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Literary Canon

Best Books from India

India's literary landscape is uniquely plural: an enormous tradition of classical Sanskrit, Tamil, and regional literature sits alongside one of the most dynamic bodies of English-language fiction anywhere on earth. Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European Nobel laureate in literature, wrote in Bengali and translated himself into a world language. Arundhati Roy's debut novel won the Booker Prize and became a global phenomenon. Vikram Seth, Rohinton Mistry, and Amitav Ghosh have mapped the subcontinent's history with novelistic ambition, while a new generation of writers in Hindi, Malayalam, and Marathi is claiming equal prominence.

Top 10 from India

1
Cover of Midnight's Children
#1 · literary-fiction

Midnight's Children

Editorial Score100/100
Nobel Prize in LiteratureBooker Prize

Saleem Sinai, born at the exact moment of India's independence, is mysteriously linked to the other thousand children born in that midnight hour, all endowed with supernatural gifts. Rushdie's exuberant, maximalist novel maps the history of postcolonial India through the body of its narrator. Winner of the Booker Prize and the Booker of Bookers, it is one of the most important novels of the twentieth century.

2
Cover of The God of Small Things
#2 · literary-fiction

The God of Small Things

Editorial Score100/100
Nobel Prize in LiteratureBooker Prize

Twin siblings Rahel and Estha come of age in Kerala amid the rigid social hierarchies of India's caste system, leading to a forbidden love and tragedy. Roy's Booker Prize-winning debut is told in lush, nonlinear prose that circles around the 'Love Laws'—the rules that dictate who should be loved, and how, and how much.

3
Cover of The White Tiger
#3 · literary-fiction

The White Tiger

Editorial Score100/100
Nobel Prize in LiteratureBooker Prize

Balram Halwai, a driver from the poorest part of India, murders his master and escapes to Bangalore, where he becomes a successful entrepreneur. Adiga's Booker Prize-winning novel is a darkly comic, scathing critique of India's social and economic inequality told in the form of letters to the Chinese Premier.

4
Cover of Haroun and the Sea of Stories
#4 · literary-fiction

Haroun and the Sea of Stories

Editorial Score45/100
Library Journal

A celebrated work of literary fiction, Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie (1990) offers an unflinching examination of the human condition.

5
Midnight's Children
#5 · horror

Midnight's Children

Editorial Score43/100
Notable Work

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (1981) is a notable work of horror from India.

6
The God of Small Things
#6 · romance

The God of Small Things

Editorial Score43/100
Notable Work

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (1997) is a notable work of romance from India.

7
The Satanic Verses
#7 · travel-exploration

The Satanic Verses

Editorial Score43/100
Notable Work

The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (1988) is a notable work of travel exploration from India.

8
Grimus
#8 · religion-spirituality

Grimus

Editorial Score43/100
Notable Work

Grimus by Salman Rushdie (1975) is a notable work of religion spirituality from India.

9
Imaginary Homelands
#9 · short-stories

Imaginary Homelands

Editorial Score43/100
Notable Work

Imaginary Homelands by Salman Rushdie (1991) is a notable work of short stories from India.

10
The Vintage Book of Indian Writing 1947-1997
#10 · short-stories

The Vintage Book of Indian Writing 1947-1997

Editorial Score43/100
Notable Work

The Vintage Book of Indian Writing 1947-1997 by Salman Rushdie (1997) is a notable work of short stories from India.

More Great Books from India

#11
Cover of A Suitable Boy
literary-fiction

A Suitable Boy

Vikram Seth· 1993
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score42/100
#12
Cover of Gitanjali (song offerings)
literary-fiction

Gitanjali (song offerings)

Rabindranath Tagore· 1910
Library Journal
Editorial Score40/100
#13
Cover of The Moor's Last Sigh
literary-fiction

The Moor's Last Sigh

Salman Rushdie· 1995
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score38/100
#14
Languages of Truth
philosophy

Languages of Truth

Salman Rushdie· 2021
Editorial Score38/100
#15
An ordinary person's guide to empire
politics-society

An ordinary person's guide to empire

Arundhati Roy· 2004
Editorial Score38/100
#16
Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children
religion-spirituality

Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children

Salman Rushdie· 2003
Editorial Score38/100
#17
Step Across This Line
short-stories

Step Across This Line

Salman Rushdie· 2002
Editorial Score38/100
#18
Power Politics
short-stories

Power Politics

Arundhati Roy· 2001
Editorial Score38/100
#19
Cover of Bonheur d'occasion
literary-fiction

Bonheur d'occasion

Gabrielle Roy· 1945
Library Journal
Editorial Score35/100
#20
Cover of The Black Dahlia
literary-fiction

The Black Dahlia

James Ellroy· 1987
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score35/100
#21
The disinherited
literary-fiction

The disinherited

Jack Conroy· 1933
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score35/100
#22
The feud of Oakfield Creek
literary-fiction

The feud of Oakfield Creek

Josiah Royce· 1887
Library Journal
Editorial Score35/100
#23
The hungry stones
classic-literature

