India is a place of incredible stories, landscapes, and histories. If you love reading books that transport you to another world, stories set in India offer so much variety.
From bustling cities and quiet villages to historical moments and personal journeys, these novels paint fascinating pictures. Here are some noteworthy books where India itself is almost a character.
This novel introduces Raju, a tourist guide in the fictional town of Malgudi. His life changes dramatically after he encounters Rosie, a dancer trapped in an unhappy marriage. Raju makes choices that take him far from his job as a guide.
He ends up in a surprising new role as a spiritual figure, but his past eventually finds him in unexpected ways. The story follows his transformation and the relationships that shape his path.
Rabindranath Tagore’s book looks at the clash between tradition and modern ideas in early 20th-century Bengal. We follow Bimala, a woman caught between two men: her husband, Nikhil, who believes in reason, and the passionate nationalist Sandip.
Bimala feels drawn to Sandip’s fiery vision. As this happens, the relationships among the three characters start to fray. This tension mirrors the larger struggles within India at the time.
Rudyard Kipling’s “Kim” is about a young orphan boy living in British-ruled India. Kimball O’Hara, or Kim, is street-smart and fits easily into the diverse cultures around him. He finds himself drawn into the world of espionage.
He serves as a spy for the British Secret Service and also accompanies a Tibetan monk on a spiritual quest. The book gives readers a wonderful sense of India’s landscapes, from cities to mountains, and considers identity and friendship through Kim’s adventures.
Salman Rushdie’s novel follows Saleem Sinai. He was born at the exact moment India gained independence in 1947. His life is intertwined with the nation’s history and reflects its struggles and changes.
Saleem learns he has telepathic abilities and a strange connection to other children born at midnight. The story blends personal lives with political events. This combination creates a fantastic tapestry of magical realism against a historical backdrop.
E. M. Forster’s novel examines the strains between British colonial rulers and Indians in the early 20th century. It shows the friendship between Dr. Aziz, an Indian Muslim, and Cyril Fielding, a British schoolmaster. Misunderstandings and cultural gaps cause problems.
A key event happens when Aziz is accused of assaulting an Englishwoman during a trip to the Marabar Caves. This incident tears apart the delicate relationships between the characters.
Vikram Seth’s “A Suitable Boy” is a huge, absorbing story about family, marriage, and politics in India after independence. The book centers on Lata, a young woman whose mother wants to find her the perfect husband.
We follow Lata’s journey through romance and societal expectations. Alongside her story, the book details the lives of four families. It captures the complex nature of tradition, modernization, and relationships in a fast-changing nation.
Aravind Adiga’s “The White Tiger” presents Balram Halwai. He starts life in a poor Indian village but claws his way up to become a rich entrepreneur. Balram writes letters to the Chinese premier, and through these letters, the novel traces his path from servant to businessman.
The story includes sharp turns. There are moments such as Balram’s time as a chauffeur for a corrupt family or his thoughts on India’s stark class divisions. It’s a dark, fascinating look at ambition and survival in modern India.
Chetan Bhagat’s “2 States” tells the story of Krish and Ananya. They come from very different Indian backgrounds; Krish is Punjabi, and Ananya is Tamilian. The novel shows their efforts to convince their families to approve of their relationship.
They face cultural clashes, family pressures, and generational gaps. The story explores love and humor. It also shows the difficulties that occur when two distinct families try to merge.
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote “Anandamath,” a novel set in late 18th-century Bengal during a time of famine and unrest. The story follows a group of sannyasis (monks) who form a rebel brotherhood. They fight against the rule of the East India Company.
These rebels feel inspired by their devotion to their land, which they call Mother India, and unite under a wise leader. The novel contains the famous hymn “Vande Mataram,” which became an anthem for Indian nationalism.
Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s “Aranyak” gives a beautiful account of life in the forests of Bihar. The narrator, Satyacharan, is a man from the city who takes a job managing a large forest estate.
Through his time there, he develops a deep connection to the wilderness and the tribal people who live within it. The book captures the quiet beauty of nature. It also explores the villagers’ lives, customs, beliefs, and struggles against exploitation.
Satyacharan’s journey highlights the contrast between city life and the simplicity of rural existence.
R. K. Narayan’s “The Bachelor of Arts” follows Chandran, a young man in his final college years who faces the start of adulthood. The story is set in the fictional town of Malgudi. It captures his experiences with first love, family traditions, and his search for meaning.
Chandran falls hard for a girl he glimpses by the river, experiences heartbreak, and questions what society expects of him. He tries to figure out his own path.
The book offers a slice of life in pre-independence India and touches on themes of family responsibility and personal desires.
Chetan Bhagat wrote “Five Point Someone,” a story about three friends—Hari, Alok, and Ryan. They try to survive life at one of India’s toughest engineering colleges (IIT). The novel shows their difficulties with intense academic pressure, their friendships, and their own goals.
