This is a list of the greatest Indian novels ever written.

It might feel incomplete (only

books written in English or translations of works in Hindi and other regional languages
figure here). It might seem biased (they're personal picks from the best literary minds of
our time). It might even appear as though we've missed your personal favourite (lists
tend to do that). ut for anyone looking to !ump into the rich world of Indian writing" it's a
beautiful and imperative start. #ur !ury of eight $ writers" publishers" academics and
book critics $ nominated %& books each. 'ot surprisingly" there were overlaps" surprises
and works we knew would never be ignored. In our masterlist of these books" you'll
know nearly everything there is to know about this great land of ours through the
decades. (nd by the end" you'll know more than what you've read.
THE JURY: (mitava )umar" *hiki +arkar" ,avid ,avidar" Harish Trivedi" -eet thayil"
-erry .into" /avi +ingh and +unil +ethi.
The books are listed alphabetically by author's name.
1. Cutting For Stone (2009) by Abraa! "erge#e
This bestselling novel (with more than one million copies sold) is written by an
author who is also a physician and a professor. It is about twins" 0arion and
+hiva" born to an Indian nun and ritish surgeon" who are orphaned with their
mom's death and dad's disappearance in (ddis (baba. +et in Ethiopia and
'ew 1ork" it is about family" betrayal and medicine
2. T$i%igt &n 'e%i (19(0) by A!e) A%i
(li's most important book was published when E0 2orster convinced the
publishers that it was not seditious. It is the story of an upper$class 0uslim
family in ,elhi. 0ir 'ahal" a nationalist" vividly remembers the ritish cruelty
during the /evolt of %345. ut now" in %6%%" 7firangi7 elements have begun to
appear8 his sons' government !obs" English boots... #ld ,elhi making way for
the new.
Extract:
People all around were talking:
'Is that the King on the horse?' said one.
'Don't be mad,' another ridiculed him. 'he is a mere soldier or officer. Kings
wear fine and flowering robes.'
'That's all ou know,' a third butted in. 'The !nglish wear onl those uniforms.
"nderstand?'
#an passed caustic and humorous remarks on the dress and faces of the
nati$e chiefs, laughing at their retinues, calling them tin soldiers or made of
straw. The children were e%cited b the sight, and gloated o$er li$eries and
uniforms and so man white faces as the had ne$er seen before. The
shouted and asked &uestions from people who either did not know the right
answers or were too bus themsel$es watching the fun'
*. So +any Hunger# by ,abani ,atta-arya
This masterpiece depicts Indian freedom struggle" partition" and the engal
famine as the ma!or themes of 9+o 0any Hungers:. The novel pictures the
inherent nature of human beings of different strata of society based on the
great tragedy of ;&th century < engal famine in which lives of two million
innocent people of engal were sacrificed. abani attacharya depicts
agonies" cruelties" frustrations" privations" and uncertainties of common man
during great tragedies in which they have no control.
(. Te &!!orta%# (2009) by A!it Cau)uri
+et in the ombay of the %65&s and '3&s" (mit *haudhuri's book looks at two
families whose fortunes are connected by music (he himself is a talented
musician). +hyam =al" the son of a singer" teaches
music to support his family. His student 0allika +engupta's musical ambitions
are dulled by lu>ury. Her son" 'irmalya" is captivated by philosophy and
incredulous of +hyam!i's material pursuits. This is about music in a modern
world" a debate on +hyam's comment that 7you cannot practice art on an
empty stomach.7
.. Te Hungry Ti)e (200.) by A!ita/ 0o#
.iyali /oy is a young marine biologist from +eattle in search of an endangered
river dolphin. +he is aided by )anai ,utt" a businessman and translator from
,elhi" and 2okir" a young fisherman. This is their !ourney through the
+underbans.
1. Te Sa)o$ 2ine# (1933) by A!ita/ 0o#
Two families $ one English and one engali $ and their lives through three
generations. +et in *alcutta" =ondon and ,haka" this book is shadowed by the
freedom movement" the +econd ?orld ?ar and the *alcutta riots of %6@A.
