Preface

The present book is the condensed form of my thesis "THE MAKING OF JOHN WAIN : A STUDY OF THE MAN AND HIS ART".

Various viewpoints have been presented on John Wain as a novelist, but the author has not hesitated to express his own interpretations and conclusions. The book attempts to steer a course between a simple anecdotal account of research studies with their technical details, and a set of broad spectrum of critical ideas of eminent scholars of contemporary fiction.

Because the complaints, comments, and difficulties of students have contributed so much to this book, I wish to record here my gratitude to these students for their patience and their enthusiasm. In addition, of course, I wish to thank many of my colleagues at other Universities who have read and criticised this manuscript, in whole or part. My heartfelt thanks go to Mr. Xerox, or whoever it was that invented photo-copying.

I wish, however, to dedicate the present book to my dear wife Urmila who toiled uncomplainingly among the bookstacks and bore with the bad temper that overcomes me whenever I am writing, inspirited me when tired, and doubled my pleasures by sharing them. I will be failing in my duty if I forget the services rendered by my kids - Baby, Simoo, Minoo and Ranjoo. My heartiest thanks go to them for the pains they have taken in proof-reading.

March 1, 1999

K Kumar

K. Kumar