Book Review - The Guide by R.K. Narayan

The bliss of having read a book before watching its movie version. The Guide movie is a cult classic, ranked #4 in best Hindi movies of all time (some Time list somewhere). Even with this knowledge, to have grown in India and to have survived to get a chance to read the book first is simply to have very good luck. Having said that, I am writing this post with OSTs of the movie playing in background. Hey - SD Burman's music is God level !

The Guide by R.K. Narayan, (sidenote - RK Narayan and RK Laxman - the cartoonist extraordinaire, are brothers coming from southern tradition where surnames are written before first name) is a fictional novel set in Malgudi chronicling life of Raju. The novel, written in flashback style, describes Raju's present times where he has just been released of prison and his transformation into a local guru. In flashback, he remembers his childhood, his job as a local Guide, and how he fell in love with the wife of a tourist, all the way leading him to be jailed.

The scenes describing the transformation to a local Guru are insane yet believable, hilarious with shades of sadness lurking in the background. The writing breathes simplicity into characters and it is effortless to read through the book. Raju's early days as a Guide are so ahead of its times. For one, the profession of Guide at a train station is something that is almost non-existent and yet so cool. Raju's love interest - Rosie's husband is shown to be a man who is interested in studying drawings of early men in caves. He even travels outside India and ends up with a book with his findings. I have rarely read or even seen an Indian movie which talks about such professions.

But the best part of Guide, what makes me recommend this book is the depiction of relationship between Raju and Rosie. Rosie comes from a family of nachnevali, is frustrated with her marriage but ambivalent of leaving her husband. Raju falls instantly in love with her and the progression of a relationship from a casual affair to something totally unique is the best part of this book.

Post reading the book, I searched and realized that Rk Narayan did not liked the movie and called it 'a misguided guide'. To be honest, I do not think that Indian audience is mature enough to have mass level appeal on what goes on in the book. I have read the movie synopsis and clearly, the movie fails to capture the better part of the book.  I will however watch the film just for curiosity's sake.