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A Tiger for Malgudi and the Man-Eater of Malgudi
Two comic gems from the father of modern Indian fiction- available in one volume for the first time
These two novels show R. K. Narayan at his best, offering enchanting tales of human absurdity that are also skillfully woven parables infused with Hindu mysticism. A Tiger for Malgudi is told from the point of view of the tiger Raja, now old and toothless, who looks back on his life in the circus and in films, and on his dramatic bid to escape the brutish human world in a quest for freedom. The Man-Eater of Malgudi is the story of Nataraj, a mild-mannered printer who stands up to Vasu, a pugnacious taxidermist, when Vasu begins to covet the beloved temple elephant for his collection.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
These two novels show R. K. Narayan at his best, offering enchanting tales of human absurdity that are also skillfully woven parables infused with Hindu mysticism. A Tiger for Malgudi is told from the point of view of the tiger Raja, now old and toothless, who looks back on his life in the circus and in films, and on his dramatic bid to escape the brutish human world in a quest for freedom. The Man-Eater of Malgudi is the story of Nataraj, a mild-mannered printer who stands up to Vasu, a pugnacious taxidermist, when Vasu begins to covet the beloved temple elephant for his collection.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
368 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2009
11 people are currently reading
179 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 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 16, 2019
2.5/5stars
read for my post-co class
read for my post-co class
May 26, 2013
The man-eater for malgudi! I have never seen such an insipid book from Narayan. I wish I hadn't read it!!
June 19, 2022
Awesome book.
The lesson I learnt from this book was everything is temporary nothing will last forever, things will change the time they meant to. And learn the art to move and accept the changes gifted by the universe to you.
Although it gave a great lesson but the language of the book is bit hard to understand and I will suggest the new reader to not start with this book first.
As you may get bored easily because not being able to imagine or understand the language. For this give yourself a shot of 3-4 books earlier, than this one will be for you.
The lesson I learnt from this book was everything is temporary nothing will last forever, things will change the time they meant to. And learn the art to move and accept the changes gifted by the universe to you.
Although it gave a great lesson but the language of the book is bit hard to understand and I will suggest the new reader to not start with this book first.
As you may get bored easily because not being able to imagine or understand the language. For this give yourself a shot of 3-4 books earlier, than this one will be for you.
Read
December 26, 2023Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
finished half of man-eater and DNFed afterwards. I found that nothing was happening in the story - the pacing was too slow, the narrator too reluctant to do anything about the problem that is vasu.
finished half of man-eater and DNFed afterwards. I found that nothing was happening in the story - the pacing was too slow, the narrator too reluctant to do anything about the problem that is vasu.
July 4, 2022
Wow. Both novels were excellent. Both books deal with the mistreatment/commodification of animals.
April 8, 2024
The first story, A Tiger for Malgudi, was clever. In the second story, the Man-eater of Malgudi, I could not stand the main character. I had a hard time making it through that one.
September 9, 2013
An extension of Narayan's Malgudi magic, with a good amount of philosophical twist on occasions. "A Tiger for Malgudi" is the story narrated by a tiger in first person. The tiger talks of his freedom, capture, escape and finally salvation - purely from the point of view of a tiger.
In "The Man-Eater of Malgudi" has nothing to do with a physical tiger, but is a subtle reference to the tiger within. Recommended !!
In "The Man-Eater of Malgudi" has nothing to do with a physical tiger, but is a subtle reference to the tiger within. Recommended !!
September 13, 2012
Amazing story, I love it.
Read
January 9, 2014nice book
July 14, 2015
Have read just the first story; A Tiger for Malgudi
August 27, 2010
Book on tape. Glad I was doing other things as I listened.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews