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Malgudi School days
Culled from some of Narayan's greatest novels like The Man-eater of Malgudi, The Bachelor of Arts, The English Teacher, The Guide and The Financial Expert, and containing three of his short stories, Malgudi Adventures is a funny exciting, entertaining book which children of all ages will enjoys
Unknown Binding
First published January 15, 2003
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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 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 21, 2021
It is a wonderful collection of short stories by R.K. Narayan that is more suited to young adults/adults than children in my opinion but nevertheless enjoyable.
I loved the simple yet profound writing. Most of the stories are about people's day to day lives and how things changed for them with one simple act generally, kindness. A lovely read.
4 stars
I loved the simple yet profound writing. Most of the stories are about people's day to day lives and how things changed for them with one simple act generally, kindness. A lovely read.
4 stars
March 21, 2019
I liked R.K Narayan's short stories much more than his novels. His way of writing is amazing and unlike anything, I have ever read. His short stories have no definite beginning and no definite end, but they seem to give you a glimpse into ordinary people's ordinary lives in such a charming way, that it is quite extraordinary. I loved all the stories: excerpts and short stories alike. They all seemed very realistic and transported me to the magical village of Malgudi!
September 28, 2023
MALGUDI ADVENTURES
Rating 3/5
A collection of 12 short tales from RK Narayan which are interesting.
THE TRAIN COMES TO MALGUDI & ON THE SANDS OF THE SARAYU are the best among the 12 stories which i liked.
Rating 3/5
A collection of 12 short tales from RK Narayan which are interesting.
THE TRAIN COMES TO MALGUDI & ON THE SANDS OF THE SARAYU are the best among the 12 stories which i liked.
November 26, 2020
This book is a collection of short stories, most of which are excerpts from RK Narayan's novels. Narayan has a unique writing style - sometimes there's no actual plot, but it still makes for enjoyable reading! This book is perfect as a light coffee-time read which transports you to another world as soon as you flip open the cover. I loved it as a kid, and I love it now.
March 18, 2024
3.5 stars - so my uncle gave me this forever ago and I got reminded of it when Kavya liked this on Goodreads! Turns out this is the children's short story collection and not Malgudi Days . I think I may have read a couple of the stories when I got this but definitely was my first time reading the whole thing.
I think it is important to contextualize when reading this! Some of the vocabulary definitely sounds goofy and non-conversational, but Narayan was one of the first Indian writers to write/publish in English to make India more accessible to the outside world, so you can tell there's a sometimes odd combination of formal British English with the "Indianization" of some vocabulary (maybe intentional to make it specific enough to know Malgudi, even though it is fictional, is in India and not some random city in the world).
One of my favorite stories was "Leela and the Headmaster" because it was about the inquisitiveness of being a child and felt kind of magical to me. It also focuses on the father/daughter relationship which I feel like is at least historically not as special/valued in Indian culture. Also, I think in a sense this is about children but in a much more "real" way that I don't think necessarily makes this your average "children's" book...I was initially expecting this to be a collection of stories to read to your kid at night, but for example, the children are not idealized to always be fun, cute beings but often very chaotic and badly behaved. And the family life includes the realities of the time, for example a patriarchal structure where the wife is protective of the child but submissive to the husband at the end of the day. I found this super interesting because Narayan was either 1) completely normalized to this or 2) almost seemed to be pointing out the realities of a flawed home life. It's hard to really know which it is but I did also notice he had a very progressive take on organized religion in "A Tryst at the Temple" for the time at which this was written.
Quotes I liked:
"It was as a matter of fact my chief occupation in life. I care for little else. I felt a thrill of pride whenever I had to look after the child and work for her. It seemed a noble and exciting occupation - the sole responsibility for a growing creature."
"'Never use the words "beast" or "brute". They're ugly words coined by man in his arrogance. The human being thinks all other creatures are "beasts". Awful word!"
"This is one of the rules of yoga" to steady one's mind, to look down one's nose and at nothing beyond. That's one way not to be distracted and to maintain one's peace of mind."
"Must consult Rajan of Rajan Cycle Mart about a bicycle for Tim and then must take him to Bari, the loquacious stationer, in order to pile on his desk paper and notebooks, and then to watch the young man in his room bent over his studies - a vision which stirred him deeply."
"A marriage would not be tolerated even between sub-sects of the same caste. If India was to attain salvation these watertight divisions must go - community, caste, sub-sects, and still further divisions. He felt very indignant. He would set an example himself by marrying this girl whatever her caste or sect might be."
