The Indian literary tradition is one of the oldest in the world spanning thousands of years. While the history of Indian English literature may be relatively short, there are still many award-winning and critical masterpieces that anyone who loves books can't miss.
Most Indian classics are set in the modern period after India's independence and continue to reflect Indian culture, tradition, and social values through the depiction of life in India and the life of Indian immigrants. These books will give readers a deeper understanding of India's history and how the nation of more than a billion people has emerged from various dilemmas.
To get you started on your reading journey, we've compiled a list of books by Indian authors who have had a great impact on Indian literature.
1. The Great Indian Novel
This is a satirical novel by Shashi Tharoor and is a fictional work that tells the story of the Mahabharata, a famous Indian epic. The book recasts and resets the story in the context of the Indian Independence Movement and the first three decades of post-independence.
Figures from Indian history are transformed into characters from mythology and the mythical story of India is retold as a history of more recent times. The author records India's struggle for freedom and independence with irony and poignancy.
Unlike regular historical fiction which deals with unearthing a secret or a perspective alteration of an already-told tale, this novel deals with the continuation of history in the present. Consequently, his plot forges a connection between the ancient and post-independent India. This is book a treat for all the fans of historical fiction.
- Author: Shashi Tharoor
- Year Published: 1989
2.Train to Pakistan
This book is one of the best Indian novels around and depicts the horrors that took place during the partition of India. This heart-tearing story is based on real events and set in the fictional town of Mano Majra.
The story shows how the brotherhood between two communities was replaced overnight by hatred sparked by the communal violence that erupted during the partition of India and Pakistan. This violence was based on religious divides.
In this novel, you can learn about the rivalry between Sikhs and Muslims that started because of a train that was loaded with dead bodies. Amidst this tragic story, there is also hope in the story of a Sikh boy and Muslim girl whose love transcends all the religious hate.
- Author: Khushwant Singh
- Year Published: 1956
3.Palace of Illusions
This an award-winning novel penned by famous novelist Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. This book retells the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, from the perspective of Draupadi, its lead female character who we don't hear from much in the ancient epic. Draupadi is the daughter of King Drupad, wife of the five Pandavas, and mistress of a breathtaking and stupendous palace.
The story takes us to a world that is half history, half myth, and full magic. The novel centers on Draupadi's struggles as a woman born in a patriarchal society at a time when the world is full of agony and controlled by the ever-manipulating hands of destiny.
Banerjee has written the whole story by stepping into Draupadi's shoes and writing a completely male dominant epic from a female's point of view. Her description of emotions like insecurity, jealousy, and love is amazing. No doubt this is the best fictional account of the Mahabharata and is a very unique book that has added a very interesting touch to the epic.
- Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- Year Published: 2008
4.The God of Small Things
It's not very often that an author's debut novel gets him/her The Man Booker Prize. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy was one of those great novels.
This book tells the story of a family in Kerala in the 1960s. Delving deep into a range of issues from the caste system to the state's encounters with communism. The story follows two fraternal twins, their parents, and their extended family as they navigate life in this highly acclaimed work by the famous activist and writer.
The novel begins in 1969 when India, although having achieved independence twenty years earlier, is still entrenched in the caste system. This powerful and well-written story tugs at the heartstrings as the author reveals to her readers a glimpse of an India clinging to its traditions.
