7 Books By R K Narayan You Should Read In Your Life

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami, famously known as R. K. Narayan, is one of the most prominent Indian English writers. I speak in present tense because you’ll have to admit that he is just as contemporary as he was 50 years back. This pioneering author has taken Indian literature to a significant position, globally speaking. So here are 7 books by this outstanding author that you have to read!

1. The Guide

One of the most noted books by Narayan, this books tells the tale of Raju, a con artist who eventually had to surrender to life. Oh, and please do not go by the movie, despite it being  a classic.

 

2. The Man-eater of Malgudi

Believe it or not, the said man-eater in question is not a tiger, rather a human. And no, it’s not a horror story. You have to read the book find out for yourself.

 

3. Swami and Friends

One of the stars of the fictional town of Malgudi, Swaminathan embarked on some epic adventures along with his friends, which would tug at all your emotional cords. This book is also the first one written by Narayan.

 

4. Malgudi Days

In this collection of short stories, Narayan had painted the daily drudgery in the lives of people of Malgudi in the most visually colourful yet elegantly simple way.

 

5. My Dateless Diary

Published in 1960, this is a collection of essays written by Narayan during his visit to America. In the truest sense, this is a kaleidoscope through which a young Indian sees the West.

 

6. The Bachelor of Arts

Narayan successfully captured the essence of love in this book. Through the character Chandran, we see how heartbreaking and earth-shattering love can be, and at the same time, how love can restore our faith in life.

 

7. Gods, Demons and Others

This book is a collection of mythological retellings of legendary epics. The best part about the 15 short stories included in this book is that they talk about lesser known mythological characters.

Happy reading fellas!

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