Malgudi Days (Penguin Classics)

I had the good fortune to read Malgudi Days a few weeks ago while traveling in India for the first time ... I certainly cannot claim to be an expert on India, but I felt like Malgudi Days captured the spirit of India in a few short pages at a time better than thousand page tomes or hours-long miniseries ever possibly could. The hope and heartbreak of the common man and woman (although, unfortunately, the woman's perspective usually takes the back seat), the constant teetering on the knife's edge between riches and ruin, the cruel twists of fate ... although there is something concise and light about Narayan's writing style, many if not most of the stories have a rather dark side to them. In spite of this, the stories are compelling page-turners, as the reader immerses him- or herself into the charismatic town of Malgudi, which itself is arguably the main protagonist of this work. Despite the short length of the stories, taken as a whole there is a kind of haunting beauty--despite the grit and calamity--that sticks with the reader long after they finish this work. Compelling, unforgettable, vibrant and yet tinged by a hint of sadness ... a bit like India itself, dare I say?

Jhumpa Lahiri summarizes it all in her introduction to the collection of short stories. Those short stories are very easy to read. They have a natural flow in them. Narayan brings his reader into the heart of an India which is neither idealized nor criticized. Under a simple, clear language and well-wrought little plots, a whole complex world comes to life. Adding all these short stories one to the other builds a colossal portrait of the universal man and of the post-colonial India. A real jewel.

R. K. Narayan's 'Malgudi Days' is a collection of short stories about the lives of ordinary men and women in an imaginary south Indian village called Malgudi. In this collection the writer proves himself a master of the ordinary; capturing the rhythm of the daily lives of his characters in mundane but oddly compelling pur suits. The stories are keenly descriptive and each character driven narrative subtly draws the reader into a world of craftily developed personal relationships. 'Malgudi Days' presents human experiences that create their own meaning in interconnected personalized realities.

As a rare case, it was alright to choose a book, with no advance knowledge, only based on its cover. I think of India and ponder of its people and culture when I read the stories in this marvelous collection. Human psychology in these stories are fascinating. Narayan’s style is powerful and strikes the cords of my heart and soul.

Wonderful Indian fable

great read.. good collection of stories that will make you re-read to grasp the concept... various themes make for many little books within one book, all centered in the same village...

I discovered these stories, of a writer I did not know before, on Jhumpa Lahiri's recommendation. Since I love everything she writes and considering that she is an absolute master of the short story herself, I had every faith in her recommendation. Everything that she writes about these stories in her foreword is true. Narayan is a wonderful writer. All these stories combine succinctness and precision with a human and symbolic resonance that is truly exceptional.

I could not put down the book. And, this was the second time I read this collection of short stories. His simple writing style belies an extraordinary vocabulary, conveying incredible richness with a minimal use of words. Astounding!

この本(1982年刊)の前書きでナラヤンは「小説を書き終えるとき、もう二度と小説を書くまい、と心に誓う」のだと書いている。そして小説とは違い「短編小説を書くことは作家にとって楽しみな気晴らしである」と。僕には少々意外な感じもしたけれども、それではナラヤンの短編小説が、軽く読み飛ばせる軽い書き物かというと必ずしもそうではなく、小説よりも神経を集中して読む必要があった。 この『マルグディの日々』に収められた短編は、ぼくにどこかディッケンズの小説にあるリアリズムとヒューマニティを連想させた。それをインド味にしたてているのだけれども、僕がナラヤンに惹かれるところは、そのような世知辛い世の中と心温まる人情というよりも、人間の不条理にたいするヒンデゥ的寛容さのなだと最近思い始めていて、残念ながらそういうものにこの本ではあまりおめにかかれない(しかし、日本人にとってかなり分かりにくいカーストについて非常に納得のいく短編がある)。 ところで僕の買ったペンギン文庫版には今や人気作家であるジュンパ・ラヒリの緒言が添えられている。ジュンパ・ラヒリがナラヤンについてどういう感じをもっているのか、はなはだ興味のあるところだ。ジュンパ・ラヒリの文章は、ナラヤンの小説世界への温かくこころのこもった誘惑であるのだけれども(どんな忙しい人でも一日に十数分をさくことで、ここに収められた短編小説を一ヶ月で読め、ナラヤンの素晴らしい小説に出会えるという)、故郷を喪失し漂流する人間のより所として愛を描くジュンパ・ラヒリは、ナラヤンが実に丹念にマルグディという空想の街・故郷を描きこんでゆくことへの驚きを述べているのが何ともジュンパ・ラヒリらしく印象深い。そして、ここはもう一度丁寧に読み返したいと思っているが、なぜナラヤンはタミル語ではなく、英語で小説書いているのかについて考察を進めている。外国語である英語で小説を書き続けるナラヤン、故郷の言葉を失って英語作家として成功しているジュンパ・ラヒリ。僕は、ふと村上春樹だって英語で小説を書けばもっと面白いのにと思った。

Bought this as a present to my Indian colleague and she’s very excited to read it!

Best book ever . Printing is amazing, buy soft cover , you will never disappoint with it's quality and print of pages , go for it without doubts

Great book

A great little book to take along anywhere. A compilation of fascinating, short stories that are sure to leave one thinking and pondering much longer on each story. Wonderfully written with minimum emotional words, sharp descriptions. A benign observer's view of ordinary lives narrated without judgement. Highly recommended reading.