Contents
1. Introduction: From Reviewing Stories to Examining Narrative 10
2. Definition, Scope, and Fundamental Propositions 11
3. Aesthetic Examination Derived from Indian Poetics 12
4. An Examination of Evidence Inspired by Navya-Nyāya 14
5. The Critical Adaptation of Videha's Parallel-History Perspective 16
6. The Full Analytical Scope of Narratology 17
7. Three-Tier Examination and an Integrated Critical Formula 21
8. Practical Procedure: Sixteen Stages 22
9. Rules of Evidence: Twelve Principles for the Critic 24
10. Application to a Constructed Illustration 25
11. Chapter-by-Chapter and Overall Examination of Long Novels 26
12. Critical Judgement: Measurement, Limits, and Re-examination 26
13. Conclusion: Criticism as a Verifiable and Sensitive Discipline 27
Appendix A: Chapter-by-Chapter Critical Assessment Form 28
Appendix B: Decisive Research Questions 29
Appendix C: Essential Glossary 30
Primary Works and References 32
Preface: How to Read the Narrative 35
Critical Section 1 | Original Chapter −100 — The Conch and Silver 36
Critical Section 2 | Original Chapter −99 — The Debate on the Establishment of the Self 44
Critical Section 3 | Original Chapter −98 — Who Created This World? 56
Critical Section 4 | Original Chapter −97 — The Chintāmaṇi Jewel 68
Critical Section 5 | Original Chapter −96 — The Preservation of Memory 81
Critical Section 6 | Original Chapter −95 — The Waterlogged Manuscript 95
Critical Section 7 | Original Chapter −94 — The Silence of Four Mouths 110
Critical Section 8 | Original Chapter −93 — The Conch's Final Question 122
Critical Section 9 | Original Chapter −92 — The Prisoner of the Water Clock 131
Critical Section 10 | Original Chapter −91 — The Light of the Leatherworkers’ Quarter 141
Critical Section 11 | Original Chapter −90 — Budhua's Water Burial 153 
Contents · continued
Critical Section 12 | Original Chapter −89 — The First Night, the First Flood 164
Critical Section 13 | Original Chapter −88 — The Accusation of Witchcraft 175
Critical Section 14 | Original Chapter −87 — At the Gate of the Settlement 187
Critical Section 15 | Original Chapter −86 — The Crocodile of Time 199
Critical Section 16 | Original Chapter −85 — The Āmil's Order 211
Critical Section 17 | Original Chapter −84 — The Silence of the Forest 223
Critical Section 18 | Original Chapter −83 — Sonmā, the Fisherwoman 225
Critical Section 19 | Original Chapter −82 — The First Kabaddi 227
Critical Section 20 | Original Chapter −81 — The Shadow of the Invasion 233
Critical Section 21 | Original Chapter −80 — The First Line of the Song 242
Critical Section 22 | Original Chapter −79 — The Turn of Forgiveness 253
Critical Section 23 | Original Chapter −78 — Outside the Genealogical Register 265
Critical Section 24 | Original Chapter −77 — Burhba's Silence 277
Critical Section 25 | Original Chapter −76 — The First Lesson on a Coconut Leaf 290
Critical Section 26 | Original Chapter −75 — Reason’s First Rebellion 306
Critical Section 27 | Original Chapter −74 — The Tree's Illness 319
Critical Section 28 | Original Chapter −73 — Mohan's Melody 335
Critical Section 29 | Original Chapter −72 — Witness to a Marriage 353
Critical Section 30 | Original Chapter −71 — The Night of the Epidemic 366
Critical Section 31 | Original Chapter −70 — Planting the Channā Grove 382
Critical Section 32 | Original Chapter −69 — The Tale of the Elephant and the Crocodile 397
Critical Section 33 | Original Chapter −68 — The Court's First Hearing Date 414
Critical Section 34 | Original Chapter −67 — The Call from Abroad 429
Critical Section 35 | Original Chapter −66 — The Women's Night Assembly 445
Critical Section 36 | Original Chapter −65 — The Procession of Fake Ghosts 459
Critical Section 37 | Original Chapter −64 — Sukhdev's Revenge 469
Critical Section 38 | Original Chapter −63 — The First Printed Page 478
Critical Section 39 | Original Chapter −62 — Waiting for Relief 488
Critical Section 40 | Original Chapter −61 — The Comet in the Sky 496
Critical Section 41 | Original Chapter −60 — The Night of Fire 504 
Contents · continued
Critical Section 42 | Original Chapter −59 — The Second Flood 513
Critical Section 43 | Original Chapter −58 — The Third Calamity 525
