<P> R.K. Narayan was born in Madras (now Chennai), British India . He was one of eight children: namely, six sons and two daughters . Narayan was the oldest of the sons; his younger brother Ramachandran later became an editor at Gemini Studios, and the youngest brother Laxman became a cartoonist . His father was a school headmaster, and Narayan did some of his studies at his father's school . As his father's job entailed frequent transfers, Narayan spent a part of his childhood under the care of his maternal grandmother, Parvati . During this time his best friends and playmates were a peacock and a mischievous monkey . </P> <P> His grandmother gave him the nickname of Kunjappa, A name that stuck to him in family circles . She taught him arithmetic, mythology, classical Indian music and Sanskrit . According to Laxman, the family mostly conversed in English, and grammatical errors on the part of Narayan and his siblings were frowned upon . While living with his grandmother, Narayan studied at a succession of schools in Madras, including the Lutheran Mission School in Purasawalkam, C.R.C. High School, and the Christian College High School . Narayan was an avid reader, and his early literary diet included Dickens, Wodehouse, Arthur Conan Doyle and Thomas Hardy . When he was twelve years old, Narayan participated in a pro-independence march, for which he was reprimanded by his uncle; the family was apolitical and considered all governments wicked . </P> <P> Narayan moved to Mysore to live with his family when his father was transferred to the Maharajah's College High School . The well - stocked library at the school, as well as his father's own, fed his reading habit, and he started writing as well . After completing high school, Narayan failed the university entrance examination and spent a year at home reading and writing; he subsequently passed the examination in 1926 and joined Maharaja College of Mysore . It took Narayan four years to obtain his bachelor's degree, a year longer than usual . After being persuaded by a friend that taking a master's degree (M.A.) would kill his interest in literature, he briefly held a job as a school teacher; however, he quit in protest when the headmaster of the school asked him to substitute for the physical training master . The experience made Narayan realise that the only career for him was in writing, and he decided to stay at home and write novels . His first published work was a book review of Development of Maritime Laws of 17th - Century England . Subsequently, he started writing the occasional local interest story for English newspapers and magazines . Although the writing did not pay much (his income for the first year was nine rupees and twelve annas), he had a regular life and few needs, and his family and friends respected and supported his unorthodox choice of career . In 1930, Narayan wrote his first novel, Swami and Friends, an effort ridiculed by his uncle and rejected by a string of publishers . With this book, Narayan created Malgudi, a town that creatively reproduced the social sphere of the country; while it ignored the limits imposed by colonial rule, it also grew with the various socio - political changes of British and post-independence India . </P> <P> While vacationing at his sister's house in Coimbatore, in 1933, Narayan met and fell in love with Rajam, a 15 - year - old girl who lived nearby . Despite many astrological and financial obstacles, Narayan managed to gain permission from the girl's father and married her . Following his marriage, Narayan became a reporter for a Madras - based paper called The Justice, dedicated to the rights of non-Brahmins . The publishers were thrilled to have a Brahmin Iyer in Narayan espousing their cause . The job brought him in contact with a wide variety of people and issues . Earlier, Narayan had sent the manuscript of Swami and Friends to a friend at Oxford, and about this time, the friend showed the manuscript to Graham Greene . Greene recommended the book to his publisher, and it was finally published in 1935 . Greene also counseled Narayan on shortening his name to become more familiar to the English - speaking audience . The book was semi-autobiographical and built upon many incidents from his own childhood . Reviews were favourable but sales were few . Narayan's next novel The Bachelor of Arts (1937), was inspired in part by his experiences at college, and dealt with the theme of a rebellious adolescent transitioning to a rather well - adjusted adult; it was published by a different publisher, again at the recommendation of Greene . His third novel, The Dark Room (1938) was about domestic disharmony, showcasing the man as the oppressor and the woman as the victim within a marriage, and was published by yet another publisher; this book also received good reviews . In 1937, Narayan's father died, and Narayan was forced to accept a commission from the government of Mysore as he was not making any money . </P>

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