Swami and Friends
| File:Swami and Friends (Malgudi Schooldays) cover.jpg
Cover of Malgudi Schooldays 2009 Puffin Classics edition
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| Author | RK Narayan |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | RK Laxman |
| Country | India |
| Language | English language |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Hamilton |
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Publication date
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1935 |
| Media type | |
| ISBN | 978-0-09-928227-3 |
| OCLC | 360179 |
| Followed by | The Bachelor of Arts |
Swami and Friends is the first of a trilogy of novels written by RK Narayan (1906–2001), English language novelist from India. The novel, Narayan's first, is set in British India in a fictional town called Malgudi. The second and third books in the trilogy are The Bachelor of Arts and The English Teacher.
Malgudi Schooldays is a slightly abridged version of Swami and Friends, and includes two additional stories featuring Swami from Malgudi Days and Under the Banyan Tree.[1]
Contents
Publication
Swami and Friends is the first novel written by Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanswami.[2] It was published through the intervention of a friend and neighbour ("Kittu" Purna) who was studying at Oxford. Through him, Graham Greene came into contact with Narayan's work, became especially interested in it and took it upon himself to place the book with a reputable English publisher (Hamish Hamilton).[3] Graham Greene was responsible for the title Swami and Friends, changing it from Narayan's Swami, the Tate, suggesting that it would have the advantage of having some resemblance to Rudyard Kipling's Stalky & Co..[4]
Greene arranged the details of the contract and remained closely involved until the novel was published. Narayan's indebtedness to Greene is inscribed on the inside cover of a copy of Swami and Friends Narayan presented to Greene: "But for you, Swami should be in the bottom of Thames now".[4]
Albert Mission School friends
- Swaminathan: A ten-year-old boy studying at Albert Mission School, Malgudi. He lives in Vinayaka Mudali Street. He is later transferred to Board High School. Rajam is Mani's friend.[5]
- Mani: Swami's classmate at Albert Mission School, lives in Abu Lane, he is known as Mighty good for nothing. Carries around a club sometimes, and threatens to beat his enemies to a pulp.
- Rajam: Swami's classmate at Albert Mission School, lives in Lawley Extension. His father is the Deputy Police Superintendent of Malgudi. He previously studied at an English Boys' School, Madras. He is also the Captain of Malgudi Cricket Club (Victory Union Eleven). His father gets transferred to Trichinopoly.
- Somu : Monitor of 1st Form A Section, lives in Kabeer Street. He fails in 1st Form and is "automatically excluded from the group".
- Sankar: Swami's classmate in 1st Form A Section. His father gets transferred at the end of the term. He is the most brilliant boy of the class.
- Samuel ("The Pea"): Swami's classmate in 1st Form A Section. He is known as "The Pea" because of his height.
Staff at Albert Mission School
- Headmaster of the school
- Vedanayagam: class-teacher of 1st Form A Section, teaches English and Arithmetic
- D P Pillai: history teacher at Albert Mission School
- Ebenezer: scripture master at Albert Mission School(moral science teacher)
- Singaram: peon at Albert Mission School
- Samuel: Arithmetic teacher. Sometimes also teaches History.
Swami's house
- WT Srinivasan: Swami's father, a lawyer
- Lakshmi: Swami's mother, Homemaker
- Swami's grandmother(father's mother )
- Swami's late grandfather (Sub-Magistrate)
- Swami's little brother
- Cook
Cricketers mentioned
Cultural depictions
- Swami and Friends was adapted by actor-director Shankar Nag into the television drama series Malgudi Days in 1986.[6] The series was directed by Nag and Carnatic musician L. Vaidyanathan composed the score. R. K Narayan's brother and acclaimed cartoonist R. K. Laxman was the sketch artist.[7]
References
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- ↑ Pier Paolo Piciucco, A companion to Indian fiction in English 2004, Atlantic Publishers & Dist
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Pier Paolo Piciucco, A Companion to Indian Fiction in English (2004) Atlantic Publishers & Dist
- ↑ ws
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