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.

&Lsquo;The Term Occurred To Me When We Started Out On A Tour Of Karnataka, From Mysore, Through Hunsur And Hassan, And Returning To Mysore Nearly One Week Later, Having Continuously Journeyed Up And Down The Ghats, The Konkan Coast And Coorg, And Never Seeing A Dry Patch Anywhere. Green Of Several Shades We Saw, Mountainsides Lightly Coated With Verdure And Fern, The Dark Foliage Of Trees Rising Hundreds Of Feet From The Valley, Light Green, Dark Green, Pale Green, Evergreen, And Every Kind Of Green Shade, Were Offered For Our Delectation All Through Our Circular Tour Of Approximately A Thousand Kilometres.&Rsquo; The Emerald Route Is R.K. Narayan&Rsquo;S Account Of His Travels Across His Homeland Of Karnataka, From Belur And Halebid To Gulbarga And Hampi, From The Hilly Prospects Of Mangalore To The Gold Mines Of Kolar, From The Legendary Battlefield Of Seringapanam&Mdash;Home Of Tippu Sultan&Mdash;To The Rock Formations Of Bellary&Mdash;Supposed To Be Gigantic Pellets Thrown By Bhima At Bakasura. As He Makes His Way Through The Shopping Complexes Of Bangalore And The Elephant Khedda At Karapur, Samples The Local Delicacies Like Nanjangud Bananas And Avaraikalu Beans And Enjoys The Sunsets And Mallige (Jasmine) At Mysore, The Master Storyteller Tells Us About The History And Mythology That Make Karnataka The Fascinating State It Is. Published In Paperback For The First Time, This Previously Unavailable Volume From India&Rsquo;S Greatest Living Writer Will Be A Delight To Every Fan Of R.K. Narayan. &Nbsp;

A Master Of Observation, Subtlety And Gentle Wit, R.K. Narayan Has Few Rivals When It Comes To Bringing Alive People And Places. Most Of His Timeless Novels Are Set In The Fictional Town Of Malgudi, Located Somewhere In South India, A Town As Real To His Readers As Any They Will Find On The Map. This Volume Contains Three Quintessential Malgudi Novels-Swami And Friends, The Bachelor Of Arts And The Vendor Of Sweets. Swami And Friends, Published In 1935, Was The First Novel Narayan Wrote. Described By Graham Greene As A Novel In Ten Thousand , It Recounts The Adventures Of Ten-Year-Old Swaminathan And His Friends Rajam And Mani. The Bachelor Of Arts, The Second Novel In The Collection, Is A Brilliantly Realized Account Of The Workings Of A Young Man S Mind. It Is The Story Of Chandran, In His Final Year At College, Who Falls Hopelessly In Love And Is Forced To Exile Himself From The Familiar Surroundings Of Malgudi Until He Is Able To Arrive At A Satisfactory Resolution To His Problems. The Vendor Of Sweets Showcases A Classic Cross-Generational Battle, Between Jagan, A Widower Of Firm Ghandian Principles, And His Modern Son Mali, Who Returns To Malgudi With A Half-American Wife And A Grand Plan For Selling Story-Writing Machines. The Third In The Series Of Penguin India S Collectors Editions Of The Malgudi Novels, The Magic Of Malgudi, With An Introduction By S. Krishnan, Will Delight First-Time Readers As Well As Devoted Narayan Fans.

Ruskin Bond wrote his first short story, ‘Untouchable’, at the age of sixteen, and has written memorable fiction ever since. He is famous not only for his love of the hills, but for imbuing the countryside with life and vibrancy through moving descriptions. The simple people who inhabit his stories evoke sympathy and laughter in equal measure. This wonderful collection of seventy stories, including classics like ‘A Face in Dark’, ‘The Kitemaker’, ‘The Tunnel’, ‘The Room of Many Colours’, ‘Dust on the Mountain’ and ‘Times Stops at Shamli’, is a must-have for any bookshelf.