I think it is important to contextualize when reading this! Some of the vocabulary definitely sounds goofy and non-conversational, but Narayan was one of the first Indian writers to write/publish in English to make India more accessible to the outside world, so you can tell there's a sometimes odd combination of formal British English with the "Indianization" of some vocabulary (maybe intentional to make it specific enough to know Malgudi, even though it is fictional, is in India and not some random city in the world).
One of my favorite stories was "Leela and the Headmaster" because it was about the inquisitiveness of being a child and felt kind of magical to me. It also focuses on the father/daughter relationship which I feel like is at least historically not as special/valued in Indian culture. Also, I think in a sense this is about children but in a much more "real" way that I don't think necessarily makes this your average "children's" book...I was initially expecting this to be a collection of stories to read to your kid at night, but for example, the children are not idealized to always be fun, cute beings but often very chaotic and badly behaved. And the family life includes the realities of the time, for example a patriarchal structure where the wife is protective of the child but submissive to the husband at the end of the day. I found this super interesting because Narayan was either 1) completely normalized to this or 2) almost seemed to be pointing out the realities of a flawed home life. It's hard to really know which it is but I did also notice he had a very progressive take on organized religion in "A Tryst at the Temple" for the time at which this was written.
Quotes I liked:
"It was as a matter of fact my chief occupation in life. I care for little else. I felt a thrill of pride whenever I had to look after the child and work for her. It seemed a noble and exciting occupation - the sole responsibility for a growing creature."
"'Never use the words "beast" or "brute". They're ugly words coined by man in his arrogance. The human being thinks all other creatures are "beasts". Awful word!"
"This is one of the rules of yoga" to steady one's mind, to look down one's nose and at nothing beyond. That's one way not to be distracted and to maintain one's peace of mind."
"Must consult Rajan of Rajan Cycle Mart about a bicycle for Tim and then must take him to Bari, the loquacious stationer, in order to pile on his desk paper and notebooks, and then to watch the young man in his room bent over his studies - a vision which stirred him deeply."
"A marriage would not be tolerated even between sub-sects of the same caste. If India was to attain salvation these watertight divisions must go - community, caste, sub-sects, and still further divisions. He felt very indignant. He would set an example himself by marrying this girl whatever her caste or sect might be."
June 6, 2017
RK Narayan’s Malgudi Days, Available in Flipkart: http://fkrt.it/XIcn~!NNNN
Available in English, Marathi and Kannada languages , Books and DVD
Available in English, Marathi and Kannada languages , Books and DVD
February 12, 2026
Reviewed by Irwin Ashish Coelho
I had borrowed Malgudi Days from Aparna, which I really liked. When I recently visited my cousin's home in Bangalore, I found this book in her home. She willingly lent it to me.
It was such a joy to read about the adventures and 'masti' of Swami and his friends Rajam, Sankar, Somu and Mani.
Read the book to be transported to a time and place in the past where things were innocent and filled with rustic charm; where the air rang with the shrill cries of children having a jolly good time under the baking sun without the fear of sunstroke; and where schoolchildren feared the teacher's long cane rapping on their knuckles for misdemeanors.
There was a period in my childhood marked by gleeful abandon, and this book allowed me to revisit those times.
This is storytelling at its finest :)
I had borrowed Malgudi Days from Aparna, which I really liked. When I recently visited my cousin's home in Bangalore, I found this book in her home. She willingly lent it to me.
It was such a joy to read about the adventures and 'masti' of Swami and his friends Rajam, Sankar, Somu and Mani.
Read the book to be transported to a time and place in the past where things were innocent and filled with rustic charm; where the air rang with the shrill cries of children having a jolly good time under the baking sun without the fear of sunstroke; and where schoolchildren feared the teacher's long cane rapping on their knuckles for misdemeanors.
There was a period in my childhood marked by gleeful abandon, and this book allowed me to revisit those times.
This is storytelling at its finest :)
May 28, 2021
Wanted to read something light to relax mind so picked up R.K. Narayan's this famous work.
Loved to roam in the fictious Malgudi town with Swami and his friends. Though the time frame is of British India but nothing seems to have changed in the life, particularly school life, of today's kid (If we exclude this lockdown period).
The best thing is that the protagonist Swami is not a kid with all the heroic virtues but he is an ordinary school going kid who has all sorts of problems of a middle class kid. One may correlate some of the incidents with his/her school days.
Simply loved it !!
