The Dark Room
Encyclopedia
The Dark Room is a novel written by R.K.Narayan, the well-known English-language novelist from India
. Like most of his other works, this is a tale set in the fictitious town of Malgudi
.
This work of literature was first published in Great Britain in 1938 by Macmillan & Co., Ltd.
London. The first Indian edition came out in 1956.
, who is married to Ramani, an employee of the Engladia Insurance Company. They have three children, Kamala, Sumati and Babu. Savitri is a typical housewife of the India of those times, very much dominated and neglected by her husband. There is a dark room in their house where Savitri retires whenever her husband's harshness seems unbearable to her.
Savitri's husband has a torrid affair with a newly recruited employee in his firm. Savitri learns about it and threatens to leave her husband's home. Ramani, in his arrogance, does not pay heed to the threat. But the fire ignited inside Savitri is strong enough to remain steadfast on her decision and leaves after a bitter quarrel. She tries unsuccessfully to commit suicide by drowning in a river. After some twists, typical to Narayan's style, such as taking up a caretaker job in a temple, Savitri ultimately cannot bear living without her children, so comes back, thereby deciding to live with the burden.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Like most of his other works, this is a tale set in the fictitious town of Malgudi
Malgudi
Malgudi is a fictitious town in India created by R.K. Narayan in his novels and short stories. It forms the setting for most of Narayan's works. Starting with his first novel, Swami and Friends, all but one of his fifteen novels and most of his short stories take place here...
.
This work of literature was first published in Great Britain in 1938 by Macmillan & Co., Ltd.
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
London. The first Indian edition came out in 1956.
Plot summary
The central character of this novel is Savitri, a submissive housewifeHomemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
, who is married to Ramani, an employee of the Engladia Insurance Company. They have three children, Kamala, Sumati and Babu. Savitri is a typical housewife of the India of those times, very much dominated and neglected by her husband. There is a dark room in their house where Savitri retires whenever her husband's harshness seems unbearable to her.
Savitri's husband has a torrid affair with a newly recruited employee in his firm. Savitri learns about it and threatens to leave her husband's home. Ramani, in his arrogance, does not pay heed to the threat. But the fire ignited inside Savitri is strong enough to remain steadfast on her decision and leaves after a bitter quarrel. She tries unsuccessfully to commit suicide by drowning in a river. After some twists, typical to Narayan's style, such as taking up a caretaker job in a temple, Savitri ultimately cannot bear living without her children, so comes back, thereby deciding to live with the burden.
Release details
- 1938, UK, Macmillan Publishers ISBN ?, Pub date ? ? 1938, hardback (first edition)
- 1990, UK, Mandarin ISBN ?, Pub date ? ? 1990, paperback
- 1994, UK, Minerva ISBN ?, Pub date ? ? 1994, paperback
- 1994, U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, University of Chicago PressUniversity of Chicago PressThe University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals, including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of...
ISBN 0-226-56837-7, Pub date 1 September 1994, paperback - 2005, UK, Indian Thought Publications ISBN 81-85986-02-9, Pub date ? ? 2005, paperback reissue