Coolie portrays the picaresque adventures of Munoo, a young boy forced to leave his hill village to fend for himself and discover the world. His journey takes him far from home to towns and cities, to Bombay and Simla, sweating as servant, factory-worker and rickshaw driver. It is a fight for survival that illuminates, with raw immediacy, the grim fate of the masses in pre-Partition India.

Across the Black Waters is widely rated as an outstanding novel. It is a simple story about the ultimate futility and sorrow of war. It is a journey not just from a small village in Punjab to Flanders, from father to soldier, field to front — but from a soul that nurtures to one that kills. Overlooking the claims of war classics like All Quiet on the Western Front, the British Council selected and adapted this novel into a play to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War I. "The foremost of Indian novelists." — Daily Telegraph "His descriptions of brutality match in compassion and outrage, and perhaps also in poetic flair, those of Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sasson, or David Jones." — Alastair Niven, British Literary Critic

It Was September 28, 2004 When The World Of Literature Was Stunned To Have Lost Its Versatile Genius, A Pioneer Of Indian English Fiction, Mulk Raj Anand. After Enjoying 99 Springs Of Life, He Passed Away Quietly, Leaving Behind A Prolific Literary Legacy. He Was Not Only A Writer But Also A Political And Philosophical Thinker And An Active Humanist Dedicated To The Cause Of World Peace And Universal Brotherhood. His Numerous Novels And Stories Form A Fictional Chronicle, A Record Of His Crusade Against The Social, Political, Ethical And Moral Practices Which Result In The Oppression Of The Poor And Down-Trodden And Also Injustice Against Women, The Weaker Segment Of Society. He Was A Progressive Proletariat And Also Stood For The Emancipation Of Women. He Was A Philanthropist, A Humanist And To Some Extent A Feminist. His Fiction Reveals His Faith In Art For Life S Sake And His Social Commitment To Expose The Exploitation Of The Poor, The Ignorant, The Illiterate By The Imperial Masters, The Village Money- Lenders, The Unscrupulous Traders, The Native Rulers, Priests, Tea-Planters And Above All By Traditional Patriarchs. Such A Committed Writer S Work Was Immensely Significant In Bringing A Change In Society.The Present Anthology A Critical Study Of The Socio-Economic Vision Of Anand, Is Just A Tribute To The Great Founder Of Indian English Fiction Who Has Left Us To Meditate And Ponder Over The Significant Social Issues Raised By Him Through His Fiction. The Best Tribute To Such An Artist Would Be To Comprehend His Vision Of Casteless And Classless Society Based On An Egalitarian Creed. It Is A Modest Attempt To Keep His Dream Alive In Today S World. Contributed By Eminent Writers, The Twenty-One Critical Essays, By And Large, Based Upon Extensive Research And Critical Examination Focus Upon His Social Vision And Humanitarian Approach And, Therefore, Would Be Of Tremendous Use To The Students Of English Literature, The Research Scholars In Particular, And The Academic Community In General. The Present Anthology Is Devoted To This Academic Endeavour.

The Book Is Be A Valuable Addition To The World Of Literary Criticism And Of Immense Utility To Those Who Want To Further Explore The Areas Of Critical Exposition Of Anand S Life And Works.The Book Will Be Found Of Great Interest By The Students Of English Literature, Researchers And The General Readers.

Mulk Raj Anand Is One Of The Best Known Novelists In English In India. Translated Into Many Languages In India As Well As Abroad, He Has Been Universally Acclaimed As A Progressive Writer.The Present Anthology Of Recent Critical Essays Probes Into His Internationally Reputed Novels Like Untouchable, Coolie, Gauri As Well As His Various Collections Of Short Stories. The Critical Perspective Is Fresh And Innovative, Embracing The Latest Critical Theories And Schools. The Essays Come Up With Novel Insights Into Themes And Characters, Form And Design In The Texts Explored.The Structural And Rhetorical Devices Employed In The Texts Have Also Been Analysed Threadbare. A Detailed Interview With Anand Facilitates A Peep Into The Writer S Workshop, Revealing Hitherto Unexplored Facets Of Anand S Artistic Persona.A Welcome Addition To Fiction Studies. An Indispensable Collection Of Articles For Students, Teachers And Researchers In Literary Theory, Fiction, Indian English Literature, Sociology Of Literature And Progressivism.

In This Book Dr. C.J. George Studies In Depth And Detail, All Major Novels Of Anand, Novels Which Are Truly Representative Of His Artistic Genius. After A Careful Evaluation Of The 12 Novels That Are Studied In This Book, A Critic Of Fame Commented, Certainly, The Author Has Worked Conscientiously And With Steady And Painstaking Industry. He Has Studied The Novels With Care And Attended To The Details Of Plot And Characters. He Has Taken Notice Of Major Critical Pronouncements. He Is Also Involved As A Reader Who Responds With Feeling To The Incidents And Characters. He Also Shows An Admirably Balanced Perspective In His Views. For Example, He Condemns Revivalist Fanaticism But Refuses To Succumb To An Uncritical Bias Against Hinduism. Undoubtedly, The Book Makes An Interesting Reading. It Keeps The Reader Thrilled By The New Insights And Fresh Interpretations It Offers. The Book Clearly Reveals The Rigours Of Real Research The Author Uuderwent For Obtaining A Doctoral Degree In Indo-Anglian Literature As Well As To Make A Mark In The Critical Field.

The Book Provides A Critical Survey Of Responses To The Novels And Short Stories Of Mulk Raj Anand, Regarded As One Of The Pioneers Of The Indian English Fiction. In This Refreshingly New Assessment, The Attempt Is Not To Label But To Elucidate And Interpret The Fiction Of Mulk Raj Anand And Assess His Contribution To The Indian English Fiction.

Study of Mulk Raj Anand, b. 1905, Indian novelist, short story writer, and art critic.

Mulk Raj Anand, The Doyen Of Indian English Fiction, Whose Writing Career Spanned Nearly Four Decades, Has Carved Out A Permanent Niche In The Literary World. Anand S Writings Are Marked By His Fine Perception Of The Indian Ethos, The Sinister Forces That Operate In The Indian Society, His Humanitarian Outlook And Profound Sympathy For The Down-Trodden And The Underprivileged. His Novels Are Thus Faithful Transcripts Of And Serious Comments On The Contemporary Social Reality.The Twelve Insightful Essays That Constitute This Volume Not Only Shed New Light On The Old Classics Like Untouchable, Coolie, Two Leaves And A Bud, And The Old Woman And The Cow, But Also Deals With Issues Like Despair And Delight In The Novels Of Mulk Raj Anand, The Identity Crisis, Anand S Creative Exploitation Of The Linguistic Resources Of The English Language, His Narrative Technique, His Humanism, His Treatment Of Individuals As Social Constructs, The Symbiotic Relationship Between Art And Culture Studies, And Other Unexplored Facets Of Anand'S Writings. The Detailed Bibliography At The End Serves As A Useful Research Tool For The Scholars Studying Anand.The Students Of Indian English Literature Would Find This Book Immensely Useful, And Also Those Who Keep Interest In The Writings Of Anand Would Find The Essays Quite Thought-Provoking And Illuminating.