4. Fire 5n Te +ountain (1944) by Anita 'e#ai
,esai is one of only two authors to appear three times on this list (the other is
/) 'arayan). The part$Berman writer has written %@ novels" been shortlisted
for the ooker .riCe three times and has changed ;D addresses in 54 years.
This +ahitya (kademi (ward$winning novel is about 'anda )aul" who
renounces city life and leaves her family behind" to live in the hills. Entil one
day" her great$granddaughter comes to live with her.
3. &n Cu#to)y (193() by Anita 'e#ai
,even is a small$town Hindi lecturer with a broken dream of becoming a poet.
He lives an insignificant" unhappy life. ut then" he is asked to interview one of
the country's greatest Erdu poets. ,even takes great pains to put together the
logistics. 1et" this pro!ect ends in misery.
9. ,au!gartner6# ,o!bay (1933) by Anita 'e#ai
Hugo aumgartner" a Berman -ew" flees the Holocaust by coming to India.
This is the story of the wandering -ew in ombay after ?orld ?ar II.
10. Te 7ite Tiger (2003) by Ara/in) A)iga
(diga's debut novel won the 0an ooker .riCe for fiction. In the book" the
protagonist" alram Halwai" narrates his life to the *hinese .remier ?en
-iabao8 how the son of a rickshaw puller works as a chauffeur in ,elhi and
then flees to angalore after killing his employer" stealing his money and
becoming a successful businessman.
11. Te 0o) 58 S!a%% Ting# (1994) by Arun)ati Roy
The first Indian novel to win the ooker .riCe" /oy's only novel so far has sold
more than si> million copies. +et in )erala" it is about family and social
in!ustices" about relationships that cross lines and how things fall apart in the
bargain.
Extract:
()ut what was there to sa? *nl that there were tears. *nl that +uietness
and !mptiness fitted together like stacked spoons. *nl that there was a
snuffling in the hollows at the base of a lo$el throat. *nl that a hard hone,
colored shoulder had a semicircle of teethmarks on it. *nl that the held
each other close, long after it was o$er. *nl that what the shared that night
was not happiness, but hideous grief.
*nl that once again the broke the -o$e -aws. That la down who should be
lo$ed. .nd how. .nd how much.(
12. Te Fig Tree (19.9) by Aubrey +enen
This book by an Indian$Irish writer with an English upbringing is about a ritish
scientist" who accidentally invents aphrodisiac figs.
1*. 9a)a!bari (in San#:rit; 4t -entury CE) by ,anabatta; tran#%ate) by
<a)!ini Ra=a>>a (2010)
?ritten in the 5th century" this is one of the oldest novels in the world
(although it is not a novel in the strictest sense). 'arrated by a parrot" it has
stories within stories within stories. (t its heart" it is the love story of the
beautiful Bandharva princess" )adambari" and the moon god" *handrapida.
(fter ana's death" his son hushanabhatta completed the tale.
1(. Anan)a!at (in ,enga%i; 1332) by ,an:i! Can)ra Catter=i;
tran#%ate) by ,a#anta 9u!ar Roy (1992)
/oughly based on the +annyasi /ebellion of %55%" this was banned by the
ritish. Fande 0ataram was originally written as part of the book. The story is
about a couple who meet a group of sanyasis" revolting against the ritish"
and !oin them. Incidentally" *hatter!i's /a!mohan's ?ife (%3@A) is considered
the first Indian novel in English.
1..
11. A%% About H. Hatterr (19(3) by 0" 'e#ani
,esani's only novel. (nthony urgess" introducing the novel in %6@6" wrote" 7It
is not pure EnglishG it is like +hakespeare" -oyce" and )ipling" gloriously
impure7. +alman /ushdie called it 7the first great stroke of the decolonising
pen7. It is about H Hatterr" who grew up in *alcutta" and is looking for
enlightenment $ and so he visits seven #riental cities and consults seven
sages.
14. Te Trotter?@a!a: A Croni-%e (1933) by &r$in A%%an Sea%y
This is a mock epic" an account spanning the lives of seven generations of
The Trotters" an ever$e>panding (nglo$Indian family" starting with -ustin
Trottoire" the Breat Trotter" a 2rench mercenary who came to India in the
%54&s and worked with the ritish East India *ompany" and ending with
Eugene" the +eventh Trotter" in the late ;&th century.