- Author: Arundhati Roy
- Year Published: 1997
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Very great experience our driver D was…
Very great experience our driver D was never late and always had waters and a cold towel for us and our tour guide Som was very informative and had amazing English I recommend them both highly for anyone else traveling More
Rylan Coache, Feb 2024
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Excellent guide in Siem Reap
Our recent time spent in Siem Reap was made even more memorable by our expert guide, Som Piseth. Som was knowledgeable, attentive, flexible and super helpful - we learnt so much about Siem Reap and Cambodia in our 3 days with him. His English was excellent and his knowledge of, and pride in, his country was outstanding. We would highly recommend Som for anyone wanting an excellent guide in Siem Reap! More
Sharon Townshend, Feb 2024
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Asia Highlights trip to Thailand
Our first tour guide in Bangkok, Marie, was great to tour around with. She was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. Our next stop in Chang Mai we were greeted by our new tour guide, Rafael. He too was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. He made it feel as if we were traveling around with a long time friend. Every time we arrived at a new destination, we were greeted at the airport by someone with a sign with our name making our travels easy. I would definitely recommend Asia Highlights to anyone looking for a well planned trip of a lifetime! More
Tricia, Feb 2024
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Amazing Thailand experience
The tour guides were all knowledgeable and accommodating, especially Mayuree in Bangkok- absolutely wonderful. We felt taken care of and every step of the way was catered to our needs. More
Ashley White, Feb 2024
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Private tour perfect for our times
Asia highlights organized a private tour with our requests. Everything was perfect ?? the driver Tom and the guide Ying were always on time with a smile in their face. Always willing to help and make our trip perfect. Bangkok is a very hot city so we minimized the time outside. The driver always had cold towels for us in the van and cold beverages. More
Virginia, Feb 2024
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Thailand
We loved Chiang Mai and Susie did a great job showing us several temples, taking many pictures of us with the elephants at the sanctuary (a definite highlight of the entire trip!), and making sure we were well fed, which became a running joke between us.We had a very relaxing few days in Phuket enjoying the beautiful beaches. Kai was great, answering all of our questions and giving us a nice tour of the old town. The all-day speedboat tour of the Phi Phi islands started off a little shaky as the sea was quite rough so if you’re at all uncomfortable bouncing around in a speedboat, you might want to skip that tour. Things did calm down as the day went on and some of the areas they took us to for swimming, snorkeling, etc were really beautiful. A couple of the islands were too crowded with people. More
Andrea Roberts, Feb 2024
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What a Wonderful Trip
What a Wonderful Trip! We booked with Sharon and our trip was great - guides were waiting for us at each stop, and they were all very nice and helpful. I cannot stress how amazing the guides were - they made the trip. More
Rachel, Feb 2024
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Ask for Victor!
If you are traveling to Bangkhok you need to request Victor. He made our trip amazing! My family completed bucket list items with his guidance. He knew exactly how to get us places, kept us on time, made us feel safe, educated us on history, spoke excellent English and was genuinely a nice man! Everyone we encountered was awesome- but Victor is the reason for my 5 star review! More
Sandy, Jan 2024
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Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a…
Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a wonderful trip to Thailand. We had a great time. The tour guides were wonderful as were the hotels you booked for us. We will definitely contact you to plan our next trip More
Carol Yeung, Jan 2024
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Ying was the best
Ying was the best. She was really knowledgeable and kind. Thank you Ying for wonderful experience in Thailand! More
Sylvester Yeung, Jan 2024
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Very well organized
Very well organized. Our tour guide, Ying, was amazing! She had full knowledge of every location we visited and made sure our itinerary was fulfilled as expected. She was extremely helpful for our airport experiences, and made sure we arrived at an appropriate time. More
David M. Kang, Jan 2024
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Family trip to Thailand
