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A review by samyukta_24
The Man-Eater of Malgudi by R.K. Narayan
5.0
Never have I been so personally invested in the life of a non-assuming printer from a small, idyllic village. Right from page one, R.K Narayan describes Nataraj the printer’s life and his ideologies, in a few succinct paragraphs, and then manages to turn it all upside down by the fatal arrival of one random taxidermist called Vasu.
Nataraj’s subtle humor is what took me by surprise though. I had forgotten how laugh-out-loud the dialogues in an R.K Narayan novel could be, and how wholly a character’s personality and mannerisms be captured. The struggles Nataraj went through were so close to the surface, that I also felt as helpless as him while he was at the mercy of Vasu, or the other villagers.
The vagaries of an Indian village were also described beautifully, immediately transporting oneself back to a deceptively simpler time. And akin to how I’ve noticed Japanese novels or films tend to focus on the little details of life, and are experts at turning something seemingly mundane into a complex and intricate story, so does Narayan excel at creating an emotionally charged and “action” packed narrative out of the simplest of elements, thereby not only providing a slice-of-life window into people’s lives but also weaving a plot with a somewhat conclusive ending.
Second to Swami & Friends, this would have to be my favorite of all his books!
Nataraj’s subtle humor is what took me by surprise though. I had forgotten how laugh-out-loud the dialogues in an R.K Narayan novel could be, and how wholly a character’s personality and mannerisms be captured. The struggles Nataraj went through were so close to the surface, that I also felt as helpless as him while he was at the mercy of Vasu, or the other villagers.
The vagaries of an Indian village were also described beautifully, immediately transporting oneself back to a deceptively simpler time. And akin to how I’ve noticed Japanese novels or films tend to focus on the little details of life, and are experts at turning something seemingly mundane into a complex and intricate story, so does Narayan excel at creating an emotionally charged and “action” packed narrative out of the simplest of elements, thereby not only providing a slice-of-life window into people’s lives but also weaving a plot with a somewhat conclusive ending.
Second to Swami & Friends, this would have to be my favorite of all his books!