Swami and Friends: An Indian Summer

By Jaanu

R.K. Narayan’s Malgudi books were my first experience with novels in English in the truly Tamil tradition. It was pleasantly shocking to see Tamil Nadu represented so accurately. Narayan describes everything, from the bedding to the roads, to schoolwork and housing, just perfectly as I know it in Chennai.

In Swami and Friends, a novel by R.K. Narayan, we can follow the daily happenings in the life of an ordinary young boy named Swami, set in the fictional town of Malgudi. I loved this book – I truly loved it. It made me laugh and empathize with Swami. He symbolizes much of what makes a kid a kid; his misadventures at school, with his playmates, and his comic trials and tribulations at home and with his studies are relatable. It’s not all fun and games, but it’s terribly honest. As Swami grows up in a time of violent political turmoil, the light innocence of childhood is compromised by a few difficult changes. Narayan doesn’t gloss over the difficulties of being a kid. Swami’s attempts to be a good friend despite other responsibilities and struggles are incredibly relatable. Swami’s whole serious world revolves around quests to find a hoop, somehow pass the examinations, and start up a cricket league. I expect to find him on every Chennai street, and I’ve no doubt I will.

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