Broadly speaking, Indian English (IE) is that variety of English used by a large number of educated Indians as a second language. Kachru (1983) used the term ‘Indian English’ for the variety of English used generally in the South Asian countries. David Crystal (2003) observes that in India the numbers of English speakers outrank the combined number of speakers in USA and UK. A considerable body of creative writing is also produced in English and is increasing steadily. Writers like Mulk Raj Anand, R.K. Narayan, and Raja Rao, and Arundhati Roy, have become part of India’s literary tradition and they may continue to hold their status in world literature too. The use of Indian English in different domains in interaction with other regional languages has resulted in its development and recognition as a distinct variety in its own right. It is an attempt to study the styles of two of the prominent writers of Indian English, namely R.K. Narayan and Arundhati Roy by examining the different linguistic and literary aspects as reflected in their selected fictions—R.K. Narayan’s “Swami and Friends” (SF) and “The Guide” (TG) and Arundhati Roy’s “The God of Small Things” (GST). An examination of selected fictions of the two writers of this study has shown that stylistic analysis can be a rich field of enquiry in Indian English. Studies of the present kind can be used as a source material for applied linguistics. They can be extended for a comparative study of stylistic traits of Indian writers and non-Indian writers. The study suggests the possibility of further research in comparative stylistic studies in Indian English fiction, on the one hand, and American, British, or Australian fiction, on the other. Our comparison of the two writers, one of the colonial period and the other belonging to the post-colonial period, suggests that a more extensive stylistic study of Indian writing in English is called for to understand the changing phases of English in the socio-cultural ethos of the Indian society. The book is organized as follows: Chapter-I is an introduction to Indian English, its importance and the objective of the research. Chapter-II deals with review of literature on Indian English as well as stylistic studies in Indian English fiction. Chapter-III is concerned with a brief introduction to the texts chosen for study. Chapter-IV discusses the methodology adopted in the study. Chapter-V deals with the results of the study and makes a comparison between the two authors’ styles. Chapter-VI consists of a summary of the research and concludes with suggestions regarding further research needs.

The scholarly essays in this book open up experimental and novel spaces and genres beyond the traditional and the literary world of Indian Popular Fiction as it existed towards the end of the last millennium. They respond to the possibilities opened up by the technology-driven and internet-savvy reading and writing world of today. Contemporaneous and bold, most of the essays resonate with the racy and fast-paced milieu and social media space inhabited by today's youth. Combative in its drift, this book makes possible an attempt to disband hierarchies and dismantle categories that have engulfed the expansive landscape of Indian Popular Fiction for too long. It facilitates discussion on graphic novels, microfiction, popular-entertainment and political satire on television and celluloid, social media-driven romances existing in the domain of the 'real' rather than that of 'fantasy' and mythological readings against the backdrop of gender and politics. Aimed at facilitating further research by scholars and enthusiasts of Indian Popular Fiction, this book is also an ode to the current trends generated by social and internet media cosmos. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

An unusual and witty travel book about the United States of America. At the age of fifty, when most people have settled for the safety of routine, R. K. Narayan left India for the first time to travel through America. In this account of his journey, the writer’s pen unerringly captures the clamour and energy of New York city, the friendliness of the West Coast, the wealth and insularity of the Mid-West, the magnificence of the Grand Canyon...Threading their way through the narrative are a host of delightful characters—from celebrities like Greta Garbo, Aldous Huxley, Martha Graham, Cartier Bresson, Milton Singer, Edward G. Robinson and Ravi Shankar to the anonymous business tycoon on the train who dismissed the writer when he discovered Narayan had nothing to do with India’s steel industry. As a bonus, there are wry snapshots of those small but essential aspects of American life—muggers, fast food restaurants, instant gurus, subway commuters, TV advertisements, and American football. An entrancing and compelling travelogue about an endlessly fascinating land.