Hello, how are you? Just wanted to drop by and say that I absolutely love 'Swami and Friends' as well! I didn't read it as a child, came across it in college but was utterly charmed by it nonetheless. I just love Mani's love for Swami and their collective escapades. How did you come across the book?
I am fine, just preparing for the half yearly exams. I hope everything's fine at your end as well.
I read it in my school library in 3rd standard. I asked the librarian (she was very scary tbh) to let us borrow books from the real library, ahem as in not from selected number of books for primary classes which typically held books like Tales of Panchatantra, Akbar-birbal, Vikram-Vetal etc. She was about to scold me then changed her mind, asking me a few word meanings. Finally satisfied - she grudgingly allowed me to wander in the library, but only in the children's section. It was mostly full of Enid Blyton's and the likes but I had heard most of them already as my sibling used to borrow from here. Fearing the wrath of the librarian I hurriedly picked this slim yellow book which held three children, read the first line which was something along the lines that the narrator telling that many students has prayed fervently for an earthquake to shook the school building of Albert school but the darned building is still standing tall and firm... and dashed back to the librarian's table and issued it. As soon as I returned to my class, all my classmates were awestruck as the librarian was notorious for slapping the students when defied (the legend goes like this - many years back she slapped a boy of junior school and the imprint stayed on his cheeks for a whole year, whenever she used to enter a classroom like a lioness and roar 'SILENCE' - pin drop silence followed in her wake.) Back in my home my parents were very happy and proud that I have started issuing books from library, and started discussing the old Malgudi series that was broadcasted on DD Tv, lamenting how the standards have degraded in present times etc., you know the drill. Later I also picked the Malgudi Days. R. K. Narayan is such a wonderful author, even his brother the cartoonist has written some wonderful articles ridiculing the politicians. Although now I think Ruskin Bond is also a fantastic children's author, I read him in junior classes.
I loved the interaction between Swaminathan and his father the most, I think in Malgudi days there is chapter later added in The Malgudi School days- Swami's adventures edition of in which when his father heard that their math teacher Samuel, I believe, beat the students black and blue and hence Swaminathan is refusing to go late to school during his class period- wrote an application for Vice Principal challenging Swami that if he is beaten by his teacher then he is to give this application straight to the VP. Swami started regretting this whole scheme as doubts crept in his mind that he himself has never seen Samuel giving unjust punishments, just heard tales here and there but doesn't want himself to be proven wrong in front of his father. The ending of this episode is so hilarious though I felt bad for poor Swami.🥺
His Grandma's character is very hilarious and whole initial rivalry between Mani and Rajam is so cute🥰. And the whole British India and Indian Independence movement background is also very thrilling. The bigoted attitude of Christian missionaries, protests and the British response, the Cricket Club - are all very fascinating.
