Famous Indian Stories

About the Book

This collection of stories introduces to the reader, the great Indian masters of storytelling. Famous Indian Stories brings together Tagore, Premchand, Mulk Raj Anand , Masti Venkatesha Iyengar and Khushwant Singh, among others, in a unique blend that captures the diversity of contemporary Indian writing in English. These stories will help the reader identify the themes and concerns of writers contributing to a genre now famously called ‘Indian writing in English’. The great Indian storytellers showcased here, prove beyond a doubt that the category of ‘Indian’ is a difficult on to define. Yet, the stories reflect the ethos of Indian culture and tradition and basic values cherished by the people of different regions of the sub-continent.

The stories are followed by a glossary and language work, designed especially to aid undergraduate readers for whom English is a second language. The language work is not only comprehensive, but is an excellent aid to learning idiomatic English and improving communication skills.

About the Author

M G Narasimha Murthy has served as a teacher in government colleges in Andhra Pradesh for over forty years. He has now retired as principal of the Adoni Arts and Science College. He has published Stories British and American (1974), an anthology of stories for students, A Garland of Gandhiji’s Thoughts (1976), The Blissful Dawn and other Poems (2004).

Preface

This anthology introduces to the reader some of the best short stories written by famous Indian authors of recent times. It brings together an impressive span of Indian writing in English from the turn of the 19th century to the late 20th century. These stories are representative of the fine art of story writing and the different techniques adopted by the Indian masters of story-telling. They present a vibrant picture of Indian life and depict its sociocultural milieu vividly. They bring out the morals and values that are held in high esteem by the ideals of 'Indianness'. They also reflect the characteristic diversity of our country, making clear that the category 'Indian' is a difficult one to define. However, the choice of these stories is an exercise in blending the diversities into a single unified idea of 'Indianness'.

Famous Indian Stories explores themes that are crucial to the study of Indian writing in English. Stories such as Tagore's 'Kabuliwallah', Premchand's 'The Voice of God' and Masti Venkatesha Iyengar's 'The Curds Seller' locate the individual's identity in the family and community. Mulk Raj Anand's 'The Gold Watch', Khushwant Singh's 'The Mark of Vishnu' and Manohar Malgonkar's 'Upper Division Love' provide insights into relationships formed between different social groups-British and Indian, employer and employee, the privileged and the underprivileged,

Famous Indian Stories has been specially designed to suit the needs of students for whom English is a second language. Brief biographies of the authors, a comprehensive glossary and exercises in language and writing have been added as study aids. Having worked as a college teacher for more than three decades, I have observed that even capable teachers find it difficult to make their classes lively if they have to teach complex and uninteresting selections. I am confident that teachers will enjoy teaching the fascinating stories here and that student will enjoy and appreciate the works of our country's best writers. I hope that students will use this opportunity to learn idiomatic English and improve their communication skills.

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