Wood’s openness to the experiences he has along the way, his appreciation of the antiquity, continuity and value of Tamil civilization (what he calls " one of the last - if not the last - of the classical civilizations to survive to the end of the twentieth century") and his respect for others’ religious beliefs, make this book much less painful than those by many Europeans who visit other parts of the world. Wood is definitely an outsider, but his basic belief in a shared humanity comes through in all his encounters. He laughs at himself as much as at others, and the reader ends up laughing, too.

The friend who insisted I read this book, and even gave me his copy, told me, unfortunately, that he had a hard time getting his hands on The Smile of Murugan. He finally managed to buy it in Chennai.