Their creative methods and choices often result in funny or insightful situations. These moments offer a window into the high-stakes world of IIT students.
Shashi Tharoor’s “The Great Indian Novel” cleverly retells India’s modern history using the structure of the ancient epic, the Mahabharata. It takes major events from the independence movement and afterward. It then blends them with characters and plotlines from the epic.
Figures like Gandhi and Nehru appear reimagined as characters such as Bhishma and Dhritarashtra. This approach provides a witty and sharp perspective on politics, culture, and society in contemporary India.
Amitav Ghosh’s novel “The Hungry Tide” transports readers to the Sundarbans, a unique landscape of islands and mangrove forests in the Bay of Bengal.
It follows Piya Roy, an American marine biologist of Indian descent who studies rare river dolphins, and Kanai Dutt, a translator from Delhi who is visiting his aunt to read a journal left by his late uncle.
The environment itself is a character here; it is dangerous with its unpredictable tides and tigers. The human lives are just as turbulent. The characters navigate love, local politics, environmental concerns, and questions of identity in this unforgettable place.
Paul Scott wrote “The Jewel in the Crown,” the first book in his Raj Quartet series. The story begins in 1942, during the final years of British rule in India. An Indian man, Hari Kumar, stands accused of assaulting an Englishwoman, Daphne Manners.
This event exposes the deep mistrust and tension between the colonizers and the people they rule. The book explores the characters’ difficult paths. They navigate prejudice, power dynamics, and shifting loyalties in a country nearing independence.
R.K. Narayan’s “The Man-Eater of Malgudi” tells the story of Nataraj, a quiet printer in the familiar town of Malgudi. His peaceful life gets completely disrupted when Vasu, a forceful taxidermist, moves into the room above his shop. Vasu is aggressive and selfish.
He causes endless trouble and even plans to shoot a beloved temple elephant for his collection. The book shows how an ordinary, gentle man copes with the chaos brought by such a destructive personality.
It has Narayan’s characteristic blend of gentle humor and thoughtful observation.
The story in “Mr. Sampath - The Printer of Malgudi” centers on the title character, a printer in Malgudi, and Srinivas, a writer struggling to get his journal published. They team up to start a newspaper.
This partnership leads to a series of comical mishaps that reveal their ambitions and their weaknesses. The plot gets even more interesting when Mr. Sampath gets involved in making a movie. This venture pulls both men into deeper personal and professional tangles.
The book creates a wonderful picture of small-town life with relatable characters and situations full of humor and irony.
Paul Scott’s “The Raj Quartet” is a sequence of four novels that chronicle the last years of British India, primarily during the 1940s. It focuses on the lives of British administrators, soldiers, their families, and the Indian people around them during a time of immense change.
The story delves into complex relationships, cultural clashes, and significant historical events like the Quit India movement and eventual Partition.
A central event involves Daphne Manners, a young British woman whose traumatic experience in Mayapore reverberates through both communities. These books provide a deep look at personal lives caught up in major political struggles.
Mulk Raj Anand’s novel “Untouchable” follows a single day in the life of Bakha, a young man belonging to India’s lowest social stratum, the “untouchables.” Bakha’s job is cleaning latrines. He endures constant humiliation and rejection from higher-caste society.
The story vividly portrays his struggles.
He deals with the harshness of the caste system, suffers pollution by accidentally touching a higher-caste man, and reflects on possible escapes from his fate through new technology (like flush toilets) or social reform ideas he hears about.
“Ajaya: Rise of Kali” provides a different view of the Mahabharata epic. It tells the story from the perspective of the Kauravas, especially focusing on Duryodhana, who is usually seen as the villain. The narrative challenges standard ideas of heroes and villains.
It presents the epic’s events through the eyes of those traditionally considered the antagonists. The book explores caste conflicts, political maneuvering, and the morality of war in ancient India. It asks readers to reconsider familiar characters and their motives.
Anand Neelakantan’s “Ajaya: Roll of the Dice” is the first part of his retelling of the Mahabharata from the Kaurava viewpoint. It centers on Duryodhana. It shows his perspective, his motivations, and his ideals within a society marked by inequality and power struggles.
The book examines the tension between dharma (duty/righteousness) and personal ambition. Characters must navigate a world heavily influenced by caste, politics, and privilege. It presents the Kauravas not just as villains but as complex figures in a difficult world.
“Battle for Bittora” features Jinni Quinoga. She is a young animation expert working in Mumbai who gets pulled back into her family’s political legacy. Her formidable grandmother convinces her to contest a parliamentary seat in their ancestral constituency, Bittora.
Her main opponent turns out to be Zain Altaf Khan, a childhood friend and former crush whose family represents everything Jinni’s family stands against. The story mixes witty humor with the energetic chaos of Indian elections.
It shows the highs and lows of romance, family duty, and political ambition.