13. E! An) Te ,ig Hoo! (2012) by Jerry <into
This is the story of the protagonist's parents8 Em" the bipolar mother and ig
Hoom" the father" their %;$year$long courtship" marriage and her 7descent into
madness7 and the family coping with her illness. It is part beautiful" part
hilarious and part very" very sad.
19. @e-tar &n A Sie/e (19.() by 9a!a%a +ar:an)aya
orn in 0ysore in %6;A" this is the pioneering woman writer's best$known
novel. It's the story of /ukmani" daughter of a village headman" married to a
landless tenant. Though 0arkandaya moved to England in %6A3 and married
an Englishman" she remained connected to her home country.
20. Train To <a:i#tan (19.1) by 9u#$ant Sing
This is the .artition novel" written by one of India's most colourful and most$
loved writers. The narrative is set in 0ano 0a!ra" a 0uslim$+ikh village at the
Indo$.ak border unaffected by the .artition. ut then" a money lender" the only
Hindu in the village" is murdered. (s events unfold" ordinary individuals get
engulfed in the violence and tragedy of .artition.
21. 'e%i (1990) by 9u#$ant Sing
This book traces the history of ,elhi" from 'adir +hah to the rise of the ritish
,elhi" ending with the assassination of Indira Bandhi. The backdrop is story of
a !ournalist fallen on bad times and his relationship with hagmati" a hi!ra.
,elhi reveals to us the underbelly of the cheHuered history of this old and
grand city. The book" chosen by publisher /avi +ingh in his list of ten" calls it
7a monumental /abelaisian tribute to the capital city spanning over %&&&
years. #nly a writer with )hushwant +ingh's daring" scholarship and genius for
entertainment could have written a novel as rich and uninhibited as this one. 7
22. Te &neritan-e 58 2o## (2001) by 9iran 'e#ai
,aughter of author (nita ,esai" )iran is an accomplished writer herself. This is
her second book and won several literary priCes. It features a retired !udge in
)alimpong who looks back at a lifetime of arrogance. The story is also about
his orphaned granddaughter and his cook's son" an illegal immigrant in the
E+.
2*. Cu-:o%) (1994) by 9iran @agar:ar
( fictional retelling of the life of 0ira ai (the princess who believed she was
married to )rishna) and her mortal husband" the heir apparent of 0ewar. It
unfolds as abur sweeps in and invades India.
2(. Ra/an A E))ie (199() by 9iran @agar:ar
The Buardian named it one of the %& best books about 0umbai" it is the story
of two boys" /avan and Eddie" growing up in a ombay chawl in the '4&s.
2.. Te 'eat 58 "i#nu (2001) by +ani% Suri
This debut novel by a mathematician was longlisted for the ooker and is
about the spiritual !ourney of a dying man named Fishnu" working on a
ombay building.
21. 'i88i-u%t 'augter# (1993) by +an=u 9a>ur
0an!u )apur" who taught English at ,elhi Eniversity" found success with her
very first book. +et in the .artition years" it's about a young woman
in .un!ab in love with a married man.
24. U!rao Jan A)a (in Ur)u; 139*) by +irBa Ha)i 6Ru#$a6; tran#%ate) by
9u#$ant Sing an) +A Hu#aini (1940)
+ome critics consider this as the first Erdu novel (novel" in the strict sense of
the term novel). The memories of a girl kidnapped and sold to a kotha" and her
life as a courtesan in %6th century =ucknow.
23. Coo%ie (19*1) by +u%: Ra= Anan)
( founding member of .rogressive ?riters (ssociation" (nand's work often
looked at the layers of colonialism within India. *oolie is about the adventures
of 0unoo" a boy forced to leave his village in the hills and move to towns and
cities" from ombay to +imla" working as servant" factory worker and rickshaw
driver.
Extract:
(.../e 0#ulk 1a2 .nand3 has other fads. /e eats half boiled eggs for breakfast.
/e keeps a bottle of brand hand to ha$e a swig whene$er he is in the
mood.
45: 6hat's our credo?
