This is a leather bound “Malgudi Days” by the legendary R. K. Narayan. It is leather bound with the famous cartoon of Malgudi, created possibly by his brother and cartoonist R.K. Laxman. The publisher is “Thought Publications”, an Indian publisher who did create the 1st Ed. in 1943, before it became world famous. It seems a dad gifted this to his son (cute, no?)! If this is the real thing, this book is worth many thousands. But I failed to get it professionally evaluated for authenticity, maybe this a old personally made copy? My Dadu bought this and the next book from a street used-books stall in College Street, Kolkata back in 1959 for three rupees! So, he doesn’t want to sell it at a “healthy” cost (my suggestion). So let him be stubborn, you get to pick up this treasure dirt cheap!