Critical Section 44 | Original Chapter −57 — The Sahib's Notebook 539
Critical Section 45 | Original Chapter −56 — The Call for Independence 549
Critical Section 46 | Original Chapter −55 — The Dawn of Independence 558
Critical Section 47 | Original Chapter −54 — The End of Zamindari 566
Critical Section 48 | Original Chapter −53 — The First Electric Lamp 575
Critical Section 49 | Original Chapter −52 — The Call from the Border 582
Critical Section 50 | Original Chapter −51 — The Seeds of the Green Revolution 589
Critical Section 51 | Original Chapter −50 — The Darkness of the Emergency 596
Critical Section 52 | Original Chapter −49 — The Year of Drought 603
Critical Section 53 | Original Chapter −48 — The Voices of Radio and Television 610
Critical Section 54 | Original Chapter −47 — The Gulf Market 617
Critical Section 55 | Original Chapter −46 — The Test of Communal Harmony 623
Critical Section 56 | Original Chapter −45 — The Winds of Liberalisation 628
Critical Section 57 | Original Chapter −44 — The First Computer 634
Critical Section 58 | Original Chapter −43 — The Diminishing River 639
Critical Section 59 | Original Chapter −42 — The Miracle of the Handheld Phone 645
Critical Section 60 | Original Chapter −41 — The City's Market 651
Critical Section 61 | Original Chapter −40 — The Right to Information 656
Critical Section 62 | Original Chapter −39 — The Guarantee of Work 661
Critical Section 63 | Original Chapter −38 — The Internet's Web 666
Critical Section 64 | Original Chapter −37 — The Screen's First Shadow 671
Critical Section 65 | Original Chapter −36 — The First Footfall of the Unseen Fraudster 676
Critical Section 66 | Original Chapter −35 — The Market for Bodies Opens 681
Critical Section 67 | Original Chapter −34 — Ujjwal's Dream 687
Critical Section 68 | Original Chapter −33 — The Shadow of the Lawyer's Coat 692
Critical Section 69 | Original Chapter −32 — Shadows Across the Sea 697
Critical Section 70 | Original Chapter −31 — Satyavrat's Silence 702
Critical Section 71 | Original Chapter −30 — Gop Kumar's Documents 707 
Contents · continued
Critical Section 72 | Original Chapter −29 — Chandrapal's Dream 714
Critical Section 73 | Original Chapter −28 — Raghav's Code 719
Critical Section 74 | Original Chapter −27 — Aruni's Construction 724
Critical Section 75 | Original Chapter −26 — Devika's Song 729
Critical Section 76 | Original Chapter −25 — Meera's Privacy 734
Critical Section 77 | Original Chapter −24 — Nishant's Bank 739
Critical Section 78 | Original Chapter −23 — Nand's Birth 744
Critical Section 79 | Original Chapter −22 — Approaching Twelve Hundred Years 749
Critical Section 80 | Original Chapter −21 — Ananya's Question 754
Critical Section 81 | Original Chapter −20 — The First Account of the Splash 758
Critical Section 82 | Original Chapter −19 — Satyavrat's Decision 763
Critical Section 83 | Original Chapter −18 — The Meeting of Ananya and Nand 768
Critical Section 84 | Original Chapter −17 — The Web of the Glass Tower 773
Critical Section 85 | Original Chapter −16 — Batuknath's Final Turning 779
Critical Section 86 | Original Chapter −15 — Chandrapal's Account 785
Critical Section 87 | Original Chapter −14 — Construction of the Bridge 790
Critical Section 88 | Original Chapter −13 — Gop Kumar's Compilation 795
Critical Section 89 | Original Chapter −12 — The Trembling of Channa Grove 800
Critical Section 90 | Original Chapter −11 — Burhbā's Final Blessing 805
Critical Section 91 | Original Chapter −10 — The First Splash at the Bridge 810
Critical Section 92 | Original Chapter −9 — The Beginning of the Investigation 815
Critical Section 93 | Original Chapter −8 — The Evidence Comes to Light 821
Critical Section 94 | Original Chapter −7 — The Experience of a Half-Ghost 826
Critical Section 95 | Original Chapter −6 — Gop Kumar's Final Page 831
Critical Section 96 | Original Chapter −5 — The Exposure of the Network 837
Critical Section 97 | Original Chapter −4 — The Final List of Names 842
Critical Section 98 | Original Chapter −3 — The Completion of Twelve Hundred Years 847
Critical Section 99 | Original Chapter −2 — The Next Generation's Pledge 852
Critical Section 100 | Original Chapter −1 — The Final Witness 857