The Fictional Art of Arun Joshi

Book excerpt: The Fictional Art Of Arun Joshi: An Existential Perspective Examines The Achievements Of Arun Joshi As A Novelist From A New Perspective. Divided In Six Chapters Followed By Overall Evaluation, It Analyses The Entire Corpus Of Arun Joshi S Novels And Demonstrates That There Is A Pattern In His Works. The Innate Urge To Determine Life S Meaning In Positive Terms Leads Joshi S Protagonists To Wage An Incessant War Against Challenging Situations. The Author S Capacity Of Critical Judgment Is Reflected In The Analysis Of Novels. He Derives Conclusions In A Convincing Manner And The Organisation Of Critical Material Is Remarkable. The Five Substantive Chapters Devoted To Arun Joshi S Five Novels Have Been Indigenously Designed In Such A Way That The Arguments Are Corroborated By Textual Citations. The Endeavour Is Commendable For The Reason That It Strives To Undo The Injustice Done To One Of The Most Distinguished Indian English Novelists. Joshi Stands In The Line Of Raja Rao And R.K. Narayan For His Perspicuity And Perception That Are Discerningly Indian. It Also Presents The Socio-Economic And Cultural Background Leading To The Literary Milieu Of The Period To Which Joshi Belongs And There Is No Doubt That It Will Make A Valuable Book In Terms Of Its Contribution To The Field Of Scholarship Pertaining To Arun Joshi.