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Malgudi Schooldays
Malgudi Schooldays
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About the author
R.K. Narayan
143 books1,944 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 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 3, 2017
Being a Malgudi Days TV serial fan since childhood,this book was one peeping into my childhood itself.I remember those days,when I used to watch an episode of Malgudi Days,before going to school.The title track "Tana na Tana na na na......" still reverberates in my mind same as before.
Coming to a book,It is brilliantly written by R.K.Narayan.It is a story based in Malgudi-a fictional village set somewhere in South India.The protagonist,W.K.Swaminathan-a student of first standard is a character,with whom everyone relate his childhood.He has a disciplinarian father,who is lawyer and is strict about his studies and swami afraids of him.He has a mother and a granny to protect him from his martinet father.He has a special bond with his granny,who tells her stories before sleeptime.He share every minute details of school with granny.
He has friends named Rajam and Mani.These trio do all the mischieves in the school,we used to do in our schooldays back then.The narration of these characters is absolutely enjoying.We have a friend,who has influential parents in town and we have a friend who bullies everyone.First one is Rajan and the later is Mani.Their mischievous school activities,leisure summer days and finding loopholes to stay as much time as possible togethrer reminds me my childhood friends.The ups and downs in their friendship make us remind the childish fights with our friends.
So,this book has once again evoked Swami inside me and the first thing, I am doing is to find my Rajam and Mani,and spend some quality time with them and recalling nostalgic events of our childhood.
Happy Reading!
Coming to a book,It is brilliantly written by R.K.Narayan.It is a story based in Malgudi-a fictional village set somewhere in South India.The protagonist,W.K.Swaminathan-a student of first standard is a character,with whom everyone relate his childhood.He has a disciplinarian father,who is lawyer and is strict about his studies and swami afraids of him.He has a mother and a granny to protect him from his martinet father.He has a special bond with his granny,who tells her stories before sleeptime.He share every minute details of school with granny.
He has friends named Rajam and Mani.These trio do all the mischieves in the school,we used to do in our schooldays back then.The narration of these characters is absolutely enjoying.We have a friend,who has influential parents in town and we have a friend who bullies everyone.First one is Rajan and the later is Mani.Their mischievous school activities,leisure summer days and finding loopholes to stay as much time as possible togethrer reminds me my childhood friends.The ups and downs in their friendship make us remind the childish fights with our friends.
So,this book has once again evoked Swami inside me and the first thing, I am doing is to find my Rajam and Mani,and spend some quality time with them and recalling nostalgic events of our childhood.
Happy Reading!
April 8, 2017
Delightful, descriptive, entertaining. Like Roald Dahl's work, a kid's book that can be enjoyed by anyone.
December 9, 2020
If I read it at a tender age, probably it could give me more mirth. The one thing I have been fond of is the abrupt way of depicting poverty and class difference. Narayan hasn't attempted to be silly with his young readers. But unfortunately, it is not something that young readers like me can enjoy, to compare with Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay's Adbhuture series.
The illustrations by his brother, Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Laxman, another nonagenarian legendary artiste from South India has asserted that a comic book adaption of Swami and Co. would make it entrancing to me at this age too. Presently, let me put it back to my shelf.
The illustrations by his brother, Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Laxman, another nonagenarian legendary artiste from South India has asserted that a comic book adaption of Swami and Co. would make it entrancing to me at this age too. Presently, let me put it back to my shelf.
September 27, 2023
As the TV series Malgudi days based on R.K.Narayan's short stories completes 37 years, I feels like yesterday. I recollect the memories of watching Swami and friends which was included in Malgudi days. Master Manjunath who played Swami became a overnight child star. The simplicity of village life, joy of school days and the nostalgic moments of sleeping besides granny and listening to stories had made this book lovable. The series Malgudi days was telecasted on various channels - Cartoon Network, Sony TV and also available as DVD. I picked the book in 2013 (December month) and Malgudi days changed my life forever. The anthology of common people connected with me. It is like I have seen them everywhere around me. Even Swami was my alter ego. Very few writers like R.K.Narayan, Ruskin Bond and Rabindranath Tagore have skill to tell powerful stories in simple way.
I have read the two volumes of Malgudi Days. Each story has a variety. Some are humorous, some tragic. Some are heart breaking and some cheerful. I have yet to read Narayan's other stories - The English Teacher, Waiting for the Mahatma and The Guide. For me Malgudi is more enchanting than Narnia and Hogwarts School. If you love short stories, then Malgudi days is a literary treat.
I have read the two volumes of Malgudi Days. Each story has a variety. Some are humorous, some tragic. Some are heart breaking and some cheerful. I have yet to read Narayan's other stories - The English Teacher, Waiting for the Mahatma and The Guide. For me Malgudi is more enchanting than Narnia and Hogwarts School. If you love short stories, then Malgudi days is a literary treat.
July 30, 2024
Malgudi... That fictional little town in South India by the Sarayu. 💜
I think my first interaction with Malgudi was when I was about 9-10, on Indian national TV channel Doordarshan 1 (DD1) which we used to get in our own little honetown of Rajshahi in Bangladesh by the Indian West Bengal borders, without any satellite, cable, dish tv back in those days. The TV show Malgudi Days featured many of the Malgudi stories by RK Narayan, and I only understood the Swami tales, because Swami was my age, and schooling system and the problems in the life of a school kid had not varied much in the 80's from that in the 40's. I don't recall now which day and time this was broadcast, so I only happend to watch when I stumbled upon them on TV and it was a treat whenever it was a story about 'Swami and Friends'!
It was good to be lost in Swami's life in the British India with the 'Swadeshi Andolon' in the background. I still vividly recall the episode where Swami gets carried away and burns his cap only to find out later that it was pure desi khadi bought by his dad.
I have to find that tv show and watch it now someday...
I think my first interaction with Malgudi was when I was about 9-10, on Indian national TV channel Doordarshan 1 (DD1) which we used to get in our own little honetown of Rajshahi in Bangladesh by the Indian West Bengal borders, without any satellite, cable, dish tv back in those days. The TV show Malgudi Days featured many of the Malgudi stories by RK Narayan, and I only understood the Swami tales, because Swami was my age, and schooling system and the problems in the life of a school kid had not varied much in the 80's from that in the 40's. I don't recall now which day and time this was broadcast, so I only happend to watch when I stumbled upon them on TV and it was a treat whenever it was a story about 'Swami and Friends'!
It was good to be lost in Swami's life in the British India with the 'Swadeshi Andolon' in the background. I still vividly recall the episode where Swami gets carried away and burns his cap only to find out later that it was pure desi khadi bought by his dad.
I have to find that tv show and watch it now someday...
February 2, 2021
Having grown up watching the televised version of Malgudi Days, it was a delight to read this book. Lovely, easy read with beautiful imagery.
The words flowed from one page to the next as I was transported to an age where childhoods seemed truly carefree.
The words flowed from one page to the next as I was transported to an age where childhoods seemed truly carefree.
Currently reading
July 3, 2022rgvybytbjnhhhhhy fnyufbv
July 7, 2022
Amazing
August 13, 2023
Sheer magic. R.K. Narayan spins the web of his Malgudi mystique. Totally original, raw, has the smell of soil like it does just before it rains.
August 18, 2021
wow, amazing!!
naughtiness of small children's, is very beautifully arranged!
naughtiness of small children's, is very beautifully arranged!
March 12, 2021
I just realised that I'm one of the only two people who rated this 2 stars.
February 5, 2020
My favourite R.K.Narayan book!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews