The Financial Expert (Phoenix Fiction Series) [Paperback]

R. K. Narayan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1999 | Series: Phoenix Fiction Series

In The Financial Expert, R. K. Narayan once again transports readers to the southern Indian town of Malgudi. This story centers around the life and pursuits of Margayya, a man of many hopes but few resources, who spends his time under the banyan tree offering expert financial advice to those willing to pay for his knowledge. Margayya's rags-to-riches story brings forth the rich imagery of Indian life with the absorbing details and vivid storytelling that are Narayan's trademarks.

"The novels of R. K. Narayan are the best I have read in any language for a long time."--Amit Roy, Daily Telegraph

"The experience of reading one of his novels is . . . comparable to one's first reaction to the great Russian novels: the fresh realization of the common humanity of all peoples."--Margaret Parton, New York Herald Tribune Book Review

"The hardest of all things for a novelist to communicate is the extraordinary ordinariness of most human happiness. . . . Jane Austen, Soseki, Chekhov: a few bring it off. Narayan is one of them."--Francis King, Spectator

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press; 2 edition (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226568415
• ISBN-13: 978-0226568416
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Earth Sciences > Geography > Regional

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Completely Satisfying., December 1, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Financial Expert (Phoenix Fiction Series) (Paperback)

It is through this book that I began my love affair with Mr. Narayan's writing. His characters are wry and ironic and clear. One is transported and thoroughly engaged. Best of all, Mr. Narayan delivers the heart of a story without the glitter and glare of literary cleverness and intellectual showing-off. The gift is so simply and honestly packaged that one is amazed and gratified by its depth.

"The Financial Expert" takes place in the made-up city of Malgudi in southern India. It centers around the life and pursuits of a man named Margaya who daily sits in a public park and offers expert advice--to those willing to pay for it--on matters of financial import. As you follow along, it seems as if Margaya's life has finally taken a turn for the better, but in reality all is unraveling. The book is rich in imagery of life in India, and one's ease in absorbing these details is due to Mr. Narayan's ability to present the unfamiliar in such a familiar light.

I hope that many more people are lucky enough to discover Mr. Narayan's work.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful, December 8, 2001

By 

Elizabeth Hendry (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Financial Expert (Phoenix Fiction Series) (Paperback)

If you haven't yet discovered the pleasures of R.K. Narayan, I highly recommend The Financial Expert. It is nothing less than a classic. Superbly written, with humorously human characters and a well observed story. We follow the successes and of Margayya, the "financial expert" who lives in Narayan's fictional Malgudi. His story is amusing and entertaining. Narayan is a wonderful writer. Enjoy.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Financial Expert Gets His Return on Investment, January 30, 2006

By 

RBradbury451 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Financial Expert (Phoenix Fiction Series) (Paperback)

The Financial Expert By R. K. Narayan.

Set in the mythical town of Malgudi, The Financial Expert is a cautionary tale about the evils of the love of money. Margayva, the protagonist of this tale, is a self-made man who has a knack for taking advantage of the poor rustic souls in his community. He lends easily but not freely, wheedling his neighbors out of their assets. He is entirely unsympathetic as a boorish and petty man, so completely concerned with "status" and appearances that he develops little else. He dotes on his piggish, stroppy son, with predictable results. He is evil to his brother and sister-in-law who live as strangers next door. He is so consumed with acquisition of money that he cannot for a moment enjoy its benefits, either by spending it, or by giving it away. Ultimately, when a Ponzi scheme he has developed fails, he is reduced to his humble origins.

But for the wonderful, illuminating descriptions of the teeming life in that part of world, and, I suspect, clear insight into the small minds and hearts of some bureaucratic types in India, the book would be a disappointment. It is a short book, thankfully, predictable, but not charmless. Three stars and perhaps I am being generous.