Top 10 Works of Indian Writers To Absolutely Check Out!
Our world is an infinite treasure trove of stories. Some delight us and make us laugh, others make us cry and others yet make us shiver in terror with their unnervingly realistic depictions of cruelty. The stories we tell, and those we collect, help define us not only as individuals, but also as a society, by facilitating the spread knowledge and often challenging us to question the status quo of multiple ethical and socio-political questions.
As readers, and therefore keepers of that knowledge, we hold the keys to everything in that treasure trove and yet we often focus on merely one box that holds our favourite jewels, missing out on the entire room of wonders around us. You might think that I'm talking about our tendency as readers to fix our gaze on one particular genre, but you'll only be partially correct. Unfortunately, as readers and publishers, we also tend to focus predominantly on western authors hailing from English speaking countries and unless a book is an absolute bestseller, we often tend to forget the hundreds, if not thousands, of international authors whose works, albeit relatively unknown on a global scale, have had significant cultural impact in their native lands.
Therefore, we've decided to allocate some time each month to focus our lens on a specific country and it's most celebrated and beloved literary creations.
Do note that while there are hundreds of books, which deserve to be in the spotlight for each country, we simply aren't able to list all of them in one article. For that reason, the books listed below are our recommendation for novels you definitely shouldn't miss but we highly encourage you to learn more about the literary and cultural heritage of each and every land we talk about.
Indian culture has produced some of the most authentic voices in literature over the past century.
INDIA
Today, we'll be zooming in on the culturally diverse land of India. India, has an incredible interesting and colorful history, which makes it a wonderful place to start our segment.
British rule has had a tremendous impact on Indian writing, especially Indian writing in English, ever since the establishment of an education system thought in the western tongue by the East India Trading company in 1835. After India's independence finally came in 1947, there were heated debates about whether English should be kept as one of the country's official languages, with many seeing it as alien and a remnant of colonial times. The decision to keep it prevailed, and while many authors choose to work in other languages, a large segment of post-independence authors have used it to find their own voice and make it their own.
While English is still spoken and written there, over 70 years later, there are 21 other officially recognized languages by the country's constitution. Of course, having English as one of the primary tongues means that Indian authors, such as Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy, have been responsible for some of the greatest modern literature creations, but there are many more Indian novels (written in, or translated to English), for readers over the world to discover.
Here are our picks for the top 10 works of Indian writers to absolutely check out:
Midnight’s Children
Lifting the Veil
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line
The Story of a Goat
The Inheritance of Loss
Malgudi Days
The God of Small Things
Untouchable
Em and the Big Hoom
One Part Woman
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Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie
Hailed as on the of the great Indian novels, Midnight's Children follows the live of Saleem Sinai - born at the stroke of midnight on 15th August 1947, the moment India gains independance from the British. Because of the time of his birth, Saleem becomes magically connected to the country's progress, as well as to all others born at the same time.
Midnight Children's narrative runs as a parallel to the events following the birth of the new nation, and introduces the reader the important events, which shaped 20th century India, through the eyes of Saleem and his family.
Purchase Midnight's Children here.
2. Lifting the Veil, by Ismat Chughtai
Lifting the Veil, originally written in Urdu, is Chughtai's unapologetically realistic take on societal norms, especially around female desires and sexuality. The collection of stories aims to "lift the veil" of society's façade of decency, imposed mainly on women through the complicated crisscrossing of beliefs and traditional values.
Wickedly funny and painfully honest, the book explores the inner working's of a woman's life in India, while at the same time slyly mocking the subtle tyrannies of middle-class life.
Purchase Lifting the Veil here
3. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, by Deepa Anappara
Another of India's most exciting and celebrated novels, and another, unfortunately, inspired by the darkest real-life issues of modern-day life in the country.
The story follows nine year old Jai, who watches way too many reality cop shows, thinks he's smarter than his book smart friend Pari and considers himself a better boss than street-smart Faiz. When a boy at school goes missing, Jai decides that all the time watching Police Patrol has given him the neccessary skills to solve the mystery and, aided by his two friends, ventures into some of the most dangerous parts of the city in search for answers.
The childishly hopeful innocence of the protagonist is strikingly offset by the grim reality of the real world, making us pray for the safety of the children at almost every turn of the page.
