The Grandmother's Tale and Selected Stories (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I was brought up by my grandmother in Madras from my third year while my mother lived in Bangalore with a fourth child on hand..." (more)
Key Phrases: fowl thief, stamp vendor, puja room, Market Road, Vinayak Street, Kabir Street (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in India, these 19 stories, some previously published, emphasize perceptively drawn characters and situations rather than their colorful foreign backdrops. All the tales display a wry, gentle humor. A reporter becomes aware of his own indecisiveness when he's appointed as a judge to help clear out a court's backload of cases; a childless couple collaborate, with comic results, on writing and publishing a novel. In "A Horse and Two Goats," the misunderstandings that arise between people speaking different languages work to the advantage of both a poor native man and an American tourist. In "Cat Within," a miserly landlord enlists the help of an exorcist to get rid of a "spirited" jar, unaware that the "devilish creature" is a very live feline stuck inside. Narayan ( The World of Nagaraj ) is a master at unraveling the personal histories of his characters: in "Uncle," a boy overhears a story about his uncle's past while waiting in a shop. The title story alone disappoints slightly, because its shift in focus from a young wife to her husband leaves us wanting to know more about the wife's fate. Still, overall, the story delights, as does the rest of this exemplary collection from one of India's most distinguished men of letters.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Reading these 19 stories is almost like holding India and its people in your hands. One can understand and almost feel the small and large pleasures, the slow-motion existence, the ever-elusive dreams. Transformed by Narayan's creative legerdemain, some stories are similar to fairy tales. Thus, in "A Horse and Two Goats," a rich New York tourist, speaking only English, and Muni, a 70-year-old peasant speaking only Tamil, discuss the business transaction, each one thinking he understands the other. Yet the two are amazingly satisfied when they complete their bargaining. In the convoluted novella, "The Grandmother's Tale," Narayan deftly narrates a tale, related to him by his grandmother, as she had heard it from Narayan's great-grandmother. All the other stories are just as enjoyable, including "Salt and Sawdust" and "Second Opinion," both surprising in their plot and character development. The entire collection is a reader's delight. Recommended for most collections.
Glenn O. Carey, Eastern Kentucky Univ., Richmond
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ecco; 1st Ecco ed edition (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880016248
• ISBN-13: 978-0880016247
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #474,978 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and Evocative Stories, March 17, 2001

By	Elizabeth Hendry (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Grandmother's Tale was my introduction to Narayan and frankly I have been wondering where he's been all my life. These stories are wonderful. They are the kind of stories that stayed with me for several days after reading them. Narayan brings you to a time and a place with each story. His characters are believable, his stories moving, his writing impecable. Each story is full of humanity. I really enjoyed this collection and look forward to reading more of his work.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Young and Old-A Beautiful Book , May 2, 2005

By	Maya Suri - See all my reviews

A Grandmother's Tale by R.K Narayan is not only a beautifully written book it is easily accessible for children and adults alike. I read this book as a young adult and fell in love with all of Mr. Narayan's prose and have continued to read his entire collection.

The story is a narrative in a narrative where Mr. Naryan is writing his Grandmother's story, a look into an India where child marriage was normal and ananas were still the currency. I can not stress how beautifully written (and translated) this book is as it allows for a reader to journey through an old India which is filled with ancient and family traditions.

This book is relatively short and very easy for a middle school child to read. I would highly recommend this book to parents who are looking to introduce a new type of genre into their children's reading routing. For adults, this book can easily be finished in a day (if not two hours) and it will leave you reaching for more of Mr. Narayan's works.

So, if you are looking for a new addition to your book collection that is unique and well written, turn to the works of Mr. Narayan and be swept away to India.