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VIRGINIA WOOLF AGE FRIENDS


" Is it just me or could Virginia Woolf be"(CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by olvado


INTRODUCTION 

VIRGINIA WOOLF belongs to Modern Age, which starts from 1901 to 1960. This age is also called Age of Anxiety. Due to wars, deaths, sufferings, mental tensions the author's literary works has also got affected. Virginia is not only the example for these sufferings. There is a long list of authors (Indian authors too) who faced the same problems of that Era. In this post we' ll put a brief glance on authors, whether they are foreign English or Indians who have almost same style of writing focussing the themes of Psychoanalysis, Feminism, Androgyny, Depression, Autobiographical content, Time &Timelessness, Interior Monologue, Symbolism, Imagiasm, Theory of Thanatos, War Fare etc. 


MAJOR NOVELISTS OF MODERN AGE

A. Foreign novelists :
1. D.H. Lawrence 
2. James Joyce 
3. Dorothy Richardson 
4. Somerset Maugham
5. H. W. WELLS 
6. Joseph Conrad
7. Aldous Huxley
8. Virginia Woolf


B. INDIAN novelists :
1. R.K. Narayan
2. Khuswant Singh
3. Anita Desai
4. Shashi Deshpande
5. Vikram Seth
6. Amitav Ghosh
7. Arundati Roy
8. Kiran Desai


A. FOREIGN NOVELISTS AND MODERN AGE
1. D.H LAWRENCE (1885-1930), was the most striking literary figure in the period of Modern Era. He used the novel to present his reader's own interpretation of life which concerned with the basic problems of human existence, man’s relationship with his fellows and with the universe beyond himself. His major works are: The White Peacock, with the theme of unhappy human relationship, The Trespasser, with an autobiographical content, Sons & Lovers, an extremely powerful novel of deep sincerity, which studied with great insight the relationship between son and mother etc.

2. JAMES JOYCE (1882-1941), is serious novelist, whose concern is chiefly with human relationship- man in relation to himself, to society, and to the whole race. This is true that though his interest in linguistic experiments makes it difficult to understand his meaning. Acutely aware of the pettiness and meanness of modern society and the evils which spring from it, he is a keen and subtle analyst of man’s inner consciousness, and, in common with the psycho-analysis of his day, he is much preoccupied with sex. His major works are: Ulysses, a study of the life and mind of Leopold and Mrs. Bloom during a single day, T.S Eliot’s The Wasteland, which present a similar view of the hopeless dilemma of man in the past World War etc.

3. DOROTHY RICHARDSON is the first modern novelist to use psychological method deliberately and almost explosively to portray character. Miriam Henderson is the heroine of her novel called Pointed Roof , and her history is continued in a series of sequels, collectively called the The Pilgrimage. Dorothy Richardson, in exposing the working of Miriam Henderson’s mind, does not analyze or comment or explain. Her chief aim is to convey to the reader life at first hand.

“The moments of Miriam’s consciousness pass one by one, or overlapping; moments tense with vibration, moments draws out almost to snapping point… There is no drama, no situation, set scene, nothing happens: It is just life going on and on. It is no of Miriam’s consciousness going on and on”.

(Balakrishnan, Ganesan)

4. WILLIAM SOMERSET MAUGHAM (1874), novels reveal him as a cynical cosmopolitan presenting life in an ironically detached manner which does not flinch in face of the mean or sordid. He is a realist, with an intense interest in human nature, keenly aware of the contradictions and frustrations of life; he is a poised, finished artist who writes in a prose that is clear, precise and simple. His sardonic humor and mordant wit are two of his most striking qualities. His major works are The Moon and Sixpence, The Presented Veil, and his best novel are undoubtedly of Human Bondage, which is a study in frustration, which has a strong autobiographical element.

5. HERBERT GEORGE WELLS (1866-1946), the most prolific of major modern writers well pressed out scientific romances, novels, pamphlets, popular educational works, with incredible speed and regularity. He was concerned with the contemporary social problems of the day. As a socialist he was concerned with the reconstruction of modern society on a more equitable basis, and this can be attained only by spreading education. His humor is one of the most appealing features of his best novels. His major works are: The Stolen Bacillus and other Stories, The Wonderful Visit, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds etc.

6. JOSEPH CONRAD (1857-1924), the greatest modern romantic sought his subjects he could expect to find adventure in an unusual or exotic setting. His own experience of the sea and, in particular, of Malayan waters, was of immense value to him as a writer, and most of his best work is in one or both of these setting. He is an excellent story teller who gives deep thought to his techniques of presentation; his prime interest is in character, in the tracing of the life of a man in such a way as the illuminate the inmost recesses of his soul. His major works are: Almayer’s Folly and An Outcast of the Island  Lord Jim etc.

7. VIRGINIA WOOLF  (1882 - 1941) The most prominent and the great modern novelist. Her first novel was told in conventional manner, but with a concentration of interest upon character and a delicacy of touch typical of all her work. For her the realities were inwards and spiritual rather than outward and material; the elusiveness of these inner realities is the recurrent themes of her novels.


B. INDIAN NOVELISTS AND MODERN AGE

1. R.K. NARAYAN (1906 -2001) Narayan’s full name Rasipuram Krishna Swami Iyer Narayanswami  was an Indian writer, best known for his works set in the fictional South Indian Town of Malgudi. His style of writing was simple and unpretentious with a natural element of humor. His major works are Malgudi Days and The Guide ]on which the book was made into film.

2. KHUSHWANT SINGH  (1915 - 2014) was an Indian novelist, lawyer, politician and journalist. An Indo-Anglian writer, Singh was best known for his trenchant secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His major works are The mark of Vishnu and other Stories, Train to Pakistan  etc.

3. ANITA DESAI  (24 June 1937), her full name is Anita Mazumdar Desai; she is an Indian novelist and a Professor of Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As a writer she has been short listed for the booker prize three times. She received a Sahitya Akademic Award in 1978 for her novel Fire on the Mountain.n She won the British Guardian prize for The village by sea. She used to write on feminism, relationship dilemma and psychoanalysis.

4. SHASHI DESHPANDE (1938) is an award winning Indian novelist. She published her fist collection of short stories in 1978 and her first novel The Dark holds no terror. She won the Sahitya Akedmic Award for the novel That Long Silence  in 1990 and the Padma Shri Award in 2009.

5. VIKRAM SETH (20 June 1952), he is an Indian Novelist and poet. He has written several novels and poetry books, received several award including Padma Shri, Pravasi Bhartiya Samman, W.H. Smith award and Cross Word book award. His famous novels are The Golden Gate, A Suitable Boy etc.

6. AMITAV GHOSH (11 July 1956), He is a Bengali Indian Author best known for his work in English fiction. His major works are The Circle of Reason, The Shadow Lines, The Calcutta Chromosome  etc. 

7. ARUNDATI ROY  (24 Nov. 1961), She is an Indian novelist and political activist who is best known for the 1998 Man Booker prize for fiction winning novel The God of Small Things and her involvement in human rights and environmental cause. Roy’s novel became the biggest selling book by a non expatriate Indian author. She has written her works mainly on the themes of feminism, psychology and autobiography etc.

8. KIRAN DESAI  (3 Sep. 1971), She is an Indian author. Her novel The Inheritance of Loss won the 2006 Max Booker prize and the National Book critics circle fiction award, her major work is Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchid etc.

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