Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala: A Life of Literature and Reflection
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was a renowned British-Indian novelist, screenwriter, and translator. She is commonly known for her novels that explore the lives of Indians living in England, as well as her work on film adaptations of E.M. Forster's novels.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on July 7, 1927, in Koln, Germany, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala passed away on April 3, 2013, at the age of 85.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Jhabvala was a dual national, holding both British and Indian citizenship. She is recognized as a novelist, screenwriter, and translator, with her work spanning multiple genres and formats.
Early Life and Background
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was born to German Jewish parents in Koln, Germany. Her family moved to England when she was just two years old to escape the Nazi regime. The experience of being an outsider in both Germany and England would later influence her writing. She grew up in Manchester, where she developed a love for literature and languages.
Major Accomplishments
Jhabvala's literary career spanned over six decades, during which she published numerous novels, short stories, and essays. Her breakthrough novel, "The Householder" (1960), was followed by critically acclaimed works such as "Heat and Dust" (1975) and "In Search of Ella Hopper" (1983). She also adapted several E.M. Forster novels for film, including "A Room with a View" (1985) and "Howards End" (1992), which earned her Academy Award nominations.
Notable Works or Actions
Jhabvala's writing often explored the lives of Indians living in England, as well as their relationships with British culture. Her novels frequently employed multiple narrative voices and non-linear storytelling structures, reflecting her interest in experimentation and innovation. As a screenwriter, she collaborated closely with director James Ivory to bring Forster's works to life on film.
Impact and Legacy
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's impact on literature is multifaceted. Her unique perspective as an outsider within both cultures allowed her to capture the complexities of cross-cultural relationships in her writing. Her adaptation work, particularly with E.M. Forster's novels, helped introduce his works to a new generation of readers and filmgoers.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's contributions to literature are significant, but it is her distinctive voice as a writer that has left a lasting impression on readers. Her ability to navigate multiple narrative voices, settings, and cultural contexts has made her work both widely recognized and relatable across diverse audiences. As a screenwriter, she helped bring literary classics to life in new and innovative ways, making her one of the most celebrated adapters of her generation.
Jhabvala's legacy extends beyond her writing; it is also a testament to the power of immigration and cultural exchange. Her experiences as an outsider in both Germany and England have inspired countless readers, writers, and artists to explore their own perspectives on identity, culture, and belonging.
Throughout her long and accomplished career, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala demonstrated a remarkable ability to navigate multiple worlds and languages. Her writing continues to captivate audiences worldwide with its nuance, depth, and insight into the complexities of human relationships.
Quotes by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
All my early books are written as if I were Indian. In England, I had started writing as if I were English; now I write as if I were American. You take other people's backgrounds and characters; Keats called it negative capability.
The landscape which, a few weeks earlier, had been blotted out by dust was now hazy with moisture.
Shortly before the monsoon, the heat becomes very intense. It is said that the more intense it becomes the more abundantly it will draw down the rains, so one wants it to be as hot as can be. And by that time one has accepted it – not got used to but accepted; and moreover, too worn-out to fight against it, one submits to it and endures.
The rest of the time Olivia was alone in her big house with all the doors and windows shut to keep out the heat and dust.
Westernized Indians don't like my books and I tend not to like westernized Indians - so we're quits.
I am dissatisfied with everything I have ever written and regard it all only as a preparation for that one work which probably I don't have it in me to write but which I hope I can go on trying for.
Film, for me, is in two stages. One is when I write the script more or less on my own - that's the nice bit. And then comes for me the unpleasant bit when they all go off, 100 people - actors and camera people and film and sound - and I stay away. When they go into the editing room, I come in again, and that's the bit I like.
Perhaps I'm just fickle by nature and get tired of countries the way other women do of husbands or lovers.
I am a central European with an English education and a deplorable tendency to constant self-analysis. I am irritable and have weak nerves.