Oct 28, 2003 06:11 PM
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(Updated Oct 28, 2003 06:12 PM)
R.K. Narayan is known for his ability to create worlds through words. This is just another one that fails to fall short of the high expectations that one is bound expect after having gone through his other works like Swami and Friends, The Dark Room etc.
Narayan creates his characters with the simplest of words, and that is probably why this book appeals to me. The stories seem to be so simple, yet carefully unraveled in Narayan’s slow, and careful way, to create a reading pleasure similar, if not better than any other.
The story is that which is told by a citizen of Malgudi, who appears in many of Narayan’s later stories based in Malgudi. The person is referred to as TM, short for Talkative Man. As the name aptly puts it, this person is always talking and this book is about him recounting his encounter with Dr. Rann.
Dr. Rann is a worker for the United Nations, and he is currently visiting Malgudi in order to get information to write his great book, that he claims will shake the foundations of human knowledge and of life as we have understood it till now. Somehow, through some fortunate or unfortunate circumstances, Dr. Rann comes to stay in TM’s house on Kabir lane.
The story then unfolds when the TM meets another person, and discovers what this Dr. Rann is really up to. I really don’t want to uncover the plot here, as it would really destroy the joy of reading this book.
The story may seem short, and it is. It is Narayan’s shortest novel, and in the book that I brought (India Thought Publications, Rs. 65.00), the author delves in to his reason’s for keeping his stories short, and ending the Talkative man as he as done. Short as it may be, the story is entertaining, and the writing is ever so simple and lucid. Read this my friends, and you get another glimpse of R. K. Narayan’s great story telling ability.
Happy reading.
