3.5
The Guide
ByPublisher Description
For the centennial of his birth, R. K. Narayan's most celebrated novel
Formerly India's most corrupt tourist guide, Raju—just released from prison—seeks refuge in an abandoned temple. Mistaken for a holy man, he plays the part and succeeds so well that God himself intervenes to put Raju's newfound sanctity to the test. Narayan's most celebrated novel, The Guide won him the National Prize of the Indian Literary Academy, his country's highest literary honor.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Formerly India's most corrupt tourist guide, Raju—just released from prison—seeks refuge in an abandoned temple. Mistaken for a holy man, he plays the part and succeeds so well that God himself intervenes to put Raju's newfound sanctity to the test. Narayan's most celebrated novel, The Guide won him the National Prize of the Indian Literary Academy, his country's highest literary honor.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Guide Reviews
3.5
“This man is telling that prison life is fire 🧍♂️ . Ain’t no way.”
“One of the boring read of RK Narayan I must say. I get the idea that how Narayan just like any other stories kept the idea that all the babas are infact the ones who has committed some kind of sin (i am not offended). He despises Hindu superstition and might have not believed in god ( I have not read anything like this about him but his writings say so). I could not help but notice how he kept his Gandhian principles alive by showing that in the end Raju opts for penance to bring rain on earth and indirectly ends up stopping the war among villagers.
These thoughts may make sense to those who has read almost all the works of Narayan.”
“The book deserves more hype I guess. It's a silent masterpiece ✨. I loved all the characters and their morally ambiguity. I want to tell more but don't want to give any spoilers. Anyone thinking there are not many good indian authors must try it.”
About R. K. Narayan
R. K. Narayan (1906–2001), born and educated in India, was the author of fourteen novels, numerous short stories and essays, a memoir, and three retold myths. His work, championed by Graham Greene, who became a close friend, was often compared to that of Dickens, Chekhov, Faulkner, and Flannery O'Connor, among others.
Michael Gorra is a professor of English at Smith College. His books include The Bells in Their Silence: Travels Through Germany and After Empire: Scott, Naipaul, Rushdie.
Michael Gorra is a professor of English at Smith College. His books include The Bells in Their Silence: Travels Through Germany and After Empire: Scott, Naipaul, Rushdie.
Other books by R. K. Narayan
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