julie Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Pontalba Thanks for reminding me of Shantaram. I have that on my kindle . Another good one to try Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 A few more .... A Passage to India by EM Forster Thursday's Child and The Moneylenders of Shahpur by Helen Forrester Far Pavillions by MM Kaye. I've only read the EM Forster one, I've read autobiographies by the other two, but not novels. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 A few more .... A Passage to India by EM Forster Thursday's Child and The Moneylenders of Shahpur by Helen Forrester Far Pavillions by MM Kaye. I've only read the EM Forster one, I've read autobiographies by the other two, but not novels. I seem to remember reading Far Pavillions eons ago, but can't remember one thing from it. Pontalba Thanks for reminding me of Shantaram. I have that on my kindle . Another good one to try You are welcome. It's a bit rambling, and self serving, but the picture of India it paints is fantastic. And different I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I found your original thread, Claire! The last post in it was spam - I think that what must have happened is that the whole thread was accidentally moved to 'trash' instead of that one post. Unfortunately 'trash' posts don't show up (not even to moderators) in a search from the front of the forum - only if you specifically search in that forum, which of course only Mods have access to! I just did that whilst trying to locate another thread and then thought to search for 'India', and here it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Thanks Janet - it's like getting an early Christmas present! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Great job Janet, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Excellent link Frankie. A suitable boy I read the first 1000 pages then had to put it on hold, as the endless returns to parliamentary debates got a tad dull for me.I will read it fully soon. Vikram is publishing his new book, A suitable girl, next year. It features Lata`s own wish to get her grandson married off, I gather. That's a real shame, having managed past 1000 pages and then not being able to finish. Did you like what you had read so far? The book's still on my TBR and quite possibly gathering dust on one of my bookshelves as we speak That's great news about Vikram Seth publishing another book on the subject, it will make his fans happy When I read A fine balance a few years ago, I wrote to Rohinton Mistry to say how good it is, and I got a nice handwritten letter of thanks from him in Canada. Wow, what a lovely surprise! It's not very often that sort of thing happens, and a handwritten letter at that! That is very special indeed, what a lovely man this Rohinton Mistry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 When I read A fine balance a few years ago, I wrote to Rohinton Mistry to say how good it is, and I got a nice handwritten letter of thanks from him in Canada. That's so nice i'm tempted to push this to the top of my TBR pile so that i can write to him as well. I want a hand written letter from Rohinton Mistry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Another one - Witness the Night by Kishwar Desai This is about a female social worker in India and part of what will hopefully be a series. I haven't read the follow up yet, but it's on my wish list. This is a really good one though, about female infanticide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 (edited) Surprised it's not been mentioned yet, but what about Paul Scott's Raj Quartet? Kipling has been mentioned, but not Kim yet as far as I can make out. Or his short stories? And, I know they're not fiction, but can't let this pass without raising the question of non-fiction books - there's some great work around. My favourite is Alexander Frater's account of following the monsoon north through India, Chasing the Monsoon, but William Dalrymple and Dervla Murphy are also excellent, whilst I intend to try out Mark Tully, Katherine Boo's Behind the Beautiful Forevers and Suketu Mehta's Maximum City soon. Edited November 17, 2012 by willoyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 Surprised it's not been mentioned yet, but what about Paul Scott's Raj Quartet? Far Pavillions by MM Kaye. I read both the Raj Quartet and Far Pavilions about 30 years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed them both. I think Far Pavilions was about 1,000 pages long, so quite a commitment as far as reading time goes! The Raj Quartet probably added up to about the same, but as it was divided into the four separate books it didn't seem as long. I seem to remember the Raj Quartet as being a more serious read, while Far Pavilions was more romantic in tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmeagain Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 This one isn't actually set in India, but America However, it is very good. It focuses more on the idea of being transplanted to a different country and culture... There`s a decent, feelgood type film been around a few years, based on that book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 A Walk Across The Sun by Corban Addison. It follows to sisters who loose all their family when a tsunami hits their home town. They head off for Chennai to find refuge in a convent but are kidnapped and sold into the back streets of a brothel in Mumbai where they are sold, beaten and raped repeatedly. It really is an eye opener and I felt like I was in India (although now Mumbai is somewhere I NEVER want to visit). Such a moving book that I think everyone should read at some point!