We were lucky to be greeted by Marie and her driver.In Marie, we have made a friend for life. She is incredibly smart and knowledgeable about her home country. From the vast number of temples to safely traversing Chinatown.She helped give us tips on our free days, locate left behind lost clothing and arrange for pickup. She even helped check us in for our flight to Chiang Mai.She prepared us ahead of time for every event we had scheduled and bonded with our kids, 3x 13 year olds. More
Justin Levenbrook, Jan 2024
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Thailand with and amazing tour guide Ying
I highly recommend Ying as a tour guide in Thailand. Her expertise in Thai culture, combined with her passion for food and genuine love for her country, made the tour an exceptional experience. If you're looking for a guide who will not only show you the sights but also immerse you in the local culture and help you discover delicious Thai cuisine, Ying is the perfect choice. More
Diana Irizarry, Jan 2024
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Asia Highlights Thailand trip
Asia Highlights provided us with a great travel trip. They made it very easy to navigate through Thailand with everything going very smoothly. From the easy transportation to the great day itinerary everything was awesome. Will definitely look to use this agency again in the future. More
Taylor Jones, Jan 2024
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Perfect 2 WK Thailand Trip for a Solo Female Traveler
Bank was our guide in Bangkok and he showed us around the city with ease and we were able to see and try things I never would have planned on my own. After Bangkok, our small group flew to Chiang Mai for Yi Peng lantern festival and that was a breathtaking experience that I will never forget! Pop was our guide in this city and she was knowledgeable, kind and caring which made our experience even more memorable. More
Tia, Dec 2023
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We recently have just returned from Thailand
We recently have just returned one from a 5 week trip to Thailand through Asia Highlights. We had a wonderful time and Asia Highlights went beyond our expectations. They truly tried their best to make sure everything went smoothly and we were taken care of! Everyone was amazing and we would definitely use them in the future!! Many thanks to everyone that helped to make this an incredible once in a lifetime experience!! More
Karen Rocque, Dec 2023
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Indochina Experience
On our 5th day of our trip with Asiahighlights. We felt well taken care of before and it hasn’t changed since we started from Bangkok to Hanoi (guide Kim was verrry knowledgeable!) to Halong Bay (spectacular scenery) to Hoi An (guide Nhieu Tran, giving great local (shopping) tips and insights). More
Stefan Eisenhut, Dec 2023
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Accommodations by Asia highlights have
Accommodations by Asia highlights have been terrific so far. The Khmer Residence in Siem Reap as well as Eastin Grand hotel in Bangkok. Both had excellent pools and breakfasts.Tours in Siem Reap were particularly well given with an amazing mix of culture, history and humor throughout (Mr Poly). Tours in Bangkok by Mr Banks were informative and well organized with samples of Thai fruit and treats throughout. More
Chris Williams, Nov 2023
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Seeing Bangkok with ease
In Bangkok, our tour guide, Ying, was wonderful. She navigated all the sights with ease, gave us interesting tidbits on Thai culture and history, helped us pick the right food at all the restaurants, and was just a pleasure to be around. We had a great time, and it was so nice to not have to worry about any of the details. More
Diane Elkins, Nov 2023
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Thailand- October 2023!
The team in Thailand was also great. Shout out to our tour guides (Monchai in Bangkok, Indy in Chang Mai and Sonia in Phuket) they were the best!! It was 6 of us and they make us all feel right at home! Kudos! More
Mori P, Nov 2023
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5.The Guide
The Guide is a novel by the Indian author R. K. Narayan. The novel takes place in Malgudi, a fictional town in South India, and describes the transformation of the protagonist, Raju, from a tour guide to spiritual guide and then one of the greatest saints of India. This novel won its author the 1960 Sahitya Akademi English prize.
The movie "Guide" released in 1965 and featuring the iconic actor Dev Anand, was based on this novel.
This book is essentially a tale of human instincts, where faith and love can be expected to bring about a massive change in a man's nature, capable of transforming a devil into a saint.
- Author: R. K. Narayan
- Year Published: 1958
6.A Fine Balance
The novel is set in 1975 against the backdrop of the central government declaring a State of Emergency throughout India. The book centers on four characters from varied backgrounds: Dina is a beautiful widow, Ishvar and his nephew Omprakash just survived a massacre, and the young student Maneck. Through the story, they come together and develop a bond.
From suspicion to reconciliation, the main characters develop familial feelings in the suffocating misery of their existence. But as soon as life begins to look a little brighter, bad choices, cruel destinies, and terrible things follow.
