Author: RK Narayan
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Published: 1983
BookMarks
"A Tiger For Malgudi" is an autobiography of a tiger, narrating his journey from being a cub, to acquiring and subsequently losing his family to humans, getting captured, becoming a circus performer, killing his owner, finding his "master" and finally going to his final resting place - a zoo.
As is wont of RK Narayan, the book is based in and around his own little world of Malgudi. The narrative occasionally moves from the tiger to the circus owner. Overall, it is a sad tale, with loss being a recurring theme. Only at the very end does the tiger find peace - in the care of a zoo.
A few bookmarks from the novel
- There is no such thing as a wild animal - any creature on four legs can be educated if you apply the right method
- Captain gave speeches in three languages - Hindi, the national language, given by Mahatma Gandhi, English, aa Nehru said, it opens a window to the world, Tamil, the mother tongue, of Kamban and Valluvar.
- Don't probe too far into the origins of a river or a saint. You will never reach the end
The story has a some parallels with the life of Gautam Buddha in the way the tiger's last master renounces his own family.
Previously on BookMarks: Alberuni's India
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