In the novels of R. K. Narayan (1906-2001), the forefather of modern Indian fiction, human-scale hopes and epiphanies express the promise of a nation as it awakens to its place in the world. Mr. SampathThe Printer of Malgudi is the story of a businessman who adapts to the collapse of his weekly newspaper by shifting to screenplays, only to have the glamour of it all go to his head. Written after India's independence, this novel is amasterpiece of social comedy, rich in local color and abounding in affectionate humor and generosity of spirit.