R. K. Narayan

R. K. Narayan was an Indian novelist and short-story writer whose fiction often portrays everyday life in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi.

Malgudi: A fictional South Indian town that provides the setting for many of R. K. Narayan’s stories and novels. Narayan’s recurring fictional setting links otherwise separate characters and books.
The Financial Expert: A 1952 novel by R. K. Narayan about Margayya, a financial adviser whose rise and fall unfold in Malgudi. Its comic portrait of money and status exemplifies Narayan’s attention to ordinary ambition.
Graham Greene: An English novelist whose works include Brighton Rock, The Power and the Glory, and The Quiet American. Greene helped secure Narayan’s early British publication and advised on his first novel’s title.
Salman Rushdie: An Indian-born British novelist known for works including Midnight’s Children and The Satanic Verses. Rushdie’s linguistic exuberance and national-historical scope contrast with Narayan’s restrained local comedy.
The Guide: A 1958 novel by R. K. Narayan about a tour guide whose life changes through fame, prison, and spiritual authority. This novel shows Narayan using Malgudi life to explore reinvention and belief.
The Vendor of Sweets: A 1967 novel by R. K. Narayan about a sweet seller and the generational conflict with his son. The family dispute shows Narayan turning social change into intimate comedy.
K. R. Krishnaswami: An Indian civil servant and literary patron who supported R. K. Narayan’s early writing career. His assistance helped Narayan pursue writing during a financially uncertain period.
Vikram Seth: An Indian novelist and poet whose works include the expansive novel A Suitable Boy. Seth’s broad social panorama contrasts with Narayan’s compact focus on Malgudi lives.
Swami and Friends: R. K. Narayan’s 1935 novel about a schoolboy and his friends in the fictional town of Malgudi. Narayan’s first novel established Malgudi and the child’s-eye perspective he revisited.
Malgudi Days: A collection of short stories by R. K. Narayan, many set in the fictional town of Malgudi. These stories offer the fullest sampling of Narayan’s recurring setting and characters.

Linked from 4 pages