In line with our aim of reading slightly off the beaten track and having books from a variety of periods, genres and countries, the Cornflower Book Group book for March will take us to India and the fictitious town of Malgudi. This is the creation of R.K. Narayan, one of India's greatest English language novelists and a major influence on the work of our own Alexander McCall Smith (as you'll see here).
The more I read about Narayan, the more I want to read him, and there are quite a number of novels and short story collections to choose from, but I've picked his 1976 book The Painter of Signs, "a comic, bittersweet story of love getting in the way of progress" about Raman, the eponymous sign-painter, and the high-minded, "thrillingly independent" Daisy.
I'll quote the reviewers to whet your appetite: "one of the most charming masters of twentieth century fiction", "manages simultaneously to be funny and desperate, topical and timeless, sardonic and fresh and as seemingly natural and uncomplicated as milking a goat ... the rope trick of irony, fun and feeling is beautifully adroit", "subtle, vivid ... extremely funny". Tempted? I hope so!
A week on Saturday (the 20th. of February) we'll be talking about John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley, so let's put The Painter of Signs in the diary for four weeks after that, Saturday, 20th. March. The book should be easily available through libraries, shops and online (both Amazon US and UK have it), and if you can't get it locally The Book Depository can send it to you wherever you are with free worldwide delivery.
...another 'travel' book...my least favorite of reads. I'll give this a miss as well:-(
Posted by: Alison | 11 February 2010 at 07:40 AM
Excellent! Furthermore, I know that this is one that would interest my son-in-law who is an avid reader and has recently started up his own bookgroup.
Posted by: Barbara MacLeod | 11 February 2010 at 10:40 AM
If you only selected books that would appeal to me on sight in the bookshop, then I would lose part of the value of this place. So I'm looking forward to this undiscovered country (for me).
Posted by: Sandy | 11 February 2010 at 05:12 PM
Thank you for introducing me to another new (for me) author. Our library does not have this book of Narayan's (it has several others) but I can get it on amazon.com.
I'm looking forward to seeing what people say about TWC next Saturday.
Posted by: Julie Fredericksen | 11 February 2010 at 05:38 PM
Came across your site this morning and would love to be part of your group so am ordering the title for March. This will give me a chance to find my way round your site with your site. Love the idea of linking recipes too. Best wishes SarahJay
Posted by: Sarah west midlands | 14 February 2010 at 09:17 AM
Welcome, Sarah!
Posted by: Cornflower | 14 February 2010 at 09:41 AM
If you mean you haven't read Travels with Charley 'cos it's a travel book, I can only say you're missing a masterpiece. I really don't think it is a travel book, actually - the title is quite misleading - so I would encourage you to reconsider.
And the Narayan is definitely a novel - I'm reading him at the moment (not this actual book) and finding him sensitive, funny and interesting on a continent (India) I normally avoid in literature.
Posted by: Lindsay | 14 February 2010 at 07:40 PM
Curiously enough, I have just embarked on Narayan for the first time myself - I have some short stories and a different novel; first impressions favourable!
Posted by: Lindsay | 14 February 2010 at 07:43 PM
Can I second Lindsay's support for the Steinbeck!
Posted by: Dark Puss | 14 February 2010 at 08:33 PM
Looking forward to this new-to-me author. As always, I ordered the book as soon as you put the title up.
As for Travels with Charley, I am listening to it on audio book and enjoying his observations of the changing American landscape.
Posted by: Loretta | 16 February 2010 at 05:29 PM
I should think it would make a great audio book, Loretta (assuming it's the right reader, of course).
Posted by: Cornflower | 19 February 2010 at 08:22 PM
This had better be good! It has just cost me 44p to reserve a copy at my local library.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 20 February 2010 at 01:07 PM
Ruinous! And you don't even get to keep the book!
Posted by: Cornflower | 20 February 2010 at 01:24 PM
44p! Gosh - our library charges 90p - and it doesn't appear to have heard of R.K. Narayan (sigh...back to the booksellers).
Posted by: GeraniumCat | 21 February 2010 at 04:17 PM
Just collected it so I will be able to contribute in my usual provocative and ill-informed way to the discussion this month.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 02 March 2010 at 09:30 AM