Swami And Friends narrates the story of ten-year-old Swaminathan, who is known to his friends and family as Swami. In this book, R. K. Narayan takes readers through Swamis experiences and adventures in the fictional village of Malgudi. Swami studies in the Albert Mission School, which is a British-established institution that is dedicated to spreading Christianity and English Literature. His family comprises five people, his mother, his sibling, his authoritarian father, of whom hes rather afrai...d, and a grandmother who happens to be Swamis only confidant and comforter at home. As the book begins, readers are introduced to Swamis closest pals, Rajam and Mani, two boys of disparate natures. Mani is a crude and naive simpleton, and his friendship is something that Swami cherishes. Rajam, who all the boys stand in awe of, is unlike the rest of the boys in every respect, from his attire to his mannerisms. He represents the upper middle class section of the society, with his fur cap and stylish coat. The novel is staged in the pre-Independence period, and R.K. Narayan brings out the dangerous combination of naivety and patriotism through Swami and his peers. Overwhelmed by the spirit of nationalism during the 1930s, Swami begins to protest, and is expelled from school. Dejected with the turn of events in his life and the pressure from his father, Swami runs away from home, far from his troubles. The book traces his life through such turbulence, marking the simplicity of Swamis affections and relationships. Swami And Friends was Narayans first novel and was first published in 1935.