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R.K. Laxman, cartoonist par excellence, is also one of the country’s most entertaining writers. The Distorted Mirror brings together some of his best short stories, essays and travelogues. The collection begins with ‘An Accident’, a most unusual mystery story where the murder weapon is a newspaper. In other stories, we are introduced to Gopal, a schoolboy in an ordinary small town that is transformed one day when the Viceroy visits; Shantha, a little girl who makes an interesting discovery in the midst of a wedding; and Bhasker, a writer who is suddenly confronted by his past. Each story is marked by Laxman’s ability to delineate a character or a moment with a few deft strokes and imbued with his trademark wit. No less fascinating are the travelogues-about the United States, Australia, the Andamans, Darjeeling, Mauritius and Kathmandu-which are brought to life by Laxman’s vivid descriptions and his inimitable way of looking at the world around him. The collection is rounded off with a few rare and delightful anecdotes about Laxman’s cartooning career, a subject on which he is usually reticent. Accompanied by Laxman’s illustrations, the pieces in The Distorted Mirror will amuse and entertain every fan of R.K. Laxman’s.
Imprint: India Penguin
Published: Feb/2004
ISBN: 9780143031338
Length : 168 Pages
MRP : ₹199.00
Imprint: Penguin Audio
Published:
ISBN:
Imprint: India Penguin
Published: Feb/2004
ISBN: 9789351180005
Length : 168 Pages
MRP : ₹199.00
R.K. Laxman, cartoonist par excellence, is also one of the country’s most entertaining writers. The Distorted Mirror brings together some of his best short stories, essays and travelogues. The collection begins with ‘An Accident’, a most unusual mystery story where the murder weapon is a newspaper. In other stories, we are introduced to Gopal, a schoolboy in an ordinary small town that is transformed one day when the Viceroy visits; Shantha, a little girl who makes an interesting discovery in the midst of a wedding; and Bhasker, a writer who is suddenly confronted by his past. Each story is marked by Laxman’s ability to delineate a character or a moment with a few deft strokes and imbued with his trademark wit. No less fascinating are the travelogues-about the United States, Australia, the Andamans, Darjeeling, Mauritius and Kathmandu-which are brought to life by Laxman’s vivid descriptions and his inimitable way of looking at the world around him. The collection is rounded off with a few rare and delightful anecdotes about Laxman’s cartooning career, a subject on which he is usually reticent. Accompanied by Laxman’s illustrations, the pieces in The Distorted Mirror will amuse and entertain every fan of R.K. Laxman’s.
Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman (1921-2015) was born and educated in Mysore. He started contributing as a cartoonist to college magazines, his brother R.K. Narayan's books, publications such as Koravanji, and also Gemini Studio. He initially worked at Blitz (Mumbai) and the Free Press Journal and, six months later, he joined Times of India, where he enjoyed a long and prolific career. He created India's most beloved and iconic cartoon character, 'The Common Man'.
Laxman's books include Idle Hours (later retitled The Distorted Mirror), The Hotel Riviera, The Messenger and Servants of India. The Tunnel of Time is Laxman's autobiography, and several collections of his cartoons are part of the series The Best of Laxman and Laugh with Laxman.
R.K. Laxman was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan (1973) and the Padma Vibhushan (2005). He was a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1984) and CNN IBN TV18's Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism (2008) as well as several honorary docorates by prestigious universities.
For many of us, opening The Times of India meant being drawn first and foremost to R.K. Laxman’s ‘You Said It’ cartoon strip in a tiny corner. In 2015, ISRO marked the success of the Mars mission by sharing the beloved cartoonist’s work ‘Common Man reaching Mars’. This was one of his last works, and […]