Final answer:
Saul Bellow is the author of The Dean's December, as cited by Salman Rushdie. The final answer indicating Bellow's authorship is not among the provided options since Salman Rushdie, R. K. Narayan, Arundhati Roy, and Jhumpa Lahiri are incorrect.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author who wrote The Dean's December, which Salman Rushdie cites, is Saul Bellow. Saul Bellow was a Canadian-American writer widely regarded for his acute observations on the complexities of modern urban life, often reflected through troubled characters in his novels. The Dean's December is one of Bellow's notable works, published in 1982, which tells the story of Albert Corde, a college dean who confronts personal and professional crises amid social decay in Chicago and a bleak winter in communist Romania.
The novel explores themes of isolation, morality, and the struggles inherent in intellectual life. Rushdie himself is an esteemed writer, often citing influential literary works in his essays and discussions. It's worth noting that Rushdie's recognition of Bellow's novel underscores the text's resonance within the literary community and the broader intellectual dialogue.
In the context of the provided options, the final answer is not available given that Saul Bellow's name is not listed among the choices. However, the correct answer to the questioned authorship of The Dean's December is Saul Bellow.
Saul Bellow wrote The Dean's December, a fact which is not reflected in the multiple choices provided as none of the listed options is correct.