’A wife’s attempt to reclaim her erratic, elusive husband who is a wanderer, a philanderer on a global scale, abandoning woman right and left’, says RK Narayan on the concept of Talkative Man. It is a failed attempt to reproduce the magic of ’The Guide’. The author lost interest and path in the midway and concluded it for the sake of it as the creative touch took a long sleep.
For people who have read ’The Guide’, we can see similar characters but it may or may not represent different identities. Raju, the Guide now turned as a journalist, Marco become Rann, Rosie become lady from Delhi. The representations however had changed too and the most evident one is for Marco, instead of Mount Baton or the British, Rann represented UN from Timbuctoo.
The book had a novel idea and it was great in its concept. Sadly, RKN failed to create any new metaphors where he opted to recycle characters and situations to make reading as a predictable boring affair. Moreover, the wife of Rann, who seems the centre of the author’s thought are hardly there. The beginning and climax brought the good old memories of the Master RKN which makes the book readable once.
The book had an ok start with usual introduction of common characters in typical RKN style. The arrival and the initial stay of Rann told quite nicely. However, from the moment the journalist took Rann to his house the author lost track and I really wanted to hit the Timbuctoo man and the jouranlist for their stupid, meaningless and frustrating romance. Ok, RKN wanted to show the feel to say that countries like India is member of UN and assisting them for no obvious reasons. But the author failed to keep the interest of the reader for the first story. Even the introduction of the woman from Delhi didn’t spark any enthusiasm where the author permits her to exit faster than she arrived. The grand father love affair with the teenager too was unattractive. The climax however was a contrast and saved the book and the show. It had a commercial probability if it is yet to be explored.
The book is just an ordinary read for one who is interested in simple RKN style of stories. The message in the book, though not convincingly conveyed is good for its intentions.
RKN visualise an irresponsible serial woman ’killer’ to the like of UN. How parents and grand parents of nations get attracted to its three piece suits and ignoring the real worth without the 3 piece suite. The author mocks the helpless situation of the UN which engages with many and leaves them midway without any results and its dependence on rich nations to run and how it is getting vulnerable. RKN have something against Congress and its leaders. Let it be Mahatma Gandhi or Nehru. No wonder he mock the ’congress weed’ and its foreign origin. The futurology and reference to Gandhi’s prediction of his end days and yes, my guess on Mount Baton for the Guide is correct, he too is referred.
I however wonder, does somebody need to make a political apology for wrongly representing the Kashmir issue in the Guide. The allegation of a forged signature now amended to a forced signature. The UN role and its abandoning Kashmir cause seems the essence. Then, it was an unwanted and irresponsible ’forceful marriage’. Our disagreements with national leaders should not reflect on national causes unless our eyes are blackened by the 3 piece suits.
The best plus of the novel is the climax and the long talk is the highlight of the book. Whatever RKN wanted to say in the book is summarised in the episode. We see a lot of ’Western weeds’ spreading rumours across the world. The global warming weed, the end of the world weed, the H1N1 weed, Axis of evil weed, Sanction weed and what not....and the author just mock the entire warning by a simple introduction of an immediate fear of a snake. The readers are purposefully misguided by the author to believe that the journalist is a talkative man (though he does not make any talks). The UN which has no power, no wealth, no right, conviction and dedication arrives with a lot of loose talking and politicians who have no time to consider the essence promote them. The journalist who doesn’t have the boldness to reject them with discretion assists and serve the undeserved.
For readers who expect a simple story narrated in the RKN style, it is a disappointment. The book is excellent in concept, ok in its presentation but it failed to live up to expectation and bore a bit in the middle for its loose narration in the middle order. The book may be a good read for people who admire RKN and read him with the metaphors. Others may keep a safe distance with this ’Talkative Weed’.