There is this special quality about the books of R.K. Narayan – each and every one of them feel like a journey. The initial enthusiasm before commencing one, the excitement once it is started, witnessing fresh and familiar scenery, meeting new characters, the lull of the monotony one slips into after a while, the subtle boredom that creeps in and makes one look forward to closure, the stir one feels as one nears the end, and the happy arrival at the destination – these are all emotions that one feels during the journey as well as while reading the works of R.K. Narayan.
There is no denying the fact that RKN is one of the geniuses to have graced the world of Indian literature. Imagine the fecundity that pervaded his mind and brought forth an entire town in fiction, which went on to serve as a beautiful backdrop for almost all his works. Apart from the town, his way of writing - capturing those Independence era habits and societal customs for posterity to relish - is another mark of his genius. The old-world charm of the pre-technology days flows out of these pages, sending the reader’s mind into a serene journey into that halcyon past.
‘Mr. Sampath’ is no exception, though this may not be the best of Mr. Narayan’s works. Srinivas arrives in Malgudi, trying to find his life’s purpose by venting out his thoughts through a journal, ‘The Banner’. As he stands almost on the verge of giving up the idea, with no printer forthcoming to print ‘The Banner’, Sampath the printer arrives in his life as a god-sent ray of hope. Leaving just the writing part to Srinivas, Sampath takes it upon himself to run the nitty-gritties of the journal. All seems to go well for Srinivas, when one day, without any warning, the printer shuts shop due to labour trouble. The resourceful Sampath quickly gets into a film production company, roping in Srinivas as the script writer. But all that glitz and glam of life under spotlights slowly gets into the head of Sampath. What transpired in the end forms the rest of the tale.
All the qualities mentioned in the first stanza are present in this book too, except the stir towards the end and the happy arrival – a meaningful closure. Normally Narayan’s novels end leaving one mystified and even pensive about some of the higher truths. Not this one. The end of the tale neither satisfies the reader nor makes much sense. It feels as if you started the journey hoping to arrive at a faraway, beautiful destination, but were yanked out midway through the journey, to be left behind on a barren, no-man’s land.
An OK read from RKN!
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