#1.: To speak up for the down and out. To work for their uplift, and present
them with dignit in m fiction. !$en an untouchable has his dignit, or a
coolie. The same dignit as a king , perhaps greater.(
29. 0o)an (in Hin)i; 19*1) by +un#i <re!-an); tran#%ate) by 0or)on
C Roa)ar!e% (1913)
.remchand is one of the most outstanding and celebrated writers in the
subcontinent" a pioneer of Hindi and Erdu literature $ and the first to introduce
realism in his writing. Bodan" his last novel is also considered his finest.
Bodan is about Hori 0ahato who desires to own a cow so that he can gift it to
a priest on his deathbed as godan and find himself a place in heaven. He uses
treachery and debt to buy the cow. ut the cow is poisoned. This translation is
considered a classic in itself.
*0. <%aygroun) (Rangboo!i in Hin)i; 192() by +un#i <re!-an);
tran#%ate) by +an=u Jain (2011)
( blind beggar's struggle against the acHuisition of his ancestral land. (s with
most works of .remchand" it is set in the rural backdrop of colonial India with
its many hardships.
*1.
*2. &n)u%e:a (in +a%aya%a!; 1339) by 5 Can)u +enon; tran#%ate) by
Anita 'e/a#ia (200.)
# *handu 0enon" a voracious reader of English novels" would often tell these
stories to his friends in 0alayalam. It was while attempting to translate
en!amin ,israeli's Henrietta Temple (%3D5)" that he decided to write a novel.
Indulekha is considered the first classic novel in 0alayalam. It is the love story
of a beautiful" English$educated" aristocratic young 'air woman" Indulekha"
who falls in love with 0adhavan" her cousin and an eligible bachelor $ e>cept
her grandfather forbids the match.
**. Te 2egen)# 58 9a#a:; (9a#a::inte &tia#a! in +a%aya%a!; 1919)
by 5" "i=ayan; tran#%ate) by te autor in 199(
This book by cartoonist" novelist and satirist Fi!ayan is the stuff of legend.
Thasrak" the village )erala he based the fictional village of )hasak on" has
become a centre of literary pilgrimage. This novel is about a boy called /avi
who renounces an academic career and love for an ascetic life. Builty of
committing incest with his stepmother" he decides to live in )hasak as
atonement for his sin. He starts a new life setting up a single teacher school
and lives with the village folk. ,espite the new life" the dichotomies still drive
his life.
*(. Ri/er 58 Fire (Aag :a 'arya in U)ru; 19.9) by Curratu%ain Hy)er;
tran#%ate) by te autor (1999)
( magnum opus by the 7Brande ,ame7 of Erdu literature" this books spans a
period of ;&&& years $ from the fourth century *E to post$Independence
India and .akistan. It is divided into four sections" and four interlinked
characters $ Bautam" *hampa" )amal" and *yril $ reappear in every section.
*.. Te Feu)ing Fa!i%ie# 58 "i%%age 0angau%i; (Aa)a 0aon in Ur)u;
1911) by Rai +a#oo! RaBa; tran#%ate) by 0i%%ian 7rigt (199()
/aCa" an Erdu poet" was also a ollywood lyricist and wrote the screenplay for
/ *hopra's 0ahabharat. This book" set in the decade before Independence
and during the .artition" it is about the +aiyid Camindars in Bangauli" a village
in Ettar .radesh. It sketches out rural life in transition.
*1. 9anta>ura (19*3) by Ra=a Rao
?hen /ao wrote this novel" very little was known about Indian writing abroad.
E0 2orster called it 7perhaps the best novel to come out of India7. It's about
how Bandhism made its way into )anthapura" a small casteist village in
southern India.
*4. Te Ser>ent An) Te Ro>e (1910) by Ra=a Rao
*onsidered a masterpiece" it is a philosophical I somewhat esoteric account
of a young rahmin boy and his 2rench wife seeking spiritual truth. +et in
India" 2rance and England" the dialogue between #rient and #ccident" a clash
between Indian and ?estern cultures.
