissive and docile woman of the 1940s and 1950s, and the educated and assertive woman of the 1960s and 1970s have been substituted by the bold and rebellious one of the 1980s and 1990s which we see in Bala. He obviously had a vision on the empowerment of women which was spot on when we see how things have been moving coming to 21st century.
A must read to enjoy and appreciate the sheer simplicity with which the strength of a character has been developed with her age.
August 25, 2021
The Grandmother’s Tale is basically a novella about R.K. Narayan’s great grandmother who travelled far and wide in search of her husband (10 year old Viswa) who left the place telling his young bride (7 year old Bala) that he is going away, far away. But ‘how she goes from village to village, town to town to meet his husband and take him back’ is the life of this novel. Apart from that, one could get to know a lot about Madrasi culture, their traditions, wedding ceremony, beliefs, child marriage, when could you live with your life partner after marriage, various deities and much more. Language is sober, no heavy vocabulary used, a touch of Hindi vocabulary in the text is adding extra fragrance to the story.
Best for ages above then 12.
Best for ages above then 12.
October 1, 2012
One of the best ever stories, which one should read during the primary school days. The book made me to miss my grand mother very much. The value of the grand mother and especially her stories is much valued under her absence. Even though the logic of her stories is compromised in some parts, the beauty lies in the way she narrates it. This particular book not just refreshes the childhood feel , but revives the way which our brain processes those stories.
March 12, 2016
A story that's too short for a novel and too long for a short story, it's a delightfully fast paced story about a woman whose husband, whom she was married to as a child, has run away to some place and how she hunts him down. While any other writer could and would have filled it with details of colonial India and the hunt and its details, RK Narayan is characteristically unbothered by these details. A wonderful 2 hour read.
May 27, 2016
simple book with some twists and turns that are least expected . The lady in the story is shown as a very bold person who fights for her rights and even succeeds in winning her husband back . This story is set up during the old era and the story plot and thinking by the author on these lines is somerthing least expected.
February 6, 2013
The version I read was a set of 3 novellas including The grandmothers tale, Guru and Salt and sawdust. Out of the three, Guru was the one I liked the best. This was my first foray into R K Narayan's world and I loved his storytelling. Will definitely pick up some more.
December 23, 2015
nice one....clearly describes how marriage and husband is considered as most important to a woman in India.Also shows how much people suffer with child marriages which seem quite absurd and pointless.
August 1, 2013
really enjoyed reading the short stories .. very nice narration
May 8, 2014
It is a nice book which revolves about the the life of his great grand mother who went in search of her husband. To know the rest read the bok
November 27, 2014
This is a good book to read ....
January 11, 2016
A good short story
September 4, 2019
The author should have some gut to portray his great grandfather in such a way in the climax. Can't just believe that it is a true story. Really a documentation on how marriages were done then.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews