Guide

Guide

It is obvious from all of Breitbach's works that he writes with great care and
often rewrites his prose in order to improve it. He also has die tendency to
publish chapters of his works before they appear in book form. In 1976, for
example, he released the first act of an unpublished play, "Der Araber von
Schiltigheim" ("The Arab of Schiltigheim"), and of his forthcoming novel, "Frau
Berta" ("Mrs. Berta"), he has already released two chapters. At present he is
working on another play with the tentative tide "Ein makelloser Held" ("A
flawless Hero").
T h e year 1978 was a very productive one for Breitbach. It was also the year
when he was honored with the radier beautiful edition of Wechselrede ("Dialog")
which was issued for his 75th birthday. It contains comments and tributes of
writers and politicians who have known Breitbach. This and the fact that his
plays have recendy been performed on stage and television, as well as the
filming of his short stories and his novel Bericht über Bruno show that there is a
growing awareness and appreciation of his work today. His reputation as a
literary figure has gready increased within the last few years. It can, therefore,
be said with some confidence that his literary work will have some impact on
contemporary German literature.
Karin Doerr
McGill University

From Rogue to Redeemer: R. K. Narayan's The Guide

R. K. Narayan has been described in The Times Literary Supplement as "a
writer having few equals among modern novelists." 1 His novel The Guide is a fine
example of his talent at its mature best, yet though it has received some
incidental comment in a few general accounts of Narayan's work (such as the
insightful accounts given by William Walsh, 2 S. C. Harrex, 3 and also Keith
Garembian 4 ), it has received little detailed critical attention in Western literary
journals.
In this novel, Narayan presents in his characteristically muted manner, the
story of a radical spiritual conversion....

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