The Guide: A Novel (Penguin Classics)

Product 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.

Top Reviews

A released convict is mistaken for a spiritual teacher
by Bernie Gourley,Top Contributor: Fantasy Books (5 out of 5 stars)
November 30, 2017

This novel's lead, Raju, is sitting by a riverside shrine when he's mistaken for a holy man. In actuality, Raju was just released from prison for forging the signature of a woman with whom he has a complicated relationship. The woman is married to another man but she has a love of dance, and her husband wants her to give up such frivolities. She falls for Raju, who is working for her husband as a travel guide /expediter, because he supports her in the pursuit of dance. [One can see the dual meaning of the title as Raju is a travel guide by trade and becomes a spiritual guide to the villagers of the fictional town of Malgudi.] After experiencing some hard times with business, Raju finds success by being not only the lover of the dancer but also her Col. Tom Parker (i.e. her promoter /manager.)

The story isn't told in chronological order, but is easily enough followed and is the more interesting for its nonlinear telling. For example, we learn the details of Raju's troubles as a confession he makes to the individual who first mistook him for a guru.

The book explores several themes. One is the power of charisma and bumper-sticker wisdom in building a sage. When Raju's first student hears his confession, the young man is unswayed, following Raju unwaveringly. On a brighter note, one also sees how people's strong beliefs, ill-founded as they might seem to be, can produce a guru. Ultimately, Raju becomes the teacher that the entire village thought him to be all along.

There's also the issue of passion versus familial bonds and tradition. While Raju's mother personally likes the dancer woman, the fact that the girl is of a lower class and caste (not to mention married to another man), creates a tension. Raju must decide between his love of the dancer and that of his mother. We also get to see the hard edge of tradition in the Raju's uncle who puts all the bias of class and caste in its most explicit form.

I enjoyed this novel. It's a nice compact story and is very thought provoking. The character of Raju is well-developed and interesting. The reader finds Raju likable even though at times he's a bit loathsome in his behavior. There's more than one comedy of error in the story's formulation to offer some lightness to contrast the family drama.

I'd highly recommend this book for fiction readers. It was also interesting for me as an ex-pat in India as it offers some insight into the culture. It should be noted that it's set in a bygone era. But even though it's dated, one can see the long shadow of cultural proclivities in the story elements.
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A jewel of a book!
by Brett Zhan (5 out of 5 stars)
November 5, 2018

Read a review mentioning it on the internet and bought it, not disappointed, a pleasant surprise -- unassumingly exquisite plots and writing, can't help feeling the eerie similarities between R.K. Narayan's writting of an Southern Indian fictional town of Malgudi (1958) and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Columbia fictional town of Macondo (1967)! The humor can't fail once the overall plot was set: a resourceful, cunning guy scraping and enjoying petty living running a store and serving as tour guide in a town on the the railroad got messed up with a wife of high society... can't end well -- ending up in prison... when out of prison and sitting on a riverbank for a long time contemplating all no-good options forward, he was mistaken as a guru and every little utterance from him sounds profoundly wise to the villagers there, and without knowing and reluctantly he plays along... can't end well as well. But the writing is so unhurried and enchanting, as it shows a time and a people's usual struggle I can't help caring how this ordinary guy ends (and how the author rounds up the impossible story).
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Stunning Story Of One Man's Redemption
by R. J. Marsella (5 out of 5 stars)
January 20, 2013

The Guide is one of those rare books that you stumble upon and wonder how you have missed it for so long. Written as a reflective memoir of a man we meet initially upon his release from prison, the story traces back to his circumstances prior to his imprisonment in surprising ways. The son of a shopkeeper who gains something of a reputation as a part time tour guide becomes involved with a women and finds fortune and fame only to be brought low again due to his own manipulative character. This is a man who knows how to read people, knows how to manipulate circumstances to his advantage but dramatically overplays his hand. On his release he takes shelter in an abandoned temple and is taken by the locals for a holy man. The entire pattern of his life appears to be remerging but with surprising results.

The Guide is an unforgettable novel. The writing is irresistible making it difficult to put aside. One of the best books I've read in years.
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Dated
by emily (5 out of 5 stars)
May 5, 2017

This story has some cultural and geographic idiosyncracies (he convinces a young girl to marry her cousin, for example) but it was fascinating. There were some interesting insights into human nature, greed, belonging, and you felt like the main character was genuinely trying to help those around him.
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Rare find
by Oscar (5 out of 5 stars)
July 11, 2017

This was a rare find that delighted the senses. The book is a comedy out of life circumstances and human emotions. I would recommend it due to its captivating story-telling.
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Reinvention!
by E.J. Kaye (5 out of 5 stars)
May 5, 2016

One of Narayan's greatest works, and a true story of self-discovery as well as redemption. Great way to learn about India while being entertained by a master storyteller.
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A++. Love it!!
by A&W (4 out of 5 stars)
February 23, 2019

A++. Love it!!
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Good story, not on Sparknotes
by Hedi A. Bingham (5 out of 5 stars)
August 23, 2014

I enjoyed the story, writing style, and perspective of this story. An added bonus is that it is not available on Sparknotes, so my students will actually have to read the book in order to do well in class!
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Simply written, yet brilliant!
by Lakshmi (4 out of 5 stars)
May 30, 2014

This is an easy but compelling read. As always, RK Narayan has managed to weave a beautiful story out of a simple everyday life of a young man Raju. The story makes you pause and ponder at several levels, of humanity, caste and creed, of pretense and spirituality. The characters are well portrayed. Definitely a must read!
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I e⌛️🗜📀nded up skipping some at the beginning then read it again and I liked it better
by Vicky Ludwig (4 out of 5 stars)
March 25, 2018

N ahSlow start, but gained momentum as uwit went along. I ended up skipping some at the beginning then read it again and I liked it better.

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