The hungry stones

Rabindranath Tagore· 1916
Library Journal
Editorial Score35/100
#24
Cover of David and the Phoenix
fantasy

David and the Phoenix

Edward Ormondroyd· 1957
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score35/100
#25
Cover of The Glass Palace
romance

The Glass Palace

Amitav Ghosh· 2000
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score35/100
#26
Andersonville; a story of rebel military prisons
biography-memoir

Andersonville; a story of rebel military prisons

John McElroy· 1879
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score35/100
#27
Mémoires
biography-memoir

Mémoires

Saint-Simon, Louis de Rouvroy duc de· 1818
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score35/100
#28
My Life in the South
biography-memoir

My Life in the South

Jacob Stroyer· 1885
Library Journal
Editorial Score35/100
#29
Cover of Eduardo Arroyo
biography-memoir

Eduardo Arroyo

Eduardo Arroyo· 1973
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score35/100
#30
Daughters of the Puritans
biography-memoir

Daughters of the Puritans

Seth Curtis Beach· 1905
Library Journal
Editorial Score35/100
#31
Outlines of psychology
psychology

Outlines of psychology

Josiah Royce· 1903
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score35/100
#32
Pictures at an Exhibition
psychology

Pictures at an Exhibition

Andrea Gilroy· 1989
Library Journal
Editorial Score35/100
#33
Across Mongolian Plains
travel-exploration

Across Mongolian Plains

Roy Chapman Andrews· 1921
Library Journal
Editorial Score35/100
#34
The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society ...: General index to the fifth ten volumes of the ...
travel-exploration

The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society ...: General index to the fifth ten volumes of the ...

Royal Geographical Society (Great Britain)· 1835
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score35/100
#35
Ends of the earth
travel-exploration

Ends of the earth

Roy Chapman Andrews· 1929
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score35/100
#36
My Name is Aram
adventure

My Name is Aram

William Saroyan· 1937
Library Journal
Editorial Score35/100
#37
Bram Stoker's Dracula
historical-fiction

Bram Stoker's Dracula

Roy Thomas· 1993
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score35/100
#38
Cover of The Enlightenment
politics-society

The Enlightenment

Roy Sydney Porter· 1990
Library Journal
Editorial Score35/100
#39
Cover of Garbage Land
politics-society

Garbage Land

Elizabeth Royte· 2005
Library Journal
Editorial Score35/100
#40
Les musées d'Europe
art-design

Les musées d'Europe

Gustave Geffroy· 1900
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score35/100
#41
La vie artistique
art-design

La vie artistique

Gustave Geffroy· 1892
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score35/100
#42
The religion of man
religion-spirituality

The religion of man

Rabindranath Tagore· 1931
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score35/100
#43
The religious aspect of philosophy
religion-spirituality

The religious aspect of philosophy

Josiah Royce· 1885
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score35/100
#44
The sources of religious insight
religion-spirituality

The sources of religious insight

Josiah Royce· 1912
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score35/100
#45
Selected Short Stories
short-stories

Selected Short Stories

Rabindranath Tagore· 1918
Library Journal
Editorial Score35/100
#46
Life & Lore Along Illinois Waterways
history

Life & Lore Along Illinois Waterways

Raya· 2001
Editorial Score35/100
#47
My Seditious Heart
short-stories

My Seditious Heart

Arundhati Roy· 2019
Editorial Score35/100
#48
Cover of The Satanic Verses
literary-fiction

The Satanic Verses

Salman Rushdie· 1988
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score34/100
#49
Cover of Suicide Hill
literary-fiction

Suicide Hill

James Ellroy· 1986
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score30/100
#50
Cover of Clandestine
literary-fiction

Clandestine

James Ellroy· 1982
Library Journal
Editorial Score30/100
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Genres

Literary Fiction26Art & Design25Politics & Society18Travel & Exploration16Adventure14Religion & Spirituality13Biography & Memoir11Psychology11Cooking & Food11Historical Fiction10Short Stories9Classic Literature9Graphic Novels9Mystery & Thriller7Fantasy6Horror6Romance4Science Fiction4Philosophy1History1

Notable Authors

Salman Rushdie17 booksArundhati Roy6 booksAravind Adiga1 bookVikram Seth2 booksGabrielle Roy4 booksWilliam Saroyan4 books

India Literature — FAQ

What are the best books from India?

The top-ranked books from India include Midnight's Children, The God of Small Things, The White Tiger — all highly scored by international editorial consensus.

Which India authors have won the Nobel Prize in Literature?

India has produced several Nobel Prize laureates. Our rankings highlight these winners alongside other critically acclaimed authors from the country.

How many books from India are ranked on 50 Best Books?

We currently rank 50 books from India, spanning fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and more.

What literary traditions is India known for?

India's literary tradition includes Literary Fiction, Art & Design, Politics & Society — genres where the country has produced world-class authors.

Where can I read more about India literature?

Explore our dedicated guide at /best-books-in/india for a comprehensive overview of India's literary landscape, key authors, and recommended reading order.