The Guide by R.K. Narayan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Narayan's most celebrated novel, The Guide won him the National Prize of the Indian Literary Academy, his country's highest litFormerly India's most corrupt tourist guide, Rajujust released from prisonseeks refuge in an abandoned temple. Narayan's novel The Guide is the story of a man named Raju who comes from a small village in India called Malgudi. Malgudi itself does not exist. This fact gives Narayan's novel the feeling of a.
The Guide is the most popular novel of R.K. It was published in 1958, and won the Sahitya Akademy Award for 1960. It has also been filmed and the film has always drawn packed-houses. It recounts the adventures of a railway guide, popularly known as ‘Railway Raju’. As a tourist guide. The Guide Multiple Choice Test Questions R. Narayan This set of Lesson Plans consists of approximately 117 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials.
This novel’s lead, Raju, is sitting by a riverside shrine when he’s mistaken for a holy man. In actuality, Raju was just released from prison for forging the signature of a woman with whom he has a complicated relationship. The woman is married to another man but she has a love of dance, and her husband wants her to give up such frivolities. She falls for Raju, who is working for her husband as a travel guide /expediter, because he supports her in the pursuit of dance. [One can see the dual meaning of the title as Raju is a travel guide by trade and becomes a spiritual guide to the villagers of the fictional town of Malgudi.] After experiencing some hard times with the shops left him by his father, Raju finds success by being not only the lover of the dancer but also her Col. Tom Parker (i.e. her promoter /manager.)
The story isn’t told in chronological order, but is easily enough followed and is the more interesting for its nonlinear telling. For example, we learn the details of Raju’s troubles as a confession he makes to the individual who first mistook him for a guru.
The book explores several themes. One is the power of charisma and bumper-sticker wisdom in building a sage. When Raju’s first student hears his confession, the young man is unswayed, following Raju unwaveringly. On a brighter note, one also sees how people’s strong beliefs, ill-founded as they might seem to be, can produce a guru. Ultimately, Raju becomes the teacher that the entire village thought him to be all along.
There’s also the issue of passion versus familial bonds and tradition. While Raju’s mother personally likes the dancer woman, the fact that the girl is of a lower class and caste (not to mention married to another man), creates a tension. Raju must decide between his love of the dancer and that of his mother. We also get to see the hard edge of tradition in the Raju’s uncle who puts all the bias of class and caste in its most explicit form.
I enjoyed this novel. It’s a nice compact story and is very thought-provoking. The character of Raju is well-developed and interesting. The reader finds Raju likable even though at times he’s a bit loathsome in his behavior. There’s more than one comedy of error in the story’s formulation to offer some lightness to contrast the family drama.
I’d highly recommend this book for fiction readers. It was also interesting for me as an ex-pat in India as it offers some insight into the culture. It should be noted that it’s set in a bygone era. But even though it’s dated, one can see the long shadow of cultural proclivities in the story elements.
Today, in this article, I will attempt to put a very unique review, from a unique perspective, of the novel The Guide, written by R. K. Narayan and considered one of the classics in English literature, in the Indian context. Please read this post thoroughly and let me know your opinions in the comment section.
Women are always considered as an object by men to satisfy their desires and needs. They always had to fight for their rights, for their freedom as well as for their identity in the male-dominated society. Sadly, they are still fighting. The Guide, by R.K. Narayan, is designed on the same theme and portrays an eventful journey of a dancer, Rosie, who later becomes Nalini, who struggles to make her own identity in this patriarchal circle.
Though a fictional tale, the story unfolds various aspects of life to which the readers can easily relate to in real-life. It deals with human nature, emotions, realization and some serious issues and ill-practices prevalent in society. Not chronologically, but the author has cleverly described all the events which engage the readers thorough out the book.
Rosie reluctantly gets married to Marco, an archaeologist. However, Rosie and Marco both have their own reasons to get married to each other. While Marco needs some ponds of flesh for his sexual desire from Rosie, but on another side, Rosie wants the backing of a husband to fight against the society who always not appreciate the fact that she is a dancer. After Marriage, Marco never cares for the art and talent which his wife possess and suppress the thin voice of Rosie with the loud roar of his wealth.
During their visit to Malgudi, Rosie meets with Railway Raju, a greedy and mischievous tourist guide, whom Marco engages as their travel guide. While Marco gets too busy studying the caves or site, Raju gets an ample amount of time to interact with Rosie. Raju praises Rosie’s passion for dance, consoles her and motivates her. Rosie eventually falls for Raju. Raju too develops some soft corner for her. Leaving her husband, Rosie starts staying with Raju. Regardless of what society thinks, Raju too gets indulged in fulfilling the dreams of Rosie who later becomes a famous dancer and gets popular as Nalini. With Raju’s support, she gets to succeed in climbing the ladder of success which she could have never achieved with Marco. However, inspired by his lust for wealth, Raju remains nothing different from Marco in his conduct towards Rosie. And they get apart. What does he do? Will Rosie and Raju reunite? Or, will Rosie go back to Marco?
The suspense should be there for the readers who want to experience this wonderful tale of love, betrayal, sorrows, regret and salvation or Moksha… However, all those who have already read this novel by R. K. Narayan can let me know how far I was able to put forth my opinions.
Is male support that important in a woman’s life? Why male still does not appreciate women’s talent and try to suppress it? Why do women always have to fight for their rights? Will our society never do justice to women? The book leaves you with a lot of questions which you don’t get answers to. The novel answers too many questions in a very implicit manner and also some of them are answered openly. The closure element is missing and this incompleteness makes the story more real-life.
Review by Nidhi P for The Last Critic
- The Last Critic's Score
Summary
Rk Narayan Books
The Guide by R. K. Narayan is a novel that is considered to be and indeed is, an evergreen classic by Indian standards. It narrates the tale of Nalini and Raju and one’s ambition at the cost of another… a tale of sin and salvation!