(We carry excerpts, in short takes, from an essay - 'The Life of R K Narayan' - by Florida-based writer Nandan Datta published in the California Literary Review.Full text at www.calitreview.com )

His diligent dislike for studies

Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Iyer Narayanswamy stood shortened to R.K.Narayan, on Graham Greene's advice. Narayan lived till ninety-five, writing for more than fifty years, and publishing till he was eighty seven.

Narayan was born at the beginning of the twentieth century, on October 10, 1906 at Chennapatna, near Mysore in southern India. He was one among many siblings, his father a provincial head-master of much repute with the rod. Narayan studied at his father’s school and maintained a diligent dislike for studies.

Rejection slips

He resolved to write for his living and write in English. Reporting for defunct journals, freelancing here and there and similar "literary" odd jobs catered more to the spirits than pockets. He kept on writing and submitting. A few lyrical pieces went to publishers in England, and returned in due or undue time, along with "...cold, callous rejection slips, impersonal and mocking".

First published work

Narayan's first published work was the review of a book titled "Development of Maritime Laws of 17th-Century England". He is rather cynical about it and writes, "A most unattractive book, but I struggled through its pages and wrote a brief note on it, and though not paid for, it afforded me the thrill of seeing my words in print for the first time." To better arrange meetings of the proverbial ends, Narayan took up teaching at a government school, and left the job within two days.

First novel

"Swami and Friends", ( his first novel) was sent to publishers. It repeatedly returned. Narayan dispatched it yet another time and gave the return address as one of his friend's in London. He wrote to the friend requesting the manuscript be tied to a brick and thrown into the Thames if it came back. It did.

But the friend took it to his acquaintance Graham Greene, who was already an established author. Narayan received a telegram soon thereafter, "Novel taken. Graham Greene responsible.

Enduring friendship with Graham Greene

"Swami and Friends" was published in October 1935. Greene’s suggestion for pruning his never-ending name to something more succinct was readily taken by Narayan.

Thus began Narayan's friendship with Greene; it continued till the latter's death in 1991. They corresponded often but had met only once, in 1964. This association is surprising in its depth and sincerity, given the two's widely varying oeuvres

Low profile

Throughout his career, Narayan changed publishers often, sometimes publishers changed him; he even dabbled in self-publishing for some of his books.

Narayan's renown as a writer came slowly, almost with a touch of diffidence. He never had the trappings of a high profile author, and stayed scrupulously shy of literary lunches and book signing binges. He was most at home near his characters, somewhere in south India

Concerns of single parenthood

In 1939, Narayan's wife Rajam passed away. Their only child, a daughter, was three years old. This bereavement brought about a permanent change in his life. Narayan remained distressed for a long time, out of grief and concerns of single parenthood.

Psychic explorations

His wife's demise also opened certain psychic explorations for Narayan. He was reportedly able to communicate with the departed soul, and the transcendental tête-à-tête continued for a long time. Such assertions leave the reader slightly baffled at times and openly skeptical at others. But Narayan writes about his experiences with as much intensity as grace.

First trip abroad

The Rockefeller Foundation selected Narayan for a travel grant. This was his first travel abroad, and he says coyly, "Finally I did break out of the triangular boundary of Madras, Mysore and Coimbatore and left for the United States, in October 1956."

A memorable travelogue, "My Dateless Diary", came out of Narayan's American sojourn. He visited New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, the Grand Canyon among other places and met eminent personalities such as Aldous Huxley, John Gunther, Greta Garbo. Garbo was apparently much interested in Narayan's mystic leanings.

'The Guide' on stage

It was made into a film which mutilated the original storyline much to the author's chagrin. A planned Broadway edition was as reckless in its treatment. Narayan had to withhold his permission to present it on stage, even as the adaptation was done by an old friend of his, a former literary editor of the New York Times. As an example of the outrage, Narayan mentions, "For instance, his version managed to abolish the heroine. I objected to his omission and to two irrelevant characters of his own; above all I objected to the hero's turning around and urinating on the stage."

Matters became rather acrimonious over this script and Narayan had to leave New York at a very short notice to avoid being summoned for a subpoena; he found asylum in the Indian consulate before boarding a flight out of the United States. However the script was later revised and "The Guide" opened in Broadway in March 1968. It closed in less than a week.

The Nobel Prize he didn't win

"I heard rumors in Frankfurt and then in Paris and London that I was to be awarded the Nobel Prize this year (1986). Some Paris newspapers carried the 'shortlisted' names of these writers in the Third World, as the committee had decided to award the Prize to the Third World this year to overcome the charge of being biased in favor of American and European writers. I was greeted and congratulated here and there."

He did not win the Prize and has speculated on what might have tripped him. Here is his reflection on the committee’s deliberations,

"...His writing is too simple, and too readable, requiring no effort on the part of the reader. ...He has created a new map called Malgudi in which his characters live and die. Story after story is set in the same place, which is not progressive, a rather stagnant background..... We hope some day Narayan will develop into a full-fledged writer deserving our serious consideration."

The death

R.K.Narayan passed away on May 13, 2001. Malgudi lives on. And so does his writing