Waiting for the Mahatma / R. K. Narayan

Narayan, R. K. (1906-2001). Laxman, R.K.

ISBN 10: 043449609X / ISBN 13: 9780434496099

Published by London : Heinemann, 1979

About this Item

Fine cloth copy in a very good, slightly edge-nicked and dust-dulled dw, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly and surprisingly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong.; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 256 pages; Physical description: 256p ; 21cm. Subjects: Indic fiction (English). Summary: Waiting for the Mahatma is written in Narayan's gentle comic style. An unusual feature of this novel is the participation of Gandhi as a character. His revolutionary ideas and practices are contrasted with the views of traditionalists such as the town's notables and Sriram's grandmother. The political struggle serves as a background to Sriram and Bharati's unconventional romance which is concluded outside either's family circle. This is one of Narayan's most successful novels, where much happens behind the facade of the low key storytelling. 1 Kg.

Seller Inventory # 209302

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Waiting for the Mahatma / R. K. Narayan
• Publisher: London : Heinemann
• Publication Date: 1979
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 043449609X
• ISBN 13: 9780434496099
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: Second Edition.
• Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included
• Weight: 1 kilogram

About this title

Synopsis

Sriram’s evolution into manhood is, for him, a strange and bewildering process. Bharati, the girl he worships, is quick-witted, gifted and condescending to Sriram. Her first loyalty is to Mahatma Gandhi, a saint blessed with disconcerting common sense, whose tragedy is that he is so much greater than his followers.

This powerful story of a boy lured away from his grandmother and the town of Malgudi by the charms of a young and beautiful girl, to find himself in the midst of Gandhi’s most faithful disciples, is immediately arresting and capable of stirring the deepest emotions. It is a tale of remarkable insight into the upsurge of Indian nationalism as witnessed through the eyes and hearts of Sriram and Bharati, and told with all the genius and compassion we have come to expect from R. K. Narayan.

About the Author

R. K. Narayan (1906 2001) was one of the most prominent Indian novelists of the twentieth century. Most of his stories are set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi, a place that Narayan populated with numerous characters. He was the recipient of many awards for his work including the National Prize of the Indian Literary Academy, India's highest literary honor. In 1980 he was awarded the AC Benson Medal by the Royal Society of Literature, of which he was an honorary member and in 1982 he was elected an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.