R . K. Narayan

Book excerpt: Today, Indian Writing in English or Indo-Anglian Writing has certainly come of age, with the novel having a pride of place and names such as Salman Rushdie, V.S. Naipaul, Vikram Seth, Amitav Ghosh, Kiran Desai and Aravind Adiga prominently figuring in the list. But the credit for placing Indo-Anglian writing on a high pedestal should go to earlier writers like Rabindranath Tagore, Mulk Raj Anand, R.K. Narayan and Raja Rao. Among these, R.K. Narayan is the most celebrated novelist. This edited volume deals with several important Malgudi novels of R.K. Narayan, such as Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts, The English Teacher and The Guide and short stories, and throws light on various aspects of his creative art. It traces the evolution of all the genres of Indian Writing in English as well as R.K. Narayan the novelist. The book dwells upon R.K. Narayan’s art of characterization with reference to central male characters, use of humour, and the cultural milieu of Malgudi. It also discusses in detail R.K. Narayan’s standpoint regarding the actual social status of Indian women. Finally, the book focuses on R.K. Narayan’s use of myths and symbols and shows how these enable him to convey artistically the implication of the experience that forms the base of the novels. The book is meant for the undergraduate and postgraduate students of English Literature. Besides, all those readers who wish to delve deeper into the works of R.K. Narayan will find the book quite useful.