Rate this book

The Grandmother's Tale (2000)

by R.K. Narayan(Favorite Author)

3.62 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

review 1: This is the last “novel” written by the great man and I must say a perfect conclusion for sure. He has come back to his normal self here after his last book which was completely off track! This book is about Bala and Vishwa, RK's great grandparents and their life from marriage till their death. It tells the complete story from the time when marriages used to happen at a very young age and the bride or the groom had no idea whatsoever what it meant for them! It has been very well described here too when Bala first looks at her groom while sitting for the wedding rituals and realises “I remember this guy from the other lane always playing whenever i have passed from there”! The character which stands out here is Bala (great grandmother) with her energy and zeal to do... more things rather than accepting her fate. When I sit back and look at all RKN novels which started in 1935 and concludes with this one in 1992 then the slow change in the female characters is quite noticeable. RKN’s writings cover a span of nearly six decades which saw remarkable changes in women's priorities and choices, their approach to cultures, traditions, customs and social norms. The submissive and docile woman of the 1940s and 1950s, and the educated and assertive woman of the 1960s and 1970s have been substituted by the bold and rebellious one of the 1980s and 1990s which we see in Bala. He obviously had a vision on the empowerment of women which was spot on when we see how things have been moving coming to 21st century. A must read to enjoy and appreciate the sheer simplicity with which the strength of a character has been developed with her age.
review 2: One of the best ever stories, which one should read during the primary school days. The book made me to miss my grand mother very much. The value of the grand mother and especially her stories is much valued under her absence. Even though the logic of her stories is compromised in some parts, the beauty lies in the way she narrates it. This particular book not just refreshes the childhood feel , but revives the way which our brain processes those stories. less

Download links for: The Grandmother's Tale

Advertising