Top 5 novels by Indian authors to read :-

INTRO~

In a country as large,beautiful and diverse there is always a story waiting to be told. So here are the top 10 timeless gems that are available in Indian English writing today, written by authors of Indian origin. 

 1.The palace of illusion by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 

  - A novel is a 2008 novel by chita banerjee divakaruni published by doubleday.

-In this brilliant retelling of the hindu epic Mahabharata but through the Draupadi’s (Panchaali’s) perspective, chitra banerjee divakaruni places Drapadi at the centre of the novel which tells the tails that of women living in a patriarchal world. 

-Booklist summarizes the plot; smart, resilient, and courageous but sad panchaali, born of fire , neglected by her father , marries all five of the famously heroic pandava brothers, harbors a secret love , endures a long exile in the wilderness, instigates a catastrophic war, slowly learns the truth about Krishna her mysterious friend and in the end left alone by her husbands in the cold himalayas.

2.The god of small things by arundhati roy

  -A debut novel by arundhati roy in 1997 published by Atlantic publishers 

-The first Indian woman to win the Booker, roy caused a storm in the literary world when her lyrical debut

was published in 1997. This book is a modern classic ,the story revolves around two twins who live in Kerala.

The novel depicts the life of these twins and how it changes with the arrival of their cousin Sophie.

-Summarizes the plot; the novel explores  how small seemingly insignificant occurrences , decisions and

experiences shape people behavior in deeply significant ways . it narrates an emotional tale of love , betrayal

and kinship ties..

3. The forest of enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 

    

-Again a Chitra Banerjee novel published 2019 by Harper collins 

-In this brilliant retelling of Ramayana Banerjee puts Sita ma at the centre of this novel: this is Sita’s Version.

A powerful comment on duty, betrayal, infidelity, and honour, it is also about women’s struggle to retain autonomy in a world that privileges men, as Chitra transforms an ancient story into a gripping, contemporary battle of wills.

-One of the most strikingly lyrical voices writing about lives of Indian women{--Amitav Ghosh }. Its also a very human story of other women in the epic, often misunderstood Kaikeyi, Surpanakha, Mandodari.

4. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie 

 

-This novel is published in 1981 by Jonathan Cape 

-There is a magical realism to tell the story of Saleem Sinai, who is born at the exact moment of India's independence, linking his life and telepathic powers to the fate of the new nation. 

-Summarizes the book, a winner of Booker prize, intertwines Saleem's personal history with India’s post-colonial history exploring themes of identity, history, and the complexities of the subcontinent through a cast of "midnight's children" born in the first hour of independence, each with special abilities.

5. The White Tiger by Aravind’s Adiga’s

 

- A 2008 novel published by Harper Collins

-Balram Halwai, mentioned as a “white tiger” who is rare and exceptional, rises from a life of servitude as a chauffeur to a successful businessman in Bangalore. Exploring India's class divide through the story of Balram Halwai, a poor villager who becomes a successful entrepreneur by breaking free from the "Great Indian Rooster Coop".

-The book offers a dark, humorous, and critical look at poverty, corruption, and the stark contrast between the "Darkness" of the poor and the "Light" of the rich in modern India. 

    

conclusion

Every novel is a journey- some bring us joy, some sadness, some of them bring anger and some changes us forever. when we close a book, we may leave the story behind but the story never leaves us because novels are more than just stories and this is what these books have made me feel and I am hoping when you pick them up is the same for you and much more . Happy reading !!