The Guide

The Guide – Narayan?s much-acclaimed novel, The Guide, is considered by many to be his finest work. Set in Malgudi and Mangala, it narrates the life and times of Raju, formerly a tourist guide, who has just been released from prison and has taken refuge in an old temple by the river Sarayu. Velan, an illiterate peasant, takes him for a priest after Raju utters a few platitudes. When there is a drought, the credulous peasants turn to him for help and he reluctantly undertakes a fast to propitiate the rain gods. He, however, confesses to Velan that he is an imposter and reveals his chequered past. The present critical study examines and analyses the narrative from the point of view of university examinations. It provides a comprehensive summary of the novel, its background and the critical problems associated with it.