The Very Best of the Common Man  (English, Paperback, Laxman R. K.)

The Very Best Of The Common Man is a compilation of some of the most memorable cartoons featuring cartoonist R. K. Laxman's inimitable creation, the character known as The Common Man.

Summary Of The Book

The Very Best Of The Common Man is a tribute to one of India's best-loved cartoonists, R. K. Laxman. It presents a collection of some of Laxman's cartoons based on The Common Man, a character that appeared in Laxman's daily cartoon strip (titled You Said It) for the Times of India publication.

The Common Man, an average man representing the hopes and fears of the masses in India, remains one of the best characters in the history of Indian cartooning and illustration. He is depicted as a silent witness to all the socio-political happenings that are presented in the cartoons.

Through the Common Man cartoons, Laxman explores every aspect of living in contemporary India. From political instability to economic crises, from the deeply entrenched corruption to the woes of householders, Laxman portrays exactly what it means to live and experience the real India.

The book presents some of the best cartoons featuring The Common Man in all his mute glory.

This edition of The Very Best Of The Common Man was published in 2012 by Penguin India.

About R. K. Laxman

R. K. Laxman is an Indian cartoonist, humorist, and illustrator.

His books include novels as well as compilations of some of his cartoons. Some of his published books are Servants Of India, The Messenger, Hotel Riviera, The Reel World, and Lakshmanrekha (his autobiography).

R. K. Laxman was born as Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Iyer Laxman on October 23, 1921, in Mysore, India. After being denied admission to the J. J. School of Art, Bombay (now Mumbai), he eventually graduated with a B.A. degree from the University of Mysore. He started freelancing while he was still in college and contributed cartoons to publications such as Blitz and Swarajya. He went on to take up a full-time job at The Free Press Journal. Laxman eventually started working for the Times of India, an Indian daily, embarking on a successful career that has continued for more than five decades. His work has won him numerous awards, including the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan, two of the highest civilian awards given by the government of India. Laxman has been married twice, first to a Bharatanatyam dancer named Kamala, and then to a children's book writer, also named Kamala. He divides his time between his residences in Mumbai and Pune.