I Read Therefore I Am discussion

I've just popped into Amazon to try and purchase a copy of The Guide - only to find that although it seemed readily available when I set up the original poll - it's quite hard to get hold of now (either v expensive or taking two to three weeks second hand from America).
Other of his novels are much easier to acquire and so I propose that anyone who can't get a copy of The Guide chooses another of his works and tells us what they thought about it here.
I'll post a selection of his novels later today.

I've just ordered this from Amazon and I thought I had checked it was a UK delivery. I hope I'm right. The last book I ordered that came from the US took three months to get here so I decided I'd never do it again.

Just checked and it's World of Books and definitely UK based. Phew!

Mines coming via the slow boat from America :0(

I'll have to skip this book due to lack of time and will catch up in April with the Tove Jansson. If anyone lives in Cambridgeshire or neighbouring county there is 1 copy available in the library (last time I looked online).

I think I might end up reading another one of his that I can get on kindle, I thought The Guide was a bit more available than that when it was first chosen as well Lee - bit of a mystery really!

I was going to post a list of alternative choices wasn't I?
The Bachelor of Arts
The English Teacher
Swami and Friends
Mr. Sampath--the Printer of Malgudi
The Financial Expert
The Vendor of Sweets
The Painter of Signs
Waiting for the Mahatma[
These should all be easy to get hold of from Amazon at least.

I'm going to go for Swami and Friends - I think my copy of The Guide is going to take a long time to get to me.

Yay! My copy of The Guide arrived after all - starting it today.

What a surprise, mines also arrived. I have the Paper Men I want to finish the on to the Guide

I'm about 3/4 of the way through. At first I thought it was a bit nothingy but the more I read, the more I was drawn in to it.
Like it says on the blurb of my copy - there are hidden depths under the gentle surface.

I'm about 3/4 through also and really enjoying it. It did start slowly but I'm now intrigued by what it is going to reveal. I had to force myself to leave it last night and go to bed about 12.30 or I would have Ben up until I finished it.

Just finished the Guide and enjoyed it immensely. I enjoyed the way that it begins with Raju's release from prison without telling us until almost the end why he was held there. I liked Raju even when he was behaving badly. He was childlike in his enthusiasm and total lack of judgement about almost every area of his life. I found the ending too ambiguous to be satisfactory (view spoiler)[ was he actually feeling the water levels rise in the river or was it an hallucination as he died (hide spoiler)]. I would have preferred to know what actually happened next.

Finished! After a slow start I really enjoyed the story of Raju's journey from charming rogue to holy man. It's a great story, told with affection and wisdom. Raju is delightful - particularly because when narrating his story he frequently admits to the wrongness of his thoughts and actions. I also very much liked the glimpse of small town and rural India that is book gave me. As Hilary says, the end of the story raises a number of questions (view spoiler)[ is it possible to become a Saint inadvertantly? Is a Holy Man holy because of his own beliefs and actions or the beliefs and expectations of his followers? Does Raju die at the end or does he merely collapse etc <\spoiler>
I will definitely be reading more of Narayan's gentle and wise novels. (hide spoiler)]

Sounds like I missed a good read, so I'll definitely put him on my Authors To Try list. I've got 3 'India' books which I absolutely must get round to reading: Midnight's Children; God of Small Things; Q & A (aka Slumdog Millionaire). So many books, so little time....

"So many books, so little time" - Anna, you've just summed up my entire life!! Lol

I didn't get to this one either but will do once I can actually get my hands on a copy as it does sound really good. Hope you enjoy your other India books Anns - I really liked Midnight's Children and The God of Small Things - let us know what you think of Q&A cos the film was great!