R.K.Narayan once said that he preferred not to read other writers lest his own style be affected. Sudha Murthy's advice "Read, read, read" may not win the approval of those who agree with Narayan. Readers must read in the language with which they feel comfortable. Agreed. Should not the writers also check that they are really comfortable with an alien language into which they venture? Sudha Murthy's English makes the reader wince. She should write in Kannada and leave the translation job to those who understand the nuances of the Kannada work and are capable of translating the same into English without losing the spirit of the original.
Re: A reader's advice to the writer
by V Nagarajan on Mar 04, 2017 09:14 AM
With due respect to Sri RK N. What he says or does is not gospel truth.It just one of millions of opinions.To get a mastery of any language,including one's mother tongue,one must read and listen a lot. No one, however great he is, can think from vacuum.Even RK Ns language is what he observed in his neighborhood/surroundings.Each writer uses his or her own imagination/observation after that.
