Editing Swami and Friends

{{Short description|Novel by Indian author R. K. Narayan}}
{{Infobox book
| name         = Swami and Friends
| image        = Swami and Friends (Malgudi Schooldays) cover.jpg
| caption      = Cover of ''Malgudi School days'' 2009 Puffin Classics edition
| author       = [[R. K. Narayan]]
| cover_artist = [[R. K. Laxman]]
| country      = India
| language     = [[English language|English]]
| series       = 
| genre        = [[Novel]]
| published    = 1935 [[Hamish Hamilton|Hamilton]] 
| media_type   = Print
| pages        = 459
| isbn         = 978-0-09-928227-3
| oclc         = 360179
| preceded_by  = 
| followed_by  = [[The Bachelor of Arts]]
}}'''''Swami and Friends''''' is a 1935 novel by [[R. K. Narayan]], marking his debut as an [[English language|English]]-language novelist from India. It is the first book in a trilogy set in the fictional town of [[Malgudi]] during British India. The novel is followed by ''[[The Bachelor of Arts]]'' and ''[[The English Teacher]]'', completing the trilogy.

The novel follows a ten-year-old schoolboy, Swaminathan, and his attempts to court the favour of a much wealthier schoolboy, Rajam. ''Malgudi Schooldays'' is a slightly abridged version of ''Swami and Friends'', and includes two additional stories featuring Swami from ''[[Malgudi Days (book)|Malgudi Days]]'' and ''[[Under the Banyan Tree]]'' (1985).<ref>{{cite web|author=Username * |url=http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/en/content/malgudi-schooldays |title=Malgudi Schooldays |publisher=Penguin Books India |date=2009-11-15 |access-date=2014-02-01}}</ref>

== Summary ==
Swaminathan is a lazy schoolboy who lives with his father, mother, and grandmother in Malgudi. He attends the Albert Mission School with his friends Samuel, Sankar, Somu, and Mani. The arrival of a new student, Rajam—the son of a wealthy police superintendent—threatens Swami's popularity. After an initial rivalry, Swami and Rajam reconcile and become friends.

A protest, part of [[Mahatma Gandhi|Gandhi]]'s [[Indian independence movement|non-cooperative movement]], erupts through the town. Swaminathan, participating in the protests, breaks the window of the headmaster's room. Rajam's father leads a violent crackdown of the protest. The next day, a distressed Swami runs away from the school after the headmaster vows to punish participating students. He is subsequently expelled from Albert Mission and is compelled to enroll in the stricter and more rigorous Board High School.

Rajam and Swaminathan start a cricket club, gathering friends together for practice after school, in which Swami is chronically tardy due to his relatively late-afternoon dismissal from Board High School. With a match scheduled, Swami pleads with his new headmaster to allow him to leave class early; he refuses. An undeterred Swami is caught committing [[truancy]] after asking a doctor to write a note of absence and is beaten and expelled by the headmaster.

Now expelled from two schools, and fearing his father's wrath at home, Swami runs away from town. Becoming lost and hungry, Swami regrets his decision. Meanwhile, Swami's father attempts to locate his missing son. Swami is discovered by a man carrying a cart who promptly contacts his parents. Swami's relief at returning home turns to dismay when his friends report that they have lost their cricket game, and Rajam declares the end of their friendship.

One night, Mani informs Swami that Rajam and his family are relocating to another city. Swami wakes up early the next day to attempt to reconcile and bid his farewell to Rajam, gifting him a copy of [[Hans Christian Andersen|Hans Christen Anderson]]'s ''Fairy Tales''. He asks Rajam, as the train speeds away, if he would ever return, but his reply is drowned out by the sound of the locomotive. Swami weeps, wondering if Rajam would ever think of him again.

== Publication ==
''Swami and Friends'' is the first novel written by Sir R. K Narayan.<ref name="britannica1">{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/403425/RK-Narayan#ref242193 |title=R. K. Narayan (Indian author) - Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Britannica.com |access-date=2014-02-01}}</ref> It was published through the intervention of a friend and neighbour, "Kittu" Purna, who was studying at Oxford. Through him, [[Graham Greene]] came into contact with Narayan's work, became especially interested in it and took it upon himself to place the book with a reputable English publisher, [[Hamish Hamilton]].<ref>Pier Paolo Piciucco, ''A companion to Indian fiction in English'' 2004, Atlantic Publishers & Dist</ref> Graham Greene was responsible for the title ''Swami and Friends'', changing it from Narayan's ''Swami, the Tate'', suggesting that it would have the advantage of having some resemblance to [[Rudyard Kipling]]'s ''[[Stalky & Co.]]''<ref name="autogenerated2004">Pier Paolo Piciucco, ''A Companion to Indian Fiction in English'' (2004) Atlantic Publishers & Dist</ref>

