First published in 1970, The Novel in India traces the birth and development of prose fiction in Bengali, Marathi, Urdu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam. It is addressed not only to academic students of Asian culture but to all who are interested in literary history. India and Pakistan have many great literatures, but they are almost unknown beyond their own boundaries. Language is a formidable barrier, and this book is offered in the hope that it can bridge the cultural divide that language has created. It has a fascinating story to tell of the endeavours, experiments and achievements of writers who deserve to be better known outside their native land.