Myths of India, history and legends of the land are depicted in the novel Gods, Demons and others. The saga of ritual, tradition, money, social status, the generation gap and the gloom of ennui and disappointment are ideally depicted in the story "Gods, Demons and others".
In 1980 R K Narayan was awarded the A C Benson Medal by the Royal Society of Literature and was made an Honorary Member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters as well. In 1989 he was also made a member of the Rajya Sabha. His write-ups are sometimes showing delicately funny, yet deeply touching, and always powerful with the possibilities for disaster and chaos. Characters and stories of his treasure include a storyteller who takes what he deems to be a necessary vow of silence, an archaeology student unwittingly deceiving thousands of academics, a deaf and mute boy who teaches a monkey to act and a paranoid, superstitious actor who believes he may end up `acting` his actual death.
There are several uniting themes that transcend the tales of ritual, money, social status, the generation gap and the misery of apathy and disillusionment. All are told with tenderness and quality only achievable by an author able to laugh at the mannerisms of humanity as well as reveal their tragic and devastating potential. His translations of Indian epics and myths namely The Ramayana, The Mahabharata and Gods, Demons and Others are three classics that are very well-written masterpieces by the author.
Synopsis of Gods, Demons and Others, R K Narayan:
`Gods, Demons and Others` is a very nice book in which R.K. Narayan retells various mythological stories and legends from India. The stories range from those of Devi to the demon king Ravana and pretty much everything in between. Narayan`s mastery of the English language really made the story enchanting in true sense. He manages to make these stories understandable and approachable for a western audience, and in doing so has created a wonderful book. Even if someone is not familiar with the many epics of ancient India, this book makes it very easy for westerners to understand and appreciate the cultural works of South Asia. In this wonderful little book he tries to narrate some excerpts from Indian mythology. These are chosen from portions of great epics to folklore tales. A priest or some storyteller in a villlage side temple usually narrates most of these tales. This book can gives the same excitement and joy that can be experienced by a live storyteller in a village. This book offers a very impressive style of writing strong enough to bind the reader through the bundles of pages.
Being published by the Viking press, William Heinemann Ltd., Vintage, Minerva, University of Chicago Press, Mandarin and Indian Thought Publication the book `Gods, Demons and Others` is a mythological story that offers a clear thought over the story.
The `Gods, Demons and Others`of R K Narayan is perfectly an absolute simplicity of language that creates a picture in front of eyes, the features of the characters & the beauty of the story itself that binds one through. The story is not written in a boring or tough way rather it expresses a clear vision of the tale among its readers.
