Top 10 Indian Fiction Books That Everyone Should Read

The list of best Indian Fiction Books, we have put through contains the best of the lots from the internationally acclaimed novelists. You rest assured that you will not regret reading even a single one of them.

India is not only rich in its culture and heritage; the country is also well known worldwide for its literature.

It has a vibrant literary past that has been recognized by people all over the globe. Although the Indian-English literature is comparatively new, it has still been able to bring several international laurels back home.

This contemporary literature also includes critically acclaimed bestsellers that are worth a read. We can ensure that you would not regret it if you never missed an opportunity to lay your hands on them.

Although getting hold of each of them is a herculean task, you can grab a few best to start with.

To help you choose from the best, we have put forth a list of 10 best Indian fiction books that you should read at least once in your lifetime. We can assure you that you will have a good time reading them.

The top 10 Indian fiction books:

The list we have put through contains the best of the lots from the internationally acclaimed novelists.

You rest assured that you will not regret reading even a single one of them. Without much delay, let us look into the list below.

1. The White Tiger By Arvind Adiga

Adiga’s novel has been successful in winning the Man Booker Prize in the debut novel category.

The book was widely appreciated for the technique of providing a satiric approach to the class struggle still prevalent in India.

The White Tiger is set as a first-person narrative, from the eyes of the protagonist, Balram Halwai.

The novel unfolds a poor Balram’s journey, who moves to Delhi with hopes of a better life.

2. Nectar In A Sieve By Kamala Markandaya

The Nectar In A Sieve is the debut novel of Kamala Markandaya. It tells the story of an evolving mid 20th century India.

The novel portrays protagonist Rukhmani as the narrator, who belongs to a rural and poverty-stricken India.

The book engulfs various subjects, starting from Rukhmani’s marriage to a farmer to their village’s changing scenario.

3. The Great Indian Novel By Shashi Tharoor

It is yet another satirical Indian-English novel, which has been written by Shashi Tharoor.

The fiction reimagines the epic Mahabharata into the Indian political scenario since the Independence Movement.

It has been deemed as one of the most exciting reads of contemporary India.

The book casts Indian Politics personalities as the mythological characters, which has lent it an interesting angle.

4. Train To Pakistan By Khushwant Singh

This book belongs to the immediate post-independence days. It beautifully portrays the India and Pakistan partition.

Train To Pakistan is probably among the handful of books depicting human loss and tragedy during that partition phase.

The novel puts forth an untold account of Indian history.

5. Palace Of Illusions By Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Another award-winning novel, Palace of Illusions, narrates the Mahabharata from the viewpoint of its female protagonist, Draupadi.

Divakaruni’s book offers a unique narrative that was mostly ignored even though Draupadi was present in every step taken by the male protagonists – the Pandavas.

6. The Guide By R.K Narayan

Famous Indian novelist R.K Narayan’s other best scribe is The Guide. This novel is set in the backdrop of southern India’s Malgudi.

It narrates the story of a Railway Raju, who was once a corrupt guide.

The story unfolds to describe Raju’s journey from an evil guide to the country’s most respected holy figure.

7. In Custody By Anita Desai

A Booker Prize-shortlisted novel, In Custody, narrates the life of an Urdu scholar Deven Sharma.

In her book, Anita Desai portrays the transition of how the mundane life of Sharma turns into an opportunity when he gets a chance to interview a famous Urdu Poet.

It also throws light on his realization of his love for the language.

8. The God Of Small Things By Arundhati Roy

Arundhati Roy’s debut novel, the God of Small Things, is set in Kerala’s backdrop in the 1960s.

The book explores issues such as the caste system, communism, etc.

The novel unfolds with two twins’ life, their family as Roy beautifully weaves the story around it.

9. A Fine Balance By Rohinton Mistry

A masterpiece by Rohinton Mistry has the backdrop of the Indian Emergency Era prevalent in 1975.

The novel, The Fine Balance narrates the life of four strangers who belong to different spheres of life.

It was also a Booker Prize shortlist in 1996. The fiction explores the Indian scenario – social, economic, political, in the late 20th century.

10. A Suitable Boy By Vikram Seth

The Suitable Boy depicts the tales of four families of post-partition India.

It is a novel by Vikram Seth that has been widely appreciated. It portrays Mrs. Rupa Mehra’s quest to find a suitable boy for her daughter.

This narrative engulfs issues as casteism and classism, Hindu-Muslim differences, and post-partition political scenario.

It has also found recognition as the longest Indian-English book to be published in a single volume.

The final words

The list of the best fictions is never-ending and would take you a lifetime to complete reading them.

The novels mentioned above have been accepted and appreciated worldwide. They all present interesting and unique perspectives on life and the Indian political, social, and economic scenario. You can never get bored reading them.

So, if you are an ardent lover of good reads, we can ensure that picking all one after the other from the list above will only make you bless us.

Enjoy reading!