SOURCE: "The Intriguing Voice of R. K. Narayan," in R. K. Narayan: Critical Perspectives, edited by A. L. McLeod, Sterling Publishers Private Limited, 1994, pp. 66-75.

In this essay, Kapadia examines the sources and qualities of Narayan's literary voice.

Among writers writing in English anywhere, R.K. Narayan has a distinctive voice. A lively storyteller, he sprinkles his tales with humour but withholds the derisive sting; while he is engagingly realistic in his descriptions, his words are not cut-and-dry; while he vividly portrays the failings and foibles of his townsfolk he never fails to extend to them his humane indulgence. He draws to his writing the stalwart literary critic as well as the undergraduate student of literature; he engages the sophisticated and the discerning as well as the casual, untutored reader. The voice of such a person, the voice of such a writer, is naturally intriguing.

What is the...