A Talent for the Particular

Novelist R. K. Narayan possesses a remarkable talent for the particular (a phrase coined by Henry James that was first applied to Narayan by British scholar William Walsh). That is, he possesses an uncommon eye for the telling detail or speech in the drama of everyday life that reveals the psychological essence or motivation of a character, and throws into sharp relief the underlying conflict that defines a social situation. Thus, while appearing to concentrate upon the quotidian existence of the denizens of out-of-the-way Malgudi, Narayan adroitly supplies details which illuminate the conflict between traditional and modern values, between mythic and realistic paradigms of behavior, between native Indians and their one-time British rulers (or current American commercial sirens) conflicts that are central to twentieth century Indian culture. This collection of seventeen essays by international scholars addresses both Narayan s fiction and his non-fiction prose. A select bibliography summarizes scholarly work on Narayan in recent years.