R. G. Hegde 
Studies in Indian English Political Fiction 

The book 'Studies in Indian English Political Fiction' a comprehensive study of the genre of political fiction, which undoubtedly is the most overwhelming genre of fiction in Indian English Literature. The book is conceived in six parts. The Chapter-I is an analysis of the genre of Political fiction with a view to establishing its identity. Further, it is an attempt to set parameters for the idea of excellence in Political fiction. The Chapter- 2 is an analysis of the novels chronicling political ideologies, further attempting a classification of the narrative points of view to the presentation of the ideologies. Three novels – Raja Rao's 'Kanthapura Mulk R.a'j Anand's 'The Sword and the Sickle' and RK. Narayan's 'Waiting for the Mahatma' are discussed as representative novels presenting three approaches to the narrativisation of political ideologies. The Chapter- 3 is a study of political novels fictionalizing the politics trauma and violence, through a study of the representative novels – Manohar Malgonkar's 'The Princes, Chaman Nahal's 'Azadi' and Khushwant Singh's 'Train to Pakistan'. The Chapter – 4 represents another dimension of political novels in Indian English fiction, i.e. novels on the themes of political criticism. Two Indian novels Nayantrara Sahgal's Rich Like Us and Arun Joshi's 'The City and the Rive r' discussed here as the novels attempting criticism of a contemporary political movement. These novels add a new dimension to the narration of political fiction in Indian English literature. Chapter-5 is study of the two novels- Salman Rushdie's 'Midnight's Children' and Shashi Tharoor's The great Indian Novel that are written subverting as well as de-constructing the known political histories, individuals and movements in modern India, thereby adding fresh possibilities to political narratives. The Chapter-6 is a very significant study analyzing the narrative strategies adopted in the writing of the political novels. The chapter is a higly valued contribution to the understanding of the political fiction. Thus the book is a comprehensive study of the genre of Indian English political novel.