The Guide

The Guide – is a celebrated 1958 philosophical novel by the Indian author R.K. Narayan that tells the story of Raju, a corrupt tourist guide who transforms into a revered spiritual guide. Set in Narayan’s fictional South Indian town of Malgudi, the novel explores themes of self-discovery, spirituality, ambition, and the blurred lines between authenticity and pretense. Raju starts as an opportunistic “Railway Raju” guide at the Malgudi train station. He meets Marco, a rigid archaeologist, and his wife Rosie, an aspiring dancer. Raju is captivated by Rosie and encourages her artistic ambitions, which her husband dismisses. Rosie leaves Marco and becomes a successful dancer with Raju as her manager and lover. However, Raju’s possessiveness and a forgery scandal lead to his imprisonment for two years.