Waiting for Mahatma

by R.K. Narayan

Book Overview

"R.K. Narayan . . . has been compared to Gogol in England, where he has acquired a well-deserved reputation. The comparison is apt, for Narayan, an Indian, is a writer of Gogol's stature, with the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0749397268
• ISBN13: 9780749397265
• Release Date: December 1993
• Publisher: Random House UK
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

India intimate rather than epic

We meet Sriram, an orphaned middle class/upper caste young Indian, as he turns twenty years old. Having raised him to adulthood, his grandmother hands him his bank account into which his father's military pension was deposited. Somewhat spoiled in childhood and now being given an unearned living, Sriram plays the big shot for a while but his heart is not in it. Something's missing as he wanders the streets of Malgudi. Elsewhere in the world, World War II has started. In India Mahatma Ghandi campaigns throughout the land, urging the people to peacefully oust the British. Ghandi is coming to Malgudi. An advance party precedes him and Sriram falls in love with a girl, Bharati, collecting money for Ghandi's movement. To the dismay of his grandmother he joins the cause to follow Bharati. Oddly enough, he is quite sincere about following Ghandi and gives up his meaningless idle life to devote himself to the Mahatma's peaceful uprising. Like Ghandi and his disciples, Sriram learns to spin cotton, he has a garment made from his yarn, he burns his factory made clothes and tours the region painting slogans telling the British to leave. He and Bharati are separated for a time. Bharati won't marry Sriram unless the Mahatma blesses the union. There are moments of high comedy. When the richest man in Malgudi invites Ghandi to stay in his home, Ghandi invites a poor young boy to follow him in and then proceeds to move into the boy's shanty town rather than stay in the rich man's palace. Later in the novel, Sriram throws himself to the ground to block the entrance to a shop selling "the finest English biscuits". We meet criminals in prison, a bombastic photographer, and even sycophantic prison guards. But Sriram's tale is serious and the novel ends tragically, yet leaving us with hope. It is as much about India's clumsy rise to independence as it is about an awkward young man reaching maturity. As an innocent India is led forward by the wise Mahatma, an immature Sriram is led by a wordly Bharati. Narayan paints an intimate portrait of India rather than an epic canvas. Despite being a spoiled and lazy man, Sriram proves himself surprisingly principled. He is weak, but taps into Bharati's strength at need. He is jealous and insecure but easily reassured. He does not bear his burden heroically but he accepts his lot willingly. If we cannot be saints, Sriram's experience convinces us we can, and should, be good. Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

Great story telling

The book is as much about love as it about mahathma. The story is about a guy called Sriram who falls in love with bharati a Gandhian freedom fighter and for her sake plunges into the freedom struggle. From there it is a saga of great love and narayan also succeeds in painting a loving portrait about mahathma and his policies about the cripps mission,quit india movement,untouchability,partition etc. Its about how all sections of the people react to the ongoing struggle at that time. Reactions were varied from some being callous to some being patriotic and some being ignorant about what was going on around them. People can relate to the characters in the story and this book is a fine example about R.K Narayan's story telling capabilities. Narayan weaves a lovely story with characters with very different priorities enmeshed in an important time in India's history.

Love transcends everything

Sriram, a 20-year old lad with lots of money, a loving grandmother and all the time in the world (to waste) meets Bharati, a beautiful woman. And as it always happens, falls in love instantly. But Bharati is involved in the Indian freedom struggle, and is a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the independence movement. She is a serious-minded woman and will think of nothing other than the task on hand. Sriram realises that the only way to win her hand is by immersing himself in the freedom movement. Thus he embarks on a life of struggles - he deserts his grandmother and all the money. At times, Sriram thinks if he should ever have altered the course of his life. Did he not enjoy life before? But love transcends everything. And for that one woman in his life, he will undergo any tribulation. He is waiting for her, but will she? The ending of the story is quite excellent, and will have you spellbound. Set in the 1940s, this book wonderfully narrates the freedom struggle through the eyes of Sriram and Bharati. To me, it is the most important work of R.K. Narayan and ranks alongside his classic debut novel, Swami and Friends.

An excellent tale of a man's life intertwined with his land.

A truly Indian experience. As told by R.K. Narayan this story evolves from a dreamy pace to a fevered pitch. Sriram is a child growing up in his own world. A world of security, comfort and laziness. What is it that drives this youth to seek change? The entrance of a romance in his life, the natural process of growing up or is it the Mahatma? Narayan uses his narrative style and rustic observation to enrich this tale and capture the spirit of rural India coming to terms with its liberation. What does this liberty mean? Our hero's life has changed for good. Driven by the spirit of the events unfolding around him Sriram is involved in the fight for freedom. But Sriram's motives are suspect. And has his life really changed? Yet Sriram is still capable of selfless action. His love for Bharathi and his devotion to her vindicate his motives. With his characteristic charm Narayan has recreated the common life amidst a historic perspective. For lovers of Narayan this is a must read. Enjoy.

Vintage Narayan

For those familiar with, and in tune with Narayan's style, this book is a wonderful and funny read. I actually found it difficult to put down, a surprising statment for the kind of books Narayan writes. Narayan's style is deceptively simple as he follows ordinary people through their lives and reveals their thoughts and motivations. My life (and I would presume, that of most people living in the modern world) is more complicated and my motivations more nuanced. Still I feel that the stories contain some deep understanding of human life. It is a paradox I can't figure out.