Simply sweet Swami!!!. Review on Swami and Friends - R K Narayan

Though the flavor of the SEASON is buzzing with Harry Potter Mania, still I am glued up reading R.K. Narayan’s First Novel “Swami and friends” (which was published in 1935) so enthusiastically.

Even my parents were not born at that time, but the INNOCENCEthat I find in this book makes is it refreshingly different from what we have nowadays.

Yes, as I kid I too loved to read about magic, mystery, adventures, and detective stuff. There are plenty of books which can take u totally to a different imaginative realm but to narrate about a young school boy’s formative years, his complex emotions, his fears, his day-to day routines, his circle of friends and the care-free life he enjoys ----brings out the BRILLIANCEof R.K.Narayan. Written humorously, “Swami” ---the young protagonist shines through this novel.

R.K. Narayan’s fictitious town Malgudi with the backdrop of Sarayu River, has the Ultimate Indian essence that captures the adventures of Swami and his Friends!!!! Since it was written before Independence, Narayan carefully manages to the weave the English influence on the characters.

W.S.Swaminathan, of First Form A, Albert Mission School is basically a very average student and has a laid back attitude towards studies. Apart from his regular friends like SOMU, SHANKAR, SAMUEL a.k.a PEA, and his best buddy is the good-for-nothing MANI.

MANI is a big bully who often carries a pair of wooden clubs, monopolizes the LAST BENCH, never brings books or does homework & sleeps bravely in the class. Swami is proud to have his friendship.

RAJAM, the son of police superintendent, is the new student in the First A. He is the only boy in the class to be neatly dressed, speaks every good English like a “European” and equally good in his studies.

Swami likes to spend his time with Mani and Rajam. Since Swami is so much in awe of Rajam and follows him everywhere, he earns the name as “The Tail” of Rajam from other classmates.

At home, he shares his day’s stories with his agile grandmother. She is always in her own world but somehow tries to pay attention to Swami’s tales.

His father W.T.Srinivasan, lawyer by profession, is very strict man. He expects Swami to conform to the daily routine of studying harder instead of loitering with his street-smart friends, much to the dismal of Swami. He always outwits his mother who is v busy in taking care of his newborn brother.

Swami finds most of the lectures boring. Vedanayakam--the class teacher& also Head Master, canes him for doing arithmetic sums wrong. He of course has soft corner for his History teacherPillai who is very kind man.

But only in the Scripture Class of Ebenezar, Swami can’t stand the FANATIC MAN. Ebenezar, the Scripture Master who often praises the holiness of Jesus but also spews venom against Hindu Gods. He calls Krishna as the ARCH-SCOUNDRELfor stealing the butter and dancing with girls. Being Vegetarian and Brahmin, Swami dares to ask the Sir why was JESUS eating Flesh and Wine ??? Soon he finds himself to be pinched on the left ear!

As the exams approach, Mani finds a way to bribe the clerk by giving him fresh brinjals to leak the question paper and passes it on to Swami. When Swami opens his Atlas, instead of reading the contours, he wonders, “how did the mapmakers find out what the shape of the country was ?” His crazy imaginations distract him from studying the topic. Finally he finishes his answer-paper much earlier than others and is happy to enjoy the vacations.

Since the freedom struggle is at peak and the campaign for Boycott of English goods is on, there are morchas and hartals all over Malgudi, refraining the students from attending the school. Swami being an unobserved atom in that crowd too manages to fling stones at the Head Master’s room resulting in broken panes. Only the next day, he is horrified when the H.M. knows about his crazy antics and canes him severely. Swami unable to bear the pain runs away from the school never to return it.

Finally his father admits him to another school in Malgudi. Swami has no choice but accept the fact that Mani and Rajam will no longer be with him.

Then Rajam and co. decide to start MCC---Malgudi Cricket Club. Swami is compared to TATE, the best bowler of the time. They challenge YMU—Young Men’s Union for a cricket match. But the trouble begins when Swami gets no free time to practice from the tight skedule of his new Board High School. He and Rajam try various ways of persuading H.M. in leaving Swami early, but in vain. Again Swami thinks of using “Delirium” as an excuse for not attending Drill, asks his family doc to inform the H.M. Thinking that the doc must have done the needful; he skips his Drill for whole week and gets into the shoes of TATE. Alas! The doc fools him and Swami is caned for being absent !!!

Swami runs away from there and disappears from Malgudi. He runs v far that he is completely lost. At night he finds himself in middle of a forest and wonders where he has landed! Soon a villager finds him sleeping there and takes him to the District Forest Officer. In this confusion and daze, Swami unfortunately misses the historic match and MCC loses to YMU.

Swami feels ashamed for letting his buddy Rajam down and is not able to meet him for weeks; till one day, Mani hurriedly tells him that Rajam is leaving the place due to his father’s transfer. Swami quickly picks one of his books—Anderson’s Fairy Tales to gift it to Rajam. Swami runs to the railway station to bid farewell to Rajam. When the train is about to leave, Swami asks Mani to give the book to Rajam. Rajam takes it and waves his hand. Swami is frantic and sobs heavily for missing his friend !!!!

Before reading this book, I had only seen the T.V. serial brilliantly made by the late Shankar Nag. If u want to re-live that innocent phase of ur childhood then “Swami” connects u instantly!!!!