Malgudi days
by Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Narayan · first published 1982
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Introducing this collection of stories, R. K. Narayan describes how in India “the writer has only to look out of the window to pick up a character and thereby a story.” Composed of powerful, magical portraits of all kinds of people, and comprising stories written over almost forty years, Malgudi Days presents Narayan’s imaginary city in full color, revealing the essence of India and of human experience. This edition includes an introduction by Pulitzer Prize- winning author Jhumpa Lahiri.
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I also enjoyed the N.K. Narayan translation/explanation of the Ramayana. That and Malgudi days really made me feel like I understood Indian culture. The Ramayana is also super important for other Buddhist countries, like Thailand and Cambodia.
on “Ask HN: What Lived Up to the Hype?” ↗…hole on the original author, Kir Bulychev, and saw that he wrote many short stories set in Veliky Guslar (which explained the name Greater Bard). The overall tone is very very similar to R.K. Narayan's Malgudi Days (albeit without the fantastical elements of talking goldfish), which is a favorite of mine. If anyone wants to get into reading some easily approachable Indian English literature, I always point them…
on “Facts will not save you – AI, history and Soviet sci-fi” ↗* Sapiens * The Intelligent Investor * Malgudi Days
on “Ask HN: What books do you keep on your desk?” ↗