An Astrologer's Day is a

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

by author

R. K. Narayan Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanaswami (10 October 1906 – 13 May 2001), 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 ...

. While it had been published earlier, it was the titular story of Narayan's fourth collection of short stories published in 1947 by Indian Thought Publications. It was the first chapter of the world famous collection of stories Malgudi Days which was later telecasted on television in 2006. Fallon et al. described the work as "a model of economy without leaving out the relevant detail." Themes found in ''An Astrologer's Day'' recur frequently throughout Narayan's work. The story was adapted into a 2019

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

movie ''Gara''.

Publications

* Indian Thought Publications (1947) *

National Publishing House National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

(2010) * Frank Bros. & Co. (2009)

Features of the story

# The ironical fact about the protagonist is that a gambler and a murderer, who is ignorant of his own future has become an astrologer. # The writer reveals how the only qualification needed to be an astrologer in India is

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of '' Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent ...

clothes, a few charts and tilak and a keen observation of human nature along with a presence of mind. # The astrologer should have been greatly relieved that he is not a murderer after all and he has managed to put Guru Nayak off, and he should not have bothered about how much money he had received. Yet, when he realizes Nayak has cheated him of some money he is angry.Indispensable workbook, by Usha Nagpal, National Publication House, p-8

Themes

* Irony of fate * Religion and blind faith * Crime and Punishment * Human Greed *

Karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...

(tit for tat)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Astrologer's Day 1947 short stories Indian Thought Publications books Short stories by R. K. Narayan Short stories adapted into films