*3. Te Eng%i# Tea-er (19(.) by R9 @arayan
The only other author (apart from (nita ,esai) to feature thrice in this list is
one of the forerunners of Indian literature in English (along with /a!a /ao"
0ulk /a! (nand and (hmed (li). Braham Breene greatly admired 'arayan
and was instrumental in getting him published. The English Teacher" the
seHuel to +wami and 2riends (%6D4) and The achelor of (rts (%6D5)" is semi$
autobiographical. It is about how )rishna" an English teacher" deals with life
when his wife dies of typhoid.
*9. Te Finan-ia% ED>ert (19.2) by R9 @arayan
The story of 0argayya" who sits under a banyan tree and offers financial
advice to the people of 0algudi.
(0. Te 0ui)e (19.3) by R9 @arayan
'arayan's best known novel" is about /a!u" the tour guideJcon man and /osie"
the neglected housewife. (nd /a!u's spiritual !ourney $ how he becomes a holy
man.
(1. A Fine ,a%an-e (199.) by Rointon +i#try
+hortlisted for the ooker .riCe" this novel set in ombay during the
Emergency is about ,ina ,alal" a widow" who takes in a boarder in her flat in
ombay8 0aneck" the young son of a friend. +he also hires two tailors" Ishvar
and his nephew #mprakash" for piecework. This is about how the four come
together and form a sort of accidental family.
(2. Te Roo! 5n Te Roo8 (19.1) by Ru#:in ,on)
/uskin ond's first novel $ he wrote it when he was %5 is about %@$year$old
/usty" the orphaned (nglo$Indian boy who lives in ,ehradun with his strict
English guardian.
(*. +i)nigt6# Ci%)ren (1930) by Sa%!an Ru#)ie
It won The est of the ooker" a celebratory ooker award in ;&&3. .art
magic$realism" part historical fiction" this is the story of +aleem +inai" one of
the %"&&% children born at the e>act moment of India's independence. +inai
has e>traordinary powers" like the rest of the other 'children'. His life is a
reflection of the course the Indian nation eventually takes.
((. Te 0reat &n)ian @o/e% (1939) by Sa#i Taroor
This is satire at its best. Take the 0ahabharat" insert the Indian freedom
movement and all that followed over the ne>t few decades. (dd some puns.
The result is a great Indian novel8 The Breat Indian 'ovel.
(.. Raag 'arbari (in Hin)i; 1913) by Sri%a% Su:%a; tran#%ate) by 0i%%ian
7rigt (1991)
This +ahitya (kademi (ward winning novel by a master satirist e>amines the
idea of power. It's about a rahmin ayurvedic doctor" the political mastermind
of a village in Ettar .radesh in the %64&s" who struggles to control the village.
(1.
(4.
(3. Sa!#:ara (in 9anna)a; 191.) by UR Ananta!urty; tran#%ate) by A9
Ra!anu=an (1941)
(nanthamurthy is one of the most important voices in the 'avya (new)
movement in )annada. =ast year" the writer was shortlisted for the 0an
ooker International .riCe for overall contribution to fiction. +amskara is the
story of 'aranappa" who lives in a community of rahmins but re!ects their
way of life8 he eats meat" lives with a prostitute. (t his death" when the novel
begins" the community is confused $ they don't want to perform his last rites
but then" the community itself gets 'polluted' as his corpse rots.
(9. Sa-re) 0a!e# (2001) by "i:ra! Can)ra
The criss$crossing paths of a cop" Inspector +arta! +ingh" and the country's
most$wanted gangster" Banesh Baitonde. This is a book about the 0umbai
underworld and about the city itself.
.0. Te 0o%)en 0ate (1933) by "i:ra! Set
The novel in verse is about the lives of yuppies in +an 2rancisco in the %63&s.
.1. A Suitab%e ,oy (199.) by "i:ra! Set
This tome is several things at once. It is a love story" a family drama" an
introduction to Indian politics and all things desi. +et in a newly Independent
India" it is 0rs /upa 0ehra's Huest to find a suitable boy for her daughter =ata.
There are three young men8 )abir ,urrani" =ata's highly unsuitable boyfriend $
good$looking" charming and 0uslimG (mit *hatter!i" the internationally$
acclaimed poet" but his sister is married to =ata's mother (which according to
0rs 0ehra" a very unsuitable match) and there is Haresh )hanna" a foreign$
educated shoe$maker.
