Best Books from India
India's literary landscape is uniquely plural: an enormous tradition of classical Sanskrit, Tamil, and regional literature sits alongside one of the most dynamic bodies of English-language fiction anywhere on earth. Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European Nobel laureate in literature, wrote in Bengali and translated himself into a world language. Arundhati Roy's debut novel won the Booker Prize and became a global phenomenon. Vikram Seth, Rohinton Mistry, and Amitav Ghosh have mapped the subcontinent's history with novelistic ambition, while a new generation of writers in Hindi, Malayalam, and Marathi is claiming equal prominence.
Top 10 from India
Midnight's Children
Saleem Sinai, born at the exact moment of India's independence, is mysteriously linked to the other thousand children born in that midnight hour, all endowed with supernatural gifts. Rushdie's exuberant, maximalist novel maps the history of postcolonial India through the body of its narrator. Winner of the Booker Prize and the Booker of Bookers, it is one of the most important novels of the twentieth century.
The God of Small Things
Twin siblings Rahel and Estha come of age in Kerala amid the rigid social hierarchies of India's caste system, leading to a forbidden love and tragedy. Roy's Booker Prize-winning debut is told in lush, nonlinear prose that circles around the 'Love Laws'—the rules that dictate who should be loved, and how, and how much.
The White Tiger
Balram Halwai, a driver from the poorest part of India, murders his master and escapes to Bangalore, where he becomes a successful entrepreneur. Adiga's Booker Prize-winning novel is a darkly comic, scathing critique of India's social and economic inequality told in the form of letters to the Chinese Premier.
Gitanjali
Rabindranath Tagore's 'Gitanjali' is a collection of poems that express profound spiritual and philosophical reflections. Originally written in Bengali and later translated into English by Tagore himself, the work earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. The poems are celebrated for their lyrical beauty and spiritual depth, exploring themes of divine love, human connection, and the quest for truth.
Haroun and the Sea of Stories
A celebrated work of literary fiction, Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie (1990) offers an unflinching examination of the human condition.
Midnight's Children
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (1981) is a notable work of horror from India.
The God of Small Things
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (1997) is a notable work of romance from India.
The Satanic Verses
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (1988) is a notable work of travel exploration from India.
Grimus
Grimus by Salman Rushdie (1975) is a notable work of religion spirituality from India.
Imaginary Homelands
Imaginary Homelands by Salman Rushdie (1991) is a notable work of short stories from India.