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 I will have to have a look at this one, as it sounds like just the sort of thing I like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booknutt Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 Have just found out that one of my favourite films is actually also a book - why I didn't check that before I don't know. "Black Narcissus" by Rumer Godden is now on request for me at the Library - and I like the sound of her "Kingfishers Catch Fire", too. Quite excited to have found a "new" author to explore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmeagain Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 (edited) The white tiger by Aravind Adiga gets a 7 out of 10. Humorous, irreverent, it is set in Delhi and Bangalore. The main character is a driver and servant to a rich man. Edited February 17, 2017 by itsmeagain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 (edited) This is an excellent idea for a thread, thanks chesilbeach! I have A Suitable Boy in my TBR pile but so far the length of the novel has put me off reading it. I did read a couple of pages when I picked it up in a charityshop and it was really good, I immediately thought Jane Austen meets India, in another time. As this thread has come up again, and as I've decided to do the Around the World reading challenge, I think A Suitable Boy might be a fine novel for India. I just wish the book wasn't so long! Edited February 17, 2017 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 As this thread has come up again, and as I've decided to do the Around the World reading challenge, I think A Suitable Boy might be a fine novel for India. I just wish the book wasn't so long! Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna was a beautiful read set in India, and shorter than A Suitable Boy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna was a beautiful read set in India, and shorter than A Suitable Boy! You tempt me! But A Suitable Boy is a book on TBR, and I did like the first two pages I read... I've been going through my TBR this evening and I've kind of set some books as my ideal reads for the Around the World challenge, as they are on my TBR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookmonkey Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 A Walk Across The Sun by Corban Addison. It follows to sisters who loose all their family when a tsunami hits their home town. They head off for Chennai to find refuge in a convent but are kidnapped and sold into the back streets of a brothel in Mumbai where they are sold, beaten and raped repeatedly. It really is an eye opener and I felt like I was in India (although now Mumbai is somewhere I NEVER want to visit). Such a moving book that I think everyone should read at some point!!! This book is incredible. I read it a few years and it has still stuck with me. I highly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 As this thread has come up again, and as I've decided to do the Around the World reading challenge, I think A Suitable Boy might be a fine novel for India. I just wish the book wasn't so long! It might look long, but for me it just whizzed by. I read it many years ago when I didn't read nearly as much as I do now, and certainly not at the speed I do now, and I still read it in under a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angury Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 What an interesting topic - I hope no one minds if I try to revive it! I've only just started developing an interest in authors from India. I finished A God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy and absolutely fell in love with her writing. She describes the environment so beautifully and touches on some very real social issues in the country. I am currently half-way through Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie which offers a story arc during a very important time for India. I've had a look through all the recommendations on this thread and A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth stood out to me. What are people's thoughts on it? Is he a good writer? I have also only now discovered R.K. Narayan (how embarrassing!). He seems to have published quite a few novels. I've had my eye on Malgudi Day's as it's a collection of short stories so might be the best way to be introduced to his writing style. Any other works of his which people might recommend? Also - has anyone read Arundhati Roy's new book, Ministry of Utmost Happiness? It's interesting reading through the reviews - it appears that people had (understandably) very high expectations and there seems to be a bit of a divide in terms of peoples thoughts on the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmeagain Posted October 22, 2023 Share Posted October 22, 2023 On 4/17/2011 at 9:10 AM, Hyzenthlay said: The white tiger - Aravind Adiga Only India-book I've read, I think. Apart from this book on mythology. Either way, it's really good. Kind of focuses on corruption, blurs the lines a little. I enjoyed it a lot. Very disappointed with the childish style, adolescent humour , in this book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmeagain Posted October 22, 2023 Share Posted October 22, 2023 On 4/20/2011 at 7:16 PM, angelofboox said: Ooh, ooh! I'm indian (by ethnicity, not nationality) and we have an entire shelf or two devoted to indian books, because my mother reads them a lot. I read A Suitable Boy when I was 15 and it was great, but I haven't read it since (maybe I should, I think the politics went a bit over my head a the time). It certainly wasn't the first I've read, and there are a lot we own that I still haven't read, including The White Tiger, The Glass Palace, Brick Lane (does that count?), Six Suspects...etc etc. A few I really like are The Inscrutable Americans (really funny - I recommend if you want some comedy!), God of Small Things, Family Matters.... Brick Lane by Monica Ali, is excellent. More Bangladesh than India though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
France Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 There's a lot of good detective/murder mystery fiction set in India, most of it in the 1920's so the independence movement is a powerful background - Akbir Mukajee's Sam Wydham series, Sujaka Massey's Parveen Mistry books, Vaseem Khan has several series. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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