U

An

Interview with R. K. Narayan

Stephen

R. Graubard:

What

can one

say,

in brief

compass,

about Indian literature?How do you see it?

R. K. Narayan: modern. literature so many Kannada there There of each are This is a vast field?Indian in languages is very difficult, and yet so many literature?ancient, India. To know the

there are few

translations

from one language into another. It is difficult to judge the literature of

I can languages. but I understand I cannot read literature in judge only Tamil; and English, of course. About literature it,

in the other

not be able to tell you very much. Yet Iwould languages is so much and literary criticism in each of these literature

languages. Graubard: is read by one group may not Yes, that is true. What be read by others. But what about Indian English literature?writers

like Anita Desai, who is writing a short essay for us, Mulk Anand, and Vikram Seth?
Narayan: Anita Desai and Vikram Seth are good writers.

Raj
I very

much enjoyed reading The Golden Gate Bridge. In fact, I reviewed it.
Graubard: Narayan: What I don't about poetry in English? poetry. I confine myself to old read modern

English poetry. And to T. S. Eliot. Graubard: But looking at Indian writing

innovative?

in English, is it very

Narayan: It is difficult tomake a judgment. Publishers bring out all kinds of things inEnglish. Iget books from publishers, particularly
American publishers, asking for my opinion. But most of the stuff is

inferior.What do you feel about the situation?

R. K. Narayan is an award-winning novelist and essayist.

233

234
writing
interest

StephenR. Graubard
Since there appears to be a market abroad for Indian

Graubard:

in English, the publishers are stepping in. There is a lot of

in Indian writing.

I don't know about other forms, but in fiction, I think, Narayan: there is a lack of judgment. I base this impression entirely on what the
publishers send me.

Is the treatment of books meant for the Indian Graubard: market different from those intended for a foreign market? I don't know; I don't think about it. Narayan: Graubard: Indians?
Narayan of course, Mysore. of the state.

Is it possible to generalize about Indian life or about

: I know only about my part of the country, a little; and, I don't like villages. I don't know rural Mysore. I about Karnataka, but not as fiction.

don't even know the whole of Karnataka, though I have visited all
parts I have written

My fiction is set inmy own background, though Malgudi is imagi nary.Malgudi is fixed in the 1930s, and that gives me extraordinary freedom. I can even put a lighthouse there if Iwant to, though there
is no coast Graubard: near Malgudi. Do you read reviews of your books? To what extent

are you affected by criticism?

Narayan: not want Earlier, to become of I never read reviews Now, self-conscious. of my books because I may occasionally I did read

them, but they do not bother me. Critics say that I don't talk of the
aspirations through, interested and of the political the people, agony that we all those plans for economic growth. in human in that. I am interested characters of have gone I am not and their

background. That
entertaining,

is important for me;

and illuminating

I want

a story to be

enjoyable,

in some way.

I visited the towns of Belur and Halebedu yesterday Graubard: and found them absolutely fascinating.
Narayan: Yes. You must have noted that much of Indian art is

anonymous. Perhaps that ishow it should be. I like awork of art that has a life of its own independent of its creator.When Iwrite, Iwrite formyself. While writing, I don't think of readers' reactions. A book,
a piece of writing, even a paragraph, has an organic life of its own,

An Interview with R. K. Narayan

235

and people are free to view it in any manner they like. Iwould like to be free of responsibility formy fictional characters.
Graubard: cism, that you I am interested to know are not much moved, that you rarely read even by harsh criticism. criti

Narayan: As I said, I do not read criticism because I do not want to be self-conscious. Perhaps the whole basis of life is to be oneself
and not to be self-conscious. next. But When it grows I am writing, as Iwrite, I don't read much I read it at

because I do not wish to be influenced.When

what is coming

Iwrite, I don't know

and when

night, I am sometimes surprised by what

afternoon. Graubard to write? :You really don't know

I have written
you

in the
sit down

the details when

I have a general idea of what Iwant to write, but the Narayan: details come only when thewriting is in progress. They well up from some depth within me.
Graubard: Narayan: Do Yes. you also read nonfiction? science subjects, travelogues, and

Biography,

things like that.

Iwould like to talk about another aspect of contem India. Many Indians grow up in one part of the country and porary Even within elsewhere. Indians are peripatetic. the country then move are on the move all the time. Is this reflected in your large numbers Graubard:

life, your thinking, your writing? I do not think so, though I do travel a lot. I go to Narayan:
Europe for pleasure, but also to work, to see my publishers. They are

only excuses for visiting New York or London.

Graubard: yourself. wonder But does whether to work So you go to Europe or America and enjoy not the time you spend inNew York or elsewhere Indians can move to the West and yet they create retain their

become part of your imaginative life?The reason I ask this is that I

Indianness. Narayan: create their They can live anywhere environment; or countrymen. because their own time they

surroundings. They do not complain, however difficult itmay be. But

they with their own relatives of their they spend most or Sunday On a Saturday

236
may

Stephen R. Graubard
travel fifty miles to meet other Indians and have Idli or Dosai. in

They create a little India wherever

outside their own community

they go. A small number go

others. But, then,

and get to know

New York you have Americans living on West 23rd Street who do not know what life is like onWest 25 th Street. I used to go to a store on 23rd Street to buy my provisions; the storekeeper had never gone beyond 23rd Street. Every time he met me he said, "Itmust be fun going through Times Square at night. Someday I'll do it."
Graubard: Is the difference between Westernized, modern India

and traditional India a real difference for you?

Narayan: dynamic; traditional Traditional the people at home India is very are different; and modern India is very strong. Modern are more Westernized. Again, they

life in the home may be different from life outside. One can be
outside.

Do you yourself put a great deal of emphasis on the Graubard: differences between traditional India and modern India?What do you feel? Narayan:
ground That makes about does

Probably you can find it in my stories. Their back

not it more change. The convenient in my stories society to tackle. When you remains static. go to Bombay,

you find it is different from Delhi or Calcutta. It is impossible to talk

an urban India, and even more so, a rural India. I cannot stay a village. to watch I am passing by in a car or in I like villages while not like to live there. I cannot write about Bombay. train, but Iwould

It is a different society.
Graubard: Narayan: Calcutta What Iwas about Calcutta? for a while some years ago. I liked it. are some impressive old build in Calcutta

is an interesting

city. There

ings. Calcutta has a great deal, but of all the cities I likeMadras. Graubard: Apart from the fact that you like New York, and Paris, why do you likeMadras? London, I like Madras because Iwas born there and because in Narayan: Madras the ancient and themodern coexist. Madras is both old and
new, lots of things there?drama, lectures, theatres, are very or concerts. Some Madrasis discourses, religious a traditional thodox. There are parts of the city where people with and you musical can find

An Interview with R. K. Narayan

237

background in Sanskrit are still living. I like talking about Madras much better than talking about India.
Graubard: What book are you writing now?

Narayan: It is a novel, The World of Nagaraj. It is being serialized inFrontline, published by theHindu newspaper group. The
novel is in progress; some eighteen installments have come out.

is your day like? I get up at the stroke of eight. Iwake at four or five, Narayan: but I do not care to get up before eight. Iwould like to sleep till nine, if possible. Ihave breakfast at eight-thirty and then some pooja, some Graubard: What
prayer and meditation for an hour. Iwrite from three-thirty to about

five-thirty in the afternoon. At night, before I go to bed, I readwhat

is a much which during the day and make corrections, more I could write The days when tedious process. longer and for long periods are over. continuously I have written