Jul 10, 2009 09:18 AM
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(Updated Apr 05, 2010 03:53 PM)
This is the story of a simple resident of Malgudi- Nagaraj and his ‘adventures’, mostly tribulations. He stays with his wife- Sita and mother in his vast home at Malgudi. He doesn’t earn anything and his livelihood depends on the deposits that his late father has left for him.
About Nagaraj: A very mild mannered man, whose secret mission is to write a book on sage Narada- the celestial sage who had a curse on his back that he should spread at least one gossip a day, else his head would burst. Nagaraj is neither sure on who could get him enough information on this subject, nor does he pursue his ambition with vigour. His daily activities consist of meditating in his ochre robe which some Guru gave him, wandering in the market place, chatting with neighbours. His favourite pastime is sitting in his verandah and day-dreaming!
His elder brother Gopu and wife- Charu live in a different village with their son Tim. Among the 2 brothers, Gopu's more practical and intelligent, always craving for more. Nagaraj and Sita miss Tim a lot and are very fond of him, since they themselves dont have kids.
Life for Nag takes a turn when Tim arrives to his home at Malgudi and declares that he has left his father's place for good. Now Nagaraj and Sita are thrilled to have Tim, but later on are worried since he secretly wanders around the city and has left his college without informing his family.
Does Nagaraj get enough courage to talk to Tim about it? Does he tell his elder brother Gopu? Does Tim go back to his home? Read the book to find what happens next.
This book mainly concentrates on how Nagaraj looks at the incidents and events in his life. The language is simple and has vivid descriptions. But definitely not one of R K Narayan’s best. It gets boring at a few places with too much detail. This is comparatively a lesser known book of R K Narayan.
A few lines sure to bring a smile on your face-
1.Nagaraj’s mother coaxed him to go for his bath early. He thought, “I’m the head of the family, let no one forget it.” At this point, he tried to switch off his mind again. Too much of thinking is no good, rather fatiguing!
2.Nagaraj studied in a school which was a one room building. All classes were held in the same hall with 4 teachers in 4 corners bawling out their lessons over the children’s babble and wielding the canes freely, whacking, as a matter of policy, the nearest child.
3.Nagaraj thought, ‘Boys must have beds and desks if they are to develop properly, unlike us, who read our lessons in any corner and slept in corridors, if not in cattle sheds.’
4.Tim explained to his uncle Nagaraj- “I will never go back home. He called me a donkey.”
Nagaraj: “Who?”
Tim: “Father”
“Why?” Nagaraj asked aloud, but added within, “Why not?”
About the book-
Total Pages: 186
Publisher: INDIAN THOUGHT PUBLICATIONS
Format: Paperback
