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Not to be confused with K. R. Narayanan. R. K. Narayan | | Born | Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami
10 October 1906
Madras, British India (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India) | Died | 13 May 2001 (aged 94)
Chennai | Occupation | Writer | Nationality | Indian | Genres | Fiction, mythology and non-fiction | Notable award(s) | Padma Vibhushan, Sahitya Akademi Award, AC Benson Medal | Influenced[show] |
R. K. Narayan (10 October 1906 – 13 May 2001), shortened from Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami, was an Indian writer, best known for his works set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He is one of three leading figures of early Indian literature in English (alongside Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao), and is credited with bringing the genre to the rest of the world
Narayan broke through with the help of his mentor and friend, Graham Greene, who was instrumental in getting publishers for Narayan’s first four books, including the semi-autobiographical trilogy of Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts and The English Teacher. Narayan’s works also include The Financial Expert, hailed as one of the most original works of 1951, and Sahitya Akademi Award winner The Guide, which was adapted for film and for Broadway.
The setting for most of Narayan 's stories is the fictional town of Malgudi, first introduced in Swami and Friends. His narratives highlight social context and provide a feel for his characters through everyday life. He has been compared to William Faulkner, who also created a fictional town that stood for reality, brought out the humour and energy of ordinary life, and displayed compassionate humanism in his writing. Narayan 's short story writing style has been compared to that of Guy de Maupassant, as they both have an ability to compress the narrative without losing out on elements of the story. Narayan has also come in for criticism for being too
References: * Kain, Geoffrey (1993). R.K. Narayan : contemporary critical perspectives. Michigan State University Press. ISBN 978-0-87013-330-5. OCLC 28547534 * Khatri, Chotte Lal (2008) * Pousse, Michael (1995). R. K. Narayan: A Painter of Modern India, Vol. 4. Lang, Peter Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8204-2768-3. OCLC 31606376 * Prasad, Amar Nath (2003) * Ramtake, S. S. (1998). R.K. Narayan and his social perspective. Atlantic Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7156-748-5. OCLC 52117736 * Rao, Ranga (2004) * Sundaram, P. S. (1988). R.K. Narayan as a Novelist. B.R. Pub. Corp. ISBN 978-81-7018-531-4. OCLC 20596609 * Walsh, William (1982)