The Guide

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Title The Guide

Author	R.K. Narayan
Cover artist	R.K. Laxman (Penguin edition)
Country	India
Language	English
Genre(s)	Philosophical novel
Publisher	Viking Press (First American edition)
Released	1958
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages	220 pp
ISBN	ISBN 0-670-35668-9 (First American edition)

This article is about the Indian novel. For the sci-fi series, see The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. For the TV series on Nickelodeon, see Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

The Guide is a 1958 novel written in English by the Indian author R.K. Narayan. It is one of the author's most critically acclaimed novels.^{[citation needed]} Like most of his works the novel is based in Malgudi, the fictional town in South India. The novel describes the transformation of the protagonist, Raju from a tour guide to a spiritual guide.

[edit] Plot summary

Raju is a railway guide who becomes obsessed with Rosie, a neglected wife of an archeologist Marco. Rosie has a passion for dancing which Marco doesn't approve of. Rosie, encouraged by Raju, decides to follow her dreams and walks out on her husband. Raju becomes her stage manager and soon with the help of Raju's marketing tactics, Rosie becomes a successful dancer. By giving Rosie the opportunity to dance, Raju is also giving her freedom, freedom which Marco has suppressed by refusing to let her dance. Raju, however, develops an inflated sense of self-importance and tries to control Rosie. But a man should not live off a woman. On the other hand, what if she is successful only because of that man? The relationship between Raju and Rosie is strained. Marco reappears and Raju inadvertently gets involved in a case of forgery and gets a two year sentence. After completing the sentence, Raju is passing through a village when he is mistaken for a sadhu (a spiritual guru). Being reluctant to return in disgrace to Malgudi, he decides to play the part of the swami and makes the village temple his home. There is a famine in the village and Swami Raju, like the sadhu in one of his stories that he used to narrate to the villagers, is expected to keep a fast to get the rains. And he does go on a fast. Despite grave danger to his health, he continues to fast until he collapses. 'Can there be any connection between one man's hunger and the rains?' 'Is there someone up there and does he listen to you?' He is undergoing a spiritual transformation and the place has become a shrine. 'Will it rain?' Well, the villagers have faith in him and he has faith in their faith. Despite grave danger to his health, he continues to fast until he collapses. His legs sag down as he feels that the rain is falling in the hills. The ending of the novel leaves unanswered the question of whether he dies, or whether the drought has really ended.

[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

A film named Guide (According to the IMDB webpage, it was also known as The Guide and Survival.) was released in 1965. It was based on a popular novel of the same name by R.K.Narayan. It starred Dev Anand (as Raju, the guide) in what can easily be called his career's best, Waheeda Rehman, Kishore Sahu (in a brilliant cameo), and Leela Chitnis in the lead roles. Music by S.D.Burman is one of the best-remembered scores.

[edit] External reference

• A Study Guide to The Guide
• An Analysis