Purchase Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line here
4. The Story of a Goat, by Perumal Murugan
From one of India's best-known writers comes this charmingly surprising tale of an orphaned goat and the family that decides to take care of her, despite the potential cost to them.
Perumal Murugan is widely celebrated for his willingness to depict a side of India, which is rarely considered in the West - the rural lives, traditions, habits and behaviours of the country and farming community. He masterfully manages to contrast the pleasant aspects of the countryside, with the menacing reality of constant danger lurking around the corner through the story of a helpless young animal lost in a world it naively misunderstands.
Purchase The Story of a Goat here
5. The Inheritance of Loss, by Kiran Desai
Inheritance of Loss won the Man Booker Prize in 2006 for it's bold and original voice, exploring inner conflicts that are as powerful as those dividing the protagonists' community: past against present; nationalism against love; a small place against the troubles of the big world. It is a hauntingly beautiful story about the loss of identity and paradoxid desire to erase that loss and simply belong somewhere.
The story is told through the viewpoints of three main characters: Sai, who lives with her grandfather in the Indian state of West Bengal, Gyan - Sai's tutor - who gets caught up in a revolutionary movement, and Biju, who lives illegally in the United States.
Purchase Inheritance of Loss here
6. Malgudi Days, by R. K. Narayan
Due to the popularity of the TV show of the same name, Malgudi Days has reached almost a cult status in India. It's a collection of 32 short stories about the adventures of a boy named Swami and his friends in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi.
The collection of stories is R. K. Narayan's testiment to his belief that in India a writer "has only to look out of the window to pick up a character and thereby a story". Full of colourful characters and witty conversations, the stories capture with nostalgic realism the simple way of life in India's past.
Purchase Malgudi Days here
7. The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy
Another Booker Prize winner, The God of Small Things is a novel held in the highest regard by many in India.
Set in the southern Indian state of Kerala, the story follows one family's history and it's many layered and complicated relationships through the eyes of Rahel and Estha, two twins growing up amongst the banana vats and peppercorns of their blind grandmother's factory. With innocence and youth as their weapons, the duo fights for the right to have a childhood amid a politically unstable environment and the crumbling remnants of their family.
Purchase The God of Small Things here
8. Untouchable, by Mulk Raj Anand
Exploring the sensitive subject of castes, the novel follows the story of Bakha, who is considered an "untouchable" in the Hindu religious system. Being a member of the lowest caste, he is not allowed to mingle freely with other members of society and lives a life of isolation and loneliness. Ostracised by everyone around him Bakha navigates the complexities of being an "untouchable" and having your whole life decided for you at the time of your birth.
'One of the most eloquent and imaginative works to deal with this difficult and emotive subject' , says Martin Seymour-Smith. 'It recalled to me very vividly the occasions I have walked 'the wrong way.'
Purchase Untouchable here
9. Em and The Big Hoom, by Jerry Pinto
Jerry Pinto's debut novel presents an emotional and heart-breaking story, told through the eyes of an unnamed protagonist, who lives in a tiny one-bedroom apartment with his sister and their parents - Imelda and Augustine, known affectionately as "Em" and "Big Hoom" by their children.
The story revolves around the group's attempt to be a normal family, constantly hindered by Em's bipolar disorder and the chaotic struggles it forces them to face. From failed suicide attempts to euphoric flamboyance and bursts of strange confidence, their entire lives revolve around her illness and Big Hoom's desperate attempts to hold his family together.
Purchase Em and The Big Hoom here
10. One Part Woman, by Perumal Murugan
Rounding our list is one of India's most controversial novels, which explores the dangerous and fanatic sway fanciful superstitions and outdated traditions can have over both community and individuals.
The story follows the seemingly ideal married life of a young couple in rural India, whose only trouble in life is not being able to conceive a child. Their lives are turned upside down when something that should have been a deeply personal matter becomes the focus point of their entire community. Whispers spread like wildfire, superstition and rituals take the place of logic and science, and as the book reaches it's halfway point the tragic couple no longer has any choice, or control, in the matter of how they conceive.
The only question that remains is - are those in control ignorant of their own actions, or do the protagonists face a much darker possibility - that they are pawns in the games of people who know exactly what they're doing and couldn't care less?
Purchase One Part Woman here
What do you think of our list for top 10 works by Indian writers to absolutely check out? Did we miss one of your favorite titles? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more content from His and Hers Book Club!