R K Narayan

R. K. Narayan is one of India's most valued and adored twentieth-century novelists. He takes his place alongside Graham Greene, Elizabeth Bowen, and Chekhov in the pantheon of twentieth-century greats. Discover one of India's most valued and adored twentieth-century novelists, including his novel Swami and Friends. Here are three of R. K. Narayan's most famous and best-loved novels: Swami and...

The Financial Expert by R. K. Narayan is celebrated by Graham Greene, who once remarked, "The novelist I admire most in the English language." In the shade of a banyan tree sits Margayva, a self-styled advisor on the complex minor transactions that are an integral part of Indian life. Who else would you consult if you wanted a loan from...

Ten-year-old Swaminathan is living in exciting times. The sleeping giant of India is beginning to stir to the dwelling reverberations which herald the great struggle for independence. But it's all rather confusing for the boy. For like his family and friends, Swami has been immutably moulded by his British rulers - and though he might happily demonstrate against them, he...

R K Narayan is one of those writers who not only creates literature but reaffirms its relevance to everyday life. Financial Times Assuming the character of a wise village storyteller, R K Narayan sits in the cool of an imaginary evening to recount the tales of the centuries. Taken from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and other Indian epics, the gods...

The first that indolent young Sriram knows about Mahatma Gandhi's visit to Malgudi is when a collection box is waved beneath his nose by the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. The vision's name is Bharato. Capable and quick-witted, her scorn for her gauche but ardent admirer is almost equal to her devotion to the Mahatma. Yet that is...

Chandran is a good-natured, popular, rather dreamy student who works hard to pass his exams. Newly graduated, he is unsure how he wants to spend his future. And then, one evening, walking by the river, he sees Malathi, a beautiful young girl dressed in a radiant green sari. But the course of love does not run smoothly. Not all is...