Sep 30, 2005 05:06 PM
4126 Views
(Updated Sep 30, 2005 05:06 PM)
The Reluctant Guru is none other than the celebrated author himself, exposed to the funny naiveté of American campus crowds. On tour as a D.V.P. (Distinguished Visting Professor), Narayan meets in shocked but amused silence, a throng of people who think of India as the fabulous land of snake charmers, yoga, mysticism, philosophy, poetry and fakirs. Narayan himself becomes a guru who Visits and Professes on everything that is demanded off him, of the land of Kama-Sutra. What comes out in this refreshing essay is the blinkered view the west has of the Eastern sub-continent, especially India.
In their shallow search of mysticism, a meaning for life and a glorified faith in Orientalism, the American campuses demand of Narayan, to live up to the mystical standards he has been raised to. The campus encounter, related with innocent humour in matchless prose, opens the pace of the book of essays which clearly see Narayan at his best. The episodes following and the observations are equally witty, often hilarious. The Bharat brand of English, the defense of the habitual late-comers, the world of culture mongers, a plea for a Ministry of worry brings out of the best of Narayan’s pungent and sparkling humour and his capacity to laugh in any situation.
The essays are matchless in their capacity to keep one in fits of laughter at their best and in states of amused indignation at their not-so-best states. Indian audiences would adore to see this deluded view of the west as it evaluates the land of Maharajhas. It becomes especially funny because the Indians too foster some prejudices and mind sets against or for the Americans and in the counter beliefs, are able to laugh at themselves. And even as Narayan probes the American system for its blinded vision, he also exposes us to systems of education and administration that would put many among us to shame. In the guise of his trade mark humour, Narayan manages to give a comparative study of two different cultures and the interaction between them.
Anybody who claims to be a Narayan fan would be unfair to think of him as just a fiction writer, when he gained all his initial fame, fortune and followers from the exuberantly conjured essays. The essays are ideal to see us as the world does. Funny, warm-hearted, satirical, yet serious, Narayan presents these topical vignettes of life to anyone who claims interest. Worth a dozen reads.
