india author m 1- a-nan - University of Wollongong

onslaught on the autochthonic cultural matrix. The Nowhere Man (like The Coffer Dams) also
deals with racial relations. Markandaya's narrative technigue in this novel set in England is
much more impressive than in Some Inner Fury. Rao considers The Golden Honeycomb, her
ninth novel, her best. It is a fine exploration of the "predicament of identity" (an aspect
examined by S. C. HARREX (see item?)).
RAO, A.V. KRISHNA. "The Novels of Kamala Markandaya: A Study": 213-251. in
DWIVEDI, A.N. (ed) Studies in Contemporary Indian Fiction in English, Allahabad: Kitab
Mahal, 1987, pp.358
RAO, A V. KRISHNA. "The Golden Honeycomb: A Brief Study." Studies in Indian Fiction
in English, edited by G. S. Balarama Gupta (Gulbarga: JIWE Publications, 1987): 77-84.
Feels that the lack of ideological commitment in Markandaya's fiction makes it more
authentic as a mirror of society. Considers The Golden Honeycomb (1977) her magnum
opus. Rao praises its structure (it has two subplots addition to the mainplot), its language, and
the thorough research of history that has gone into this tale of princely India.
RAO, K. S. NARAYANA. "Some Notes on the Plots of Kamala Markanday Novels."
Indian Literature 13, no.1 (1970): 102-12.
Rao draws up a chronological table of the first five novels, in the sequence of their
actions (specific references to the time period can be found in all except Nectar in a Sieve)
and the likely order of their writing (Nectar in a Sieve, the third novel she wrote, was the first
to be published). Rao identifies some common characteristics of plot and character. All novels
feature single stars, or, at the most, two leading characters. The central character is trapped in
a situation. The ending is not conclusive and has a tantalizing quality. Each novel has at least
one "alien" character, and, with the exception of Some Inner Furv, a "freak", such as an
albino, a dwarf, or a cripple.
RAO, K. S. NARAYANA. "The Novels of Kamala Markandaya: A Contemporary Indo-
Anglian Novelist." Literature East and West 15, no.2 (1971): 209-218.
Survey of her first five novels , in terms of the themes, plot, and structure. East-West
relations is a dominant theme, so is the conflict between the rich and the poor. Other important
themes are those of love, marriage and sex, and the triumph of the spirit over suffering and
death. The characters tend to be types rather than individuals, though they show a greater
degree of individuality in her fifth novel, A Handful of Rice. The novels generally have a
circular structure; Markandaya handles first person narration and the omniscient author
technique with equal facility.
RAO, K. S. NARAYANA. "Love, Sex, Marriage and Morality in Kamala Markandaya's
Novels" Osmania Journal of English Studies no.10 (1973): 69-77.
There is a steady increase of emphasis on love, marriage, and sex as we go from the
first novel to the fifth. India is shown in a state of flux, and Markandaya's tone is never
didactic. Nectar in a Sieve shows the love between the partners in an arranged marriage,
while Some Inner Fury is a study of romantic passion. A Silence of Desire shows a stable
marriage threatened by the lack of communication between Dandekar and his wife. Thoughts
and metaphors of sex brood over Possession, a novel without marriage, or love. A Handful of
Rice has many explicit passages, and libido is an active force in the story.