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Google celebrates ‘Malgudi Days’ creator, R. K. Narayan’s 108th Birthday with a Doodle

Google celebrates 'Malgudi Days' creator, R. K. Narayan’s 108th Birthday with a Doodle10 October 2014 :: The Google has highlighted its page by a sketch of the novelist,  R. K. Narayan  indulged in his collection of Malgudi Days stories. Once you click on his picture it takes you Google search of R.K Narayan with top links offering information about the author and his works.

R. K. Narayan

 Google celebrates ‘Malgudi Days’ creator, R. K. Narayan’s 108th Birthday with a DoodleR. K. Narayan (10 October 1906 – 13 May 2001), full name Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami, was an Indian writer, best known for his works set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He is one of three leading figures of early Indian literature in English (alongside Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao), and is credited with bringing the genre to the rest of the world.

 Narayan broke through with the help of his mentor and friend, Graham Greene, who was instrumental in getting publishers for Narayan’s first four books, including the semi-autobiographical trilogy of Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts and The English Teacher. Narayan’s works also include The Financial Expert, hailed as one of the most original works of 1951, and Sahitya Akademi Award winner The Guide, which was adapted for film and for Broadway.

 The setting for most of Narayan’s stories is the fictional town of Malgudi, first introduced in Swami and Friends. His narratives highlight social context and provide a feel for his characters through everyday life. He has been compared to William Faulkner, who also created a fictional town that stood for reality, brought out the humour and energy of ordinary life, and displayed compassionate humanism in his writing. Narayan’s short story writing style has been compared to that of Guy de Maupassant, as they both have an ability to compress the narrative without losing out on elements of the story. Narayan has also come in for criticism for being too simple in his prose and diction.

 In a writing career that spanned over sixty years, Narayan received many awards and honours. These include the AC Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award. He was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s parliament.

R. K. Narayan was born in Madras (now Chennai) Madras Presidency, British India. His father was a school headmaster, and Narayan did some of his studies at his father’s school. As his father’s job entailed frequent transfers, Narayan spent part of his childhood under the care of his maternal grandmother, Parvati. During this time his best friends and playmates were a peacock and a mischievous monkey.

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