R.K. Narayan

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Topic started by GV (@ hse-london-ppp244335.sympatico.ca) on Sat May 12 23:41:09 .


R(asipuram) K(rishnaswamy) Narayan has passed away, long live his stories and fame. He was one of the greatest story tellers of the world. The (imaginary) village of Malgudi became a landmark all around the world. R.K. Narayan was short listed for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times, but he never made it all the way (so far). One of the jokes in the literary circles was that the Nobel Committee and the western readers ignored his books because of the misleading titles. Many people apparently thought that they were self-help books on various subjects ( The English Teacher, The Painter of Signs, etc)!!
Let us hope that he wins this well deserved award this year. Better late than never.

Please share your thoughts, opinions and comments about this great Indian.

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All Indians must be proud of him. A great loss
to Indian English readers.

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I think, it's too late for the Nobel Committee to recognise the legendary Narayan. For, as far as I know, Nobel prize is not conferred posthumously. Narayan has been a household till internet swept the Indian middle class homes. Still, I presume, he will be long remembered for the typical Malgudi, the temple town, the Guide, and many many monumental works he gifted to the world.

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I wish I were born at malgudi and be one among swami's friends!!

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One of the most gratifying aspects of a Narayan work was the accompanying drawings by his brother Laxman. I remember the sketch of Swami sitting with his Grandma on the oonjal, telling her about Tate, the English fast bowler. That drawing to me epitomizes everything Malgudi and Narayan.

Narayan's work has snatches of his own life. The English Teacher captures his own trauma as he grappled with the loss of his wife, Rajam.

Narayan's characters are simple, lovable people. You can relate to them instantly, because they are prey to all the foibles that we are apt to fall prey to.

The English he uses in his Malgudi works is constructed along the lines of idiomatic Tamil. Remember Swami's mother 'mixing milk' for the baby? Delightful!!

The passing away of era in Indian English writing. His books will live on.

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What I really liked about R K Narayan's stories was his critique of the school system. It is a well known fact that he wasn't very happy about his school days and is supposed to have done pretty badly in (...gasp) English. This is reflected in Malgudi days and even in his tenure in the Rajya Sabha he kept raising the issue of children being overburdened (physically and metaphorically) by the school. I hope someone continues what he began. I am the father of a new born child and I do not wish to put him through what many of us had gone through in school...cane happy teachers, massive bags, too much homework and too little real learning.

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R.K. Narayan is wounderful witer among Asian. When I read The English Teacher, I feel proud that he is abele to invent new and creative concept in reading english in Asian context.
We all feel sad in the unexpected demise great literary figure

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http://www.the-hindu.com/2001/06/05/...s/0405401w.htm

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One of my favourite authors. I feel he never received the recognition he deserved. I wish someone would "market" him the way newer novelists are being marketed.

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i just read my first RK Narayan last week - The Astrologer and Other Tales. his writing is so visual. this is a great loss.