To think that this one in a million piece, could not find a publisher is the irony of the great master storytellers’s luck. And ofcourse there was no stopping him. That is such a wonderful imaginary village, you had everything a child would vie for those childhood days and an environment to match. The story is hailed as one of the most vividly written prose on child portrayal of the society. There are calssical instances of innocence, fear, envy and serene characterisation of childhood qualities. There are times when Swami wanted to become big out from his bondage of age. Instances which still linger in my memory of Swami include his participation in Freedom struglle and burning his cap which his father bought him. Then his adventures at the Mission School. But obviously the childhood is which wins in the whole of the novel when at last the address part is revealed. Mani does not know the address and Swami knew that very well. I believe it needs a closest insight to draw characters of the kind the story has and more importantly set them on the time line they were in. A personal record with RK Narayan’s works has been that I received fours of his works as prizes for my English competitions - debate, elocution and essay writing, something which I cherish most.
