Best Book That I Have Read...

MALGUDI DAYS is a collection of short stories, set at the backdrop proof of the author’s make-believe village Malgudi. Malgudi Days is a collection of 32 short funny and witty stories which I have read during my vacation. The stories happen in Malgudi, an imaginary town located somewhere on the banks of Sarayu (a river in South India). Even though it is common to call Malgudi an imaginary town, we will not feel it is imaginary while reading the book. We can trace it to any village in south India. The stories carry the scent and sounds of these villages and we instantly blend into the situations in the stories. We will feel as though we are the character in the story itself and that is the secret behind the success of this immensely popular book. 

 

Rather than revolving around a particular plot, these stories wander off dreamily. Each of the stories describes the relationship between members of a family, the various social taboos prevalent in the mid-nineties. All the stories will seem faintly similar but they are vastly different from each other. The stories deal with the most ordinary men and women and that makes these stories extraordinary. Each story deals with simple people and simple issues they are faced with in real life. The stories instantly establish a connection between the reader and the characters. Any way I can dare to say that once you read these stories the memories will last you for your lifetime. 

Indian villages which are often depicted as poverty-ridden, infested with epidemics, occupied by good-for-nothing illiterate fellows have another side to them. They have a charm, a charm which I cannot explain. This charm is depicted and presented in each of the stories in this book. Each story is so full of humanity and will invoke that part of us that we have forgotten in this deplorable rat chase called life. I would say that, through this book, R.K.Narayan raised a standard for short stories. Trust me, this book is one they won't let go of even when it's bedtime. A truly great story and is a must for every human being.