R. K. Narayan books in order
Indian English-language writer
- Lived
- 1906–2001
- Country
- British Raj
- Books
- 35
R. K. Narayan published 22 novels, 4 novellas, 6 short story collections, 2 non-fiction books and 1 other book, beginning with Swami and Friends (1935). The best-known is Malgudi Days (1943).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with R. K. Narayan
Start here
Malgudi Days
R. K. Narayan's most-read book.
Shortest way in
The Guide
One of the most-read, at about 223 pages.
Standalone novels in order
Swami and Friends (1935)
The Bachelor of Arts (1937)
The Dark Room (1938)
The English Teacher (1945)
An Astrologer's Day (1947)
Mr. Sampath (1948)
The Financial Expert (1952)
Grateful to Life & Death (1953)
Waiting for the Mahatma (1955)
Next Sunday (1956)
The Guide (1958)
My Dateless Diary (1960)
The Man-Eater of Malgudi (1961)
The Ramayana (1973)
My Days (1974)
The Mahabharata (1978)
A Tiger for Malgudi (1983)
A Writer's Nightmare (1988)
The World of Nagaraj (1990)
Malgudi Landscapes (1992)
Salt & Sawdust (1993)
The World of Malgudi (2000)
Novellas in order
The Vendor of Sweets (1967)
The Painter of Signs (1976)
Talkative Man (1986)
Grandmother's Tale (1992)
Short story collections in order
Malgudi Days (1943)
Gods, Demons and Others (1964)
A Horse and Two Goats and Other Stories (1970)
Under the Banyan Tree and Other Stories (1985)
A Story-teller's World (1989)
The Grandmother's Tale and Selected Stories (1994)
Non-fiction in order
Mysore (1939)
The Emerald Route (1977)
Other books in order
Malgudi Schooldays (2009)
Film and TV adaptations
- Malgudi DaysTV · from Malgudi Days
About R. K. Narayan
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanaswami, better known as R. K. Narayan, was an Indian writer and novelist known for his work set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He was a leading author of early Indian literature in English along with Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao. In 1980, he received the AC Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature, and in 1981 he was made an Honorary Member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
R. K. Narayan FAQ
- How many books has R. K. Narayan written?
- R. K. Narayan published 22 novels, 4 novellas, 6 short story collections, 2 non-fiction books and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read R. K. Narayan's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Malgudi Days.
- What is R. K. Narayan's last book?
- The World of Malgudi (2000).
- What is R. K. Narayan's most famous book?
- Malgudi Days (1943) is R. K. Narayan's most widely read book.
- Which R. K. Narayan books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including Malgudi Days (TV).
Authors like R. K. Narayan
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.