.2. Te Enig!a 58 Arri/a% (1934) by "S @ai>au%
0ostly an autobiography" the book is composed of four sections which reflect
the growing familiarity and changing perceptions of 'aipaul upon his arrival in
various countries after leaving his native Trinidad and Tobago. He writes about
his e>periences of cities in England" (merica and contrasts it with Trinidad.
.*. Te +aabarata (in San#:rit; bet$een 3t?(t -entury ,CE) by
"ya#a; reto%) by C Ra=ago>a%a-ari (19.3)
(ny ucket book list is incomplete without the 0ahabharat. The epic" originally
an oral tradition in +anskrit was first narrated by Fed Fyas more than ;&&&
years ago. It is the longest poem in the world $ originally" it had 3"3&& verses
and with generations and centuries of retelling and recreating" it grew to more
than %"&&"&&&. /a!agopalachari's version is perhaps one of the simplest
translation $ the best introduction to the greatest story ever retold.
.(. Ti# &# @ot Tat 'a$n (Joota Sa- by Ya#>a% in Hin)i; 19.3?10
tran#%ate) by Anan) (2010)
*onsidered the most towering writer since .remchand" 1ashpal's novel
published in two volumes" is set in pre$.artition =ahore. =ife is normal in the
hola .ande galli until pre!udiced leaders stoke communal fires. This starts a
chain of barbaric events. .eople flee their homes" millions die and women are
the worst hit. 'ot only does the demographic change" life changes for the
people forever.
... Re/o%ution 2020 by Cetan ,agat
He is one of the most famous novelist of India" today. (ll of his novels are best
sellers. The author tries to reveal the great tragedy of contemporary India <
corruption. /EF#=ETI#' ;&;& is a scathing attack to various manifestation of
corruption in Indian society by which the common man are suffering and
struggling to cope with. Though the plot of the novel revolves round triangular
love affair" the attitude of the writer to the greatest evil of India make the novel
an outstanding work.
.1. &nter>reter o8 !a%a)ie# by Ju!>a 2airi
This collection of short stories from this .ulitCer$.riCe winning Indian$(merican
author speaks volumes about the dissonance of the immigrant e>perience.
The title story" among others" is built around our desire for health and
happiness in a world both multicultural and connected" but unfortunately still
stricken by abelKs curse.
.4. Te &n#-rutab%e A!eri-an# by Anurag +atur
( hilarious and poignant novel about an Indian e>change student's year at a
small (merican university. $$ (n engaging look at the clash of Indian culture
and an (merica that is both harsh and e>hilarating to a smart but naive
foreigner. Bopal arrives in (merica from a small town in India prepared for
study but decidedly unprepared for the cultural differences he encounters. This
delightful novel chronicles the religious" vegetarian Bopal's comic adventures
and misadventures in the land of hot dogs" *oca$*ola" neon lights" and
e>plicit advertising.
.3. 2a)ie# Cou>E by Anita @air
0eet (khila8 forty$five and single" an income$ta> clerk" and a woman who has
never been allowed to live her own life $ always the daughter" the sister" the
aunt" the provider $ until the day she gets herself a one$way ticket to the
seaside town of )anyakumari. In the intimate atmosphere of the all$women
sleeping car $ the '=adies *oupe' $ (khila asks the five women the Huestion
that has been haunting her all her adult life8 can a woman stay single and be
happy" or does she need a man to feel completeL This wonderfully
atmospheric" deliciously warm novel takes the reader into the heart of
women's lives in contemporary India" revealing how the dilemmas that women
face in their relationships with husbands" mothers" friends" employers and
children are the same world over.
.9. &n te Con/ent o8 2itt%e F%o$er# by &n)u Sun)are#an
Here is a candid and stunning collection of stories about contemporary Indians
and the cutting$edge issues surrounding them M where ancient tradition and
modernity can often clash. ( young woman who was adopted by an (merican
family in +eattle receives a letter from +ister 0ary Theresa" nun at the
*onvent of =ittle 2lowers in *hennai wher