This is a sweeping story that exposes the changes in Indian society from independence in 1947 to the Emergency called by Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. This magnificent novel, though a fictitious story, captures all the cruelty and corruption, dignity and heroism of India.
- Author: Rohinton Mistry
- Year Published: 1995
7.White Tiger
The White Tiger, which was a Booker Prize winner in 2008, is a classic novel that sheds light on a man in the deprived section of the society, who is desperate to come out of his misery and lead an independent life.
This story told through a retrospective narration from Balram Halwai, a village boy, provides a darkly humorous perspective of India's class struggle in a globalized world. Throughout the seven nights in the story, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing tale of how he came to be a success in life—having nothing but his wits to help him along the way.
It's one of the best novels by an Indian author that was written in English and offers a great examination of issues of religion, caste, loyalty, corruption, and poverty in India.
- Author: Aravind Adiga
- Year Published: 2008
8.Wings of Fire
The Wings of Fire is written by a visionary scientist, who from very humble beginnings rose to be the President of India.
Dr. Kalam by narrating his life journey evokes the reader to identify with one's inner fire and potential, for he was of the firm belief that each one of us was born with the strength and ability to make a tangible change in the world.
This book is best suited for teenagers and young adults who dream and dare to challenge the status quo. The story shows us, how a person from a modest background ends up being the First Citizen of a nation of one billion people.
- Author: Agni Ki Udaan
- Year Published: 2008
9.A Suitable Boy
This is an epic love story set in post-independence India. The story is both funny and tragic with engaging and brilliantly observed characters. It centers around Lata and her mother, Mrs. Rupa Mehra, both trying to find a 'suitable boy' for Lata to marry.
At 1,349 pages, it is one of the longest novels ever published in a single volume in the English language. It is rare that such a long book is both an entertaining read and an intellectually satisfying challenge. Vikram Seth has more than succeeded in both areas.
The book meditates on a range of issues from post-partition politics, Hindu-Muslim strife, caste and class tensions, and changing family relationships. It's one of the nation's classic bestsellers and very worth a read.
- Author: Vikram Seth
- Year Published: 1993
10.The Discovery of India
The former Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote this book during his imprisonment at Ahmednagar Fort for participating in the Quit India Movement (1942 – 1946).
The book begins with ancient history as Nehru writes at length on the Vedas, Upanishads, and textbooks of the ancient times and ends during the British raj. The book is a broad view of Indian history, culture, and philosophy.
Today, the Discovery of India is considered to be one of the finest writings on Indian History. The television series Bharat Ek Khoj, which was released in 1988, was based on this book.
- Author: Jawaharlal Nehru
- Year Published: 1946
11.Midnight's Children
Midnight's Children is a faux autobiography in which personal farce and political realism fuse, only to disintegrate into contingency and absurdity. Its narrator, Saleem Sinai, combines the story of his childhood with that of India itself, having been born at midnight on the day of India's independence.
His every act is mirrored and magnified in events that sway the course of national affairs. The most remarkable are the telepathic powers linking him with India's 1,000 other "midnight's children," all born in that initial hour and endowed with magical gifts.
This novel is at once a fascinating family saga and an astonishing evocation of a vast land and its people. It stands apart as both an epochal work of fiction and a brilliant performance by one of the great literary voices of our time.
- Author: Salman Rushdie
- Year Published: 1981
12.Shiva Trilogy
The Shiva Trilogy is the collection of the best-selling books The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, and The Oath of the Vayuputras written by Amish Tripathy.
This series is set in 1900 BC, during the time of the Indus Valley Civilization and revolves around the lives of the men who inhabited the land of Meluha, or as it was known back then—the Suryavanshi.
In this book series, the author describes the concepts of Karma and reincarnation with succinct ease. His style of writing is gripping and makes for a compelling read.
