Contemporary Literary Criticism | Narayan, R. K. - Anita Desai (review date 7 March 1982)

Anita Desai (review date 7 March 1982)

SOURCE: "Narayan Country," in New York Times Book Review, March 7, 1982, pp. 1, 14-15.

[Desai is the author of such books as Clear Light of Day. In the following review, she presents an overview of the setting and characters found in Narayan's Malgudi Days.]

When R. K. Narayan was recently made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, he said in his acceptance speech that he had created the town of Malgudi in order to play the despot. Had he chosen to write about Calcutta or Bombay, he would have had to step carefully, confine himself to observation, whereas in the imaginary town of Malgudi he could set up a statue wherever he liked, demolish the town hall if he wished, put up a tea shop without the permission of the municipality, banish old residents and introduce strangers, just as he pleased.

Anyone who reads this new collection of stories[, Malgudi...

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