Talkative Man (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) [Paperback]

R. K. Narayan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1994 | Series: Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics

The Talkative Man tells the story of a mysterious stranger who arrives at the Malgudi train station to pursue a purported U.N. project. The stranger winds up staying at Talkative Man's home, where he begins to seduce the librarian's daughter.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Dr. Rann, a fair, blue-eyed, well-dressed Indian, sets up house in the waiting room of the train station in Malgudi, the stationmaster can't summon the courage to evict him and applies to the Talkative Man, an assiduous but unemployed journalist, for help. PW called this a "delight."
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The concluding title story of Narayan's most recent collection, Under the Banyan Tree and Other Stories ( LJ 7/85) , concerned a storyteller who took a vow of silence. As if to assure us that he himself has taken no such vow, Narayan identifies with the title character and raconteur of this, his fourteenth novel of that magical microcosm he calls Malgudi. Talkative Man/Narayan tells us in a postscript that "This is only the story of a wife's attempt to reclaim her erratic, elusive husband who is a wanderer, a philanderer on a global scale. . . ." Readers who have visited Malgudi before will recognize Kabir Street, the Boardless Hotel, and other familiar scenes resonant as ever with the sounds of life and laughter and a whisper of the ludicrous. Newcomers will marvel at this little world and the people in it. L. M. Lewis, Social Science Dept., Eastern Kentucky Univ., Richmond
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140185461
• ISBN-13: 978-0140185461
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,499,998 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Talkative Man, October 27, 2005

By 

J. Margiotta (New York, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Talkative Man (Hardcover)

This is my first Narayan book, and I very much enjoyed it. It's a quick, enjoyable read that manages, over a short space (116 pages), to create some vivid and memorable characters. The story also resonates on some deeper level as a study of love, marriage and the forces that drive some men to obsessively and serially pursue and seduce women.

The story is narrated by Talkative Man, a local journalist in Narayan's fictional town of Malgudi. He meets a purported doctor from Timbuktoo who has supposedly come to the town on a mission for the United Nations. The doctor takes up residence first at the town's train station and then with Talkative Man. He has no real job and no visible means of support, but is a dapper dresser and elegant man with whom all the locals are taken. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that he is a womanizing predator who seduces young women and then abandons them without warning. The climax comes when Talkative Man attempts to prevent the doctor from seducing a young Malgudi woman whom Talkative Man has known since birth. I don't want to give away more of the plot than that because the twists in it are so much fun.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Want light, pleasant, and relaxing? Visit Malgudi, March 25, 2003

By 

Dave Deubler (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Talkative Man (Hardcover)

A well-dressed but enigmatic stranger claiming to be from Timbuctoo takes advantage of a small-town journalist in this short novel set in the fictional town of Malgudi, India, that R. K. Narayan has brought to life in an entire series of books. The journalist (and well-known busybody) is our narrator for the story of Dr. Rann, who is ostensibly preparing a report for the U.N. on futurology, although he seems to do little enough work. Dr. Rann drifts into this quiet little backwater of a town and quickly makes himself at home, helping himself to what few amenities are available. Our journalist begins to feel somewhat taken advantage of, until the good doctors wife shows up. But not to worry, things work out well enough in the end, (with some clever manipulation), and if any parties are less than thrilled with the outcome, at least no one is seriously worse off than they were before.

The brevity of this novel (116 pages) is such that Narayan addresses it himself in a postscript, but to say that this book is too short would be a mistake. It struck this reviewer that by cropping the early and middle sections still further, one could have made a very creditable novella with this material without losing much. As it is the middle section does seem to drag a bit. The best feature of this book is Narayans delicate touch with characterization, sketching familiar types with just a few lines: the old librarian and his wife, their granddaughter Girija, the distraught station master, the old porter, Varma (who owns The Boardless Hotel), the Deputy Minister, and even the President of the Lotus Club. The locale almost stands as a character itself, constantly intervening with its all-too-familiar small town inquisitiveness and morality, but still adding an exotic touch to the story. While not a real thigh-slapper, Narayans upbeat tale is written in a pleasant, easy-to-read style that is as accessible to teens as adults. Theres nothing really special going on here, but if youd like a quiet, relaxing vacation in South Asia but just cant get away, Malgudi may be just the place for you.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His best book, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Talkative Man (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) (Paperback)

Having read all his books, this one is the one that stays with me longest. The prose is as excellent as ever and the story is extremely interesting.