- Author: Amish Tripathy
- Years Published: The Immortals of Meluha: 2010, The Secret of the Nagas: 2011, The Oath of the Vayuputras: 2013
13.The Interpreter of Maladies
This book is a collection of nine stories, all based on the lives of Indians and Indian Americans who are lost between the two cultures.
In these nine poignant stories, the author tells of the Indian immigrant experience by connecting the tales and creating one voice for them. The stories share a sadness of being separated from one's family by thousands of miles, yet also offered a glimmer of hope for their futures in India or the United States.
The book was published in 1999 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award in the year 2000. To date, it has sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
- Author: Jhumpa Lahiri
- Year Published: 1999
14.India a Million Mutinies Now
India a Million Mutinies Now is the third book in Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul's "India trilogy", the other two books are An Area of Darkness and India and A Wounded Civilization. The third book is the most impressive among the three novels.
This book tells the stories of many of the people the author met while traveling more than fifty years ago and explores how the characters have been steered by the innumerable frictions present in Indian society. The story focuses on the contradictions and compromises of religious faith and the whims and chaotic effects of random political forces.
- Author: V. S. Naipaul
- Year Published: 1999
15.The Inheritance of Loss
This novel is set in northeastern India near the border with Nepal. The main character, Sai, is a teenaged girl who lives with her grandfather, Judge Patel. Biju, the son of the judge's cook, is a young man making a living by working in restaurants as an illegal alien in the United States.
When a Nepalese insurgency in the mountains threatens Sai's new-sprung romance with her handsome tutor, their lives descend into chaos. The Gorkhaland movement is the historical backdrop of the novel.
The whole story is briskly paced and sumptuously written, reflecting on issues of nationhood, modernity, and class in a way that is both moving and significant. This book won a number of awards including the Man Booker Prize for that year, the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award in 2007, and the 2006 Vodafone Crossword Book Award.
- Author: Kiran Desai
- Year Published: 2006
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It was a whirlwind across a number of cities, but a very comprehensive experience across the many sides and cultures of China. Most days had sufficient activities, but weren’t overwhelming, which was great.Across cities, we had excellent tour guides, like Kitty (Beijing), Jenny (Xian), William (Guilin/Yangshuo), Kris (Shanghai), and Tony (Yellow Mountains.)
moreFrom the time we landed in Beijing until we left, we were well taken care of. My wife and I had Lily Liu as our guide and she was amazing. From arranging visits to all the different sights, to teaching us the history, it was fantastic.
moreThe tour was excellent. Selinda was very knowledgeable about all the aspects of our tour. Selinda was very interesting and knew so much Chinese history
moreWe made a private tour through South China in January 2024. Altogether Chengdu was the highlight. We had an incredible day at Emeishan. In Chengdu our guidewas Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen.
moreOther highlights are too many to mention but here are a few Ken taking us to the Terracotta Warriors and our food tour in Xian was amazing,
moreOur day volunteering at the Panda Base was truly unforgettable. Helen, our guide, provided us with invaluable insights about Chengdu and the pandas, enriching our tour with her knowledge and expertise. We're grateful to Helen for accompanying us throughout the day and showcasing the highlights of China.
moreWe had a booking with China Highlights through Silvia Ye who guarenteed a perfect organisation. In Chengdu our guide was Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen.
moreWe traveled to China during the Chinese new year and we had Kris as our guide and he is simply knowledgeable,helpful and great.
moreWe visited Guilin for 2 days and stayed in the Guilin Waterfall hotel. Guilin was absolutely beautiful! Our guide, William, was very knowledgeable and kind! He taught us so much about Guilin and the surrounding area! We really enjoyed trying the specialty rice noodles of Guilin. Our highlight was the Li river cruise.
moreAmazing tour and the guide Mr. 贺霄 was very accommodating with our needs and request as we have bought our 2 years old with us. Well explained for all the place we visited. Any additional cost were informed well ahead and didn't felt any pressure if we opt not to go for additional detour. The trip was relaxing/ laid back/no rushing with zero shopping!
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