Story Review: An Astrologer’s Day by RK Narayan

About the author-RK Narayan

R.K Narayan was born in Madras in 1906. He was educated in Mysore. He was a leading author of early Indian Literature in English. Narayan wrote his first book, ‘Swami and Friends’ in 1930. His book was rejected by almost every publisher. Narayan had sent his copy the book to his friend in Oxford, his friend showed the manuscript to Graham Greene. Greene recommended the book to his publisher and it was finally published in 1935. This book won him international acclaim. Then followed a succession of novels and volumes of short stories which went on to establish his reputation as a narrator of simple tales with a human touch. Later Narayan created ‘Malgudi’, a town that creatively reproduced the social sphere of the country, was published in 1942. His novel, The Guide, was given the Sahitya Akademi Award and was made into a brilliant film.

Narayan was known to write in a simple language-of the dreams and aspirations of the average and middle and lower class Indian families. He told stories of gentle folk trying to live their simple lives in a changing world. His stories were characterized by simplicity and gentle humor. His stories were easy to read because of their simplicity.

He wrote fourteen novels, five volumes of short stories and several travelogues and collection of non-fiction.

Summary

An Astrologer's Day is a thriller and is filled with an uncanny suspense which is revealed only at the end. The story centers around an astrologer who had least intended to be an astrologer. A chance happening had forced him to leave his village and settle as an astrologer in the city. To attract his customers, he had a colorful bright appearance. Despite having no knowledge of astrology, he carried out his business efficiently by his wit, shrewd guesswork and power of observation. One day he was faced with a situation that brought him to the practical test of his intelligence. One night as he was about to leave, a stranger arrived and gave him an Anna and wanted to ask something. He said the astrologer had to return the money if the answers to his questions were not satisfactory. The astrologer gets a glimpse of the stranger’s face when the stranger lit up a cheroot. He felt ill-at-ease. He did not want to answer him but the stranger grips his hand and forced him to answer. The astrologer went on narrating how he was left to die after he was pushed into the well and a knife had passed through him. Immediately after this he called the stranger by this name, Guru Nayak. The stranger was filled with awe, admiration and a blind faith for astrologer. The astrologer told him that his attacker had been crushed under a lorry and had died. He warned him never to travel southwards as he could visualize a great danger to his life. There is a sense of relief for the astrologer as he was successfully able to get rid of his enemy by his power of wit.

My Point of View

The story is both exciting and moving. The interesting plot, the element of suspense, the astonishing climax makes the story very impressive.

 Religion and blind faith:

The story throws light upon the fact that how people are blindly attracted to an astrologer if he takes up a religious and majestic look. The person who ignorant about his own future could successfully carry out his profession of an astrologer.

Illustration-

“His forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which his simple clients took to be prophetic light

and felt comforted.”

“To crown the effect he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head. This colour scheme never failed. People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia stalks.”

    Irony of fate:

  The life of an ordinary man, when touched by fate, had altered dramatically.

Astrologer in past was quarrelsome by nature. Once he had passed a knife through a stranger and taking him as death, he pushed him in a well. In the fear of being caught, he left his village and settled in the city as an astrologer.

He encounters the person, whom he had thought was dead. He could divert him from his search of him. The sense of relief that this unexpected series of event brought to him.

Illustration-

After dinner, sitting on the pyol, he told her: “Do you know a great load is gone from me today? I thought I had the blood of a man on my hands all these years. That was the reason why I ran from home, settled here, and married you. He is alive.” 

Review:

The author has used a simple language to throw light upon the life of lower class Indians. It shows how fate changes the life of a man dramatically. The incredible twist in the end when the ‘murdered man’ meets its ‘murderer’ ensures that the reader keeps turning the pages. When the end arrives there is not just a sense of relief alone but also a sense of simple astonishment that is breathtaking. All the elements of the suspense have been linked properly. There is a sense of appreciation for the astrologer as he got rid of his enemy cunningly.This is a fine suspense story.