Loved to roam in the fictious Malgudi town with Swami and his friends. Though the time frame is of British India but nothing seems to have changed in the life, particularly school life, of today's kid (If we exclude this lockdown period).
The best thing is that the protagonist Swami is not a kid with all the heroic virtues but he is an ordinary school going kid who has all sorts of problems of a middle class kid. One may correlate some of the incidents with his/her school days.
Simply loved it !!
November 21, 2019
Some easy peep into the world which once existed, snail paced, light and curious. A world may be my parents have seen and grandparents lived. But I have heard a lot about it and read about it, so much so that its seems I have lived it.
But somehow , the stories are excerpts and to me made me crave to have more about a lot of characters which are touched upon. So better to read full stories as they were written in full and not these snippets.
But somehow , the stories are excerpts and to me made me crave to have more about a lot of characters which are touched upon. So better to read full stories as they were written in full and not these snippets.
August 26, 2024
R K Narayan is a master storyteller, and just like his other writings, the pieces included in this book too are a delightful mix of characters, sounds, sights, as well as the socio-political climate of the age. However, since this book is a collection of excerpts from many of his other masterpieces, I found some of them to be quite abrupt and found myself craving completeness in many of these narratives.
May 13, 2018
Wonderful book both children and adults.
It's a extract of small parts from RK Narayan's famous books and short stories. We will really enjoy Short stories more than short extracts, as it will complement the story.the book really take us on a ride to the Vinayak street of Malgudi on horse jutka with just eight annas expense only.
It's a extract of small parts from RK Narayan's famous books and short stories. We will really enjoy Short stories more than short extracts, as it will complement the story.the book really take us on a ride to the Vinayak street of Malgudi on horse jutka with just eight annas expense only.
August 15, 2022
This is a beautiful book with the beauty of nostalgia. The one thing this book does is give us a sense of warmth and comfort. It takes us through with its beautiful sceneries and relatable situations it helped me through the pandemic and still does when I get back to it.
December 12, 2018
Quite an interesting introduction to the Malgudi Stories. Reading it at a very young age, R. K. Narayan didn't disappoint me then, and doesn't disappoint me now.
December 28, 2019
My favourite author :)
December 17, 2020
Healthy, light stories to refreshen your mind
Read
July 29, 2021Nice
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2024
Fun Book, Really Enjoyed it! Talked more about the village lifestyle which was so Cool!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2019
It has Got a lot if short stories. I only liked one. All of them were too long and I didn't find them that impressive so as to make a book of them. It took me a million days to complete it. So I didn't like it that much.
November 26, 2014
***This review contains the mildest of mild spoilers***
This book had chapters from the author's books and shorts, and while all were entertaining, none seemed to be written particularly for children. The funniest example of this was in the chapter from the story of the escaped tiger (narrated loosely from the tiger's POV :D), the huntsman once intoxicated on rum keeps using the phrase "s** of a b****", and another character asks him where he learnt that rare phrase.
This book had chapters from the author's books and shorts, and while all were entertaining, none seemed to be written particularly for children. The funniest example of this was in the chapter from the story of the escaped tiger (narrated loosely from the tiger's POV :D), the huntsman once intoxicated on rum keeps using the phrase "s** of a b****", and another character asks him where he learnt that rare phrase.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2015
R.K. Narayan had been one of my favorite authors. Especially his famous Malgudi Days. The day I saw this book in my library I craved to read it. It turned out to be nice. Decent stories with interesting twists.
Thanks!
Sudhindra, Chennai
Thanks!
Sudhindra, Chennai
December 24, 2020
Swaminathan and his lovely, funny, adventurous stories, I can relate to it a lot.
Tana na tana na na na....
Tana na tana na na na....
January 30, 2012
The best book I read when i was a child ! :) loved it ! seeing the cover art now brings a nostalgic feeling !
May 21, 2012
R.K. Narayan is a legend. His work inspired me to break all boundaries while letting the story flow
July 24, 2013
It would have been better if the book was renamed as Malgudi short stories instead of Malgudi adventures. The book has a misguided title.
October 25, 2013
Every green... always love any write up by R. K. Laxman and specially on Malgudi. Brings back childhood memories :)
October 7, 2015
R.K. Narayan has a great way of telling a story. Personally I greatly identify myself with the characters of his stories. it brings nostalgia and reminds of me childhood fantasies.
Currently reading
June 3, 2016its relly an amazing book which makes us not even know the time spent on it
December 2, 2016
R K Narayan has always been an inspiration and this book is a great read. A must read!
August 11, 2023
Uhhhh... They added too much info
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews