This anthology of modern Kannada fiction is written for the second-year student of Kannada who has finished an intensive course such as is covered in "Kannada: A Cultural Introduction to the Spoken Styles of Language" (ED 016 196). It is assumed that the student is familiar with all the basic structures of the language and writing system and will consult a dictionary and a standard book on Kannada grammar in conjunction with this reader. The nine short selections making up the readings were selected to illustrate the close relationship between Kannada literature and society, focusing especially on the changes in Kannada society during the past century. Each selection is followed by a Kannada-English glossary and grammatical notes. The readings are preceded by an introduction to Kannada literature. (JD)