Greene arranged the details of the contract and remained closely involved until the novel was published. Narayan's indebtedness to Greene is inscribed on the front endpaper of a copy of ''Swami and Friends'' Narayan presented to Greene: "But for you, Swami should be in the bottom of Thames now".<ref name="autogenerated2004" />

== Characters ==

=== Albert Mission School friends ===
* W.S. Swaminathan: A ten-year-old boy studying at Albert Mission School, Malgudi. He lives in Vinayaka Mudali Street. He is later transferred to Board High School.
* Mani: Swami's classmate at Albert Mission School, lives in Abu Lane, he is known as 'Mighty good-for-nothing'.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-11-01|title=Then there was Mani, the Mighty Good-For-Nothin...|url=https://www.quotes.wiki/then-there-was-mani-the-mighty-good-for-nothin/|access-date=2020-06-07|website=Quotes.wiki|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=A quote from Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts, The Dark Room, The English Teacher|url=https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/872083-then-there-was-mani-the-mighty-good-for-nothing-he-towered-above|access-date=2020-06-07|website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref> He carries around a club sometimes, and threatens to beat his enemies to a pulp. He is hardly concerned about his studies.
* M. Rajam: Swami's classmate at Albert Mission School, lives in Lawley Extension. His father is the Deputy Police Superintendent of Malgudi. He previously studied at an English Boys' School, Madras. He is also the Captain of Malgudi Cricket Club (MCC).
* Somu : Monitor of 1st Form A Section, lives in Kabeer Street. He fails in 1st Form and is "automatically excluded from the group".
* Sankar: Swami's classmate in 1st Form A Section. His father gets transferred at the end of the term. He is the most brilliant boy of the class.
* Samuel ("The Pea"):  Swami's classmate in 1st Form A Section. He is known as "The Pea" because of his height.

=== Swami's house ===
* W. T. Srinivasan: Swami's father, a lawyer
* Lakshmi: Swami's mother, housewife 
* Swami'grandmother aka granny
* Swami's late grandfather (sub-magistrate)
* Subbu: Swami's younger brother

=== Others ===

* Rajam's father - A Deputy Police Superintendent
* Rajam's mother
* The Headmaster of Albert Mission School
* Mr. Ebenezer - A teacher at Albert Mission School, a Christian Ideologist
* The Head master of the Board School
* Dr. Kesavan - A physician in the Board School
* Mr. Nair - An officer at District Forest Office
* Ranga - A cart man
* Sir. Peter - a famous footballer

== Cricketers mentioned ==
* [[Jack Hobbs]]
* [[Donald Bradman]]
* [[Duleepsinhji|Duleep]]
* [[Maurice Tate]]

== Cultural depictions ==
* ''Swami and Friends'' was adapted by actor-director [[Shankar Nag]] into the television drama series ''[[Malgudi Days (TV series)|Malgudi Days]]'' in 1986.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/may/16spec.htm|title='You acted exactly as I imagined Swami to be'|date=16 May 2001|work=[[Rediff.com]]|access-date=31 August 2009}}</ref> The series was directed by Nag and [[Carnatic music]]ian [[L. Vaidyanathan]] composed the score. R. K. Narayan's brother and acclaimed cartoonist [[R. K. Laxman]] was the sketch artist.<ref name="The return of Malgudi Days">{{cite news|url=http://in.rediff.com/movies/2006/jul/21malgudi.htm|title= The return of Malgudi Days|date=July 21, 2006|work=[[Rediff.com]]|access-date=2009-08-28}}</ref>

==Critical reception==

On 5 November 2019 ''[[BBC News]]'' listed ''Swami and Friends'' on its list of the [[BBC list of 100 'most inspiring' novels|100 most influential novels]].<ref name=Bbc2019-11-05/>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=Bbc2019-11-05>
{{cite news
| url         = https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50302788
| title       = 100 'most inspiring' novels revealed by BBC Arts
| work        = [[BBC News]]
| date        = 2019-11-05
| access-date = 2019-11-10
| quote       = The reveal kickstarts the BBC's year-long celebration of literature.
}}
</ref>
}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2011/jun/17/review-swami-friends Swami and Friends by RK Narayan - ''The Guardian review'' (2011)]
{{R. K. Narayan}}

[[Category:1935 novels]]
[[Category:Novels by R. K. Narayan]]
[[Category:Novels set in India]]
[[Category:Indian English-language novels]]
[[Category:Hamish Hamilton books]]
[[Category:Novels set in British India]]
[[Category:1935 debut novels]]