Bøger af Raja Rao

The Sacred Wordsmith compiles the best of Raja Rao's writings, including his autobiographical Prefaces and Introductions. The volume puts together several of his noted acceptance speeches, including those for the Sahitya Akademi Award and Neustadt International Prize, and other famous pieces, such as 'The World is Sound', 'The Word', 'Why Do You Write?', 'The West Discovers Sanskrit', 'The English Language and Us', and 'The Story Round, Around Kanthapura', a fascinating, unpublished account of the makings of his famous first novel.

Regarded as the first major Indian novel in English, Kanthapura is the story of how Gandhi's struggle for Independence came to a casteist south Indian village. Young Moorthy, back from the city, brimming with new ideas, seeks to cut across ancient barriers and unite the villagers in non-violent action. The story emerges through the eyes of a delightful old woman, who comments on the villagers' actions with sharp-eyed wisdom, evoking the spirit of India's traditional folk epics.

Kanthapura is the story of how Gandhi's struggle for independence from the British came to a typical village, Kanthapura, in South India. Young Moorthy, back from the city with "new ideas," cuts across the ancient barriers of caste to unite the villagers in non-violent action--which is met with violence by landlords and police. The dramatic tale unfolds in a poetic, almost mythical style which conveys as never before the rich textures of Indian rural life. The narrator is an old woman, imbued with the legendary history of the region, who knows the past of all the characters and comments on their actions with sharp-eyed wisdom. Her narrative, and the way she tells it, evokes the spirit of India's traditional folk-epics. This edition includes extensive notes on Indian myths, religion, social customs, and the Independence movement (given at the end of the book) which fill out the background for the American reader's more complete understanding and enjoyment.