Mulk Raj Anand’s novel “The Coolie” relates the hard journey of Munoo, a young boy from a poor hill village in Punjab. He leaves home and moves from place to place across India searching for work and a better life. The book chronicles his experiences.
He works as a domestic servant, a factory laborer in Bombay, and finally a rickshaw puller in Shimla. The narrative sheds light on the grim conditions of poverty and exploitation during the British colonial period. Munoo’s travels take him through various segments of society.
They expose the stark inequalities and constant struggles the poor faced.
Kiran Nagarkar’s book “Cuckold” tells the story of the Maharaj Kumar, the unnamed Rajput prince of Mewar, during the 16th century. He is married to the famous poet-saint Meera Bai, who is utterly devoted to the god Krishna, her divine lover.
The novel explores the prince’s internal conflicts. He grapples with his unrequited love for Meera, feelings of betrayal, political challenges, and his duties as a warrior and heir.
His personal frustrations unfold against the backdrop of court politics, Mughal threats, and Rajput pride. The tension between his efforts to win Meera’s human affection and her steadfast spiritual focus creates a powerful and unique story.
R.K. Narayan’s “The Dark Room” centers on Savitri, a housewife in the small South Indian town of Malgudi. She feels stifled by her position in a male-dominated society. Her husband, Ramani, is arrogant, controlling, and unfaithful.
Savitri endures his emotional neglect and infidelity. Feeling trapped and deeply unhappy, she withdraws into a “dark room” in the house as a form of silent protest. She eventually makes a bid for independence from her oppressive life.
The story clearly shows Savitri’s inner turmoil and the social constraints placed upon her. It offers a strong look at family power dynamics and gender roles in traditional Indian culture.
Upamanyu Chatterjee’s book “English, August” follows Agastya Sen, often called August. He is a young, urban Indian man who joins the prestigious Indian Administrative Service. His first posting takes him to Madna, a small, incredibly dull town in rural India.
Agastya, used to city life and Western cultural influences (like Marcus Aurelius and rock music), finds it hard to adjust to the town’s slow pace and the strange workings of the local bureaucracy.
The story chronicles his boredom, his marijuana use, his philosophical musings, and his encounters with the town’s quirky characters. It presents a humorous and sharp view of identity and alienation in modern India.
“Girls Burn Brighter” is about the powerful bond between two girls, Poornima and Savitha, who come from the same small village in India. Their deep friendship provides strength until circumstances cruelly force them apart.
Poornima finds herself trapped in an abusive arranged marriage. Savitha has to flee after a terrible act of violence. The novel tracks their separate, harrowing journeys across India and even beyond.
They endure immense hardship and exploitation but cling to the hope of finding each other again. The story emphasizes resilience and the incredible power of female friendship.
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s “Heat and Dust” uses a dual narrative. A young Englishwoman in the 1970s travels to India. She wants to uncover the story of her step-grandmother, Olivia, who lived there during the British Raj in the 1920s.
Olivia caused a scandal by having an affair with an Indian Nawab (prince) and leaving her husband. The book moves between the present-day narrator’s experiences in India and Olivia’s story from the past.
It explores how these two women, generations apart, encounter India’s complexities, culture, and social expectations in different yet connected ways.
Anita Desai’s “In Custody” focuses on Deven Sharma, a disillusioned Hindi lecturer at a small college in Mirpore. He gets a rare chance to interview Nur Shahjahanabadi, a famous Urdu poet whom Deven deeply admires but who is now old and frail.
What seems like a dream assignment quickly descends into chaos and disappointment. Deven finds himself entangled in the poet’s messy life and his own inadequacies.
The book looks at Deven’s growing disillusionment, his troubled relationships, and the difficulty of preserving artistic traditions in a changing world. It explores the gap between idealism and reality.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s “Independence” is set during the tumultuous time of India’s Partition in 1947. The story centers on three sisters from a Bengali village: Priya, Deepa, and Jamini.
Their lives, hopes, and relationships face upheaval as the country divides along religious lines, leading to violence and displacement. Each sister confronts difficult personal choices related to love, family loyalty, ambition, and survival.
Their strong bond faces tests from betrayal, political strife, and decisions that might send them down vastly different life paths in a newly independent but fractured India.
Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” primarily tells the story of Mowgli, a human child or “man-cub” raised by a wolf pack in the Seeonee hills of India. He learns the Law of the Jungle from his animal mentors, Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther.
He must constantly watch out for the threat of Shere Khan, the lame tiger who wants to kill him. The book isn’t just about Mowgli; it also includes other wonderful stories set in the Indian subcontinent.
One famous example is “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” about a brave young mongoose who defends a human family from deadly cobras in their garden.
Raja Rao’s “The Serpent and the Rope” follows Ramaswamy, a young Brahmin scholar from South India. He travels between India and Europe, particularly France, while pursuing his studies and seeking philosophical understanding.
The story explores complex themes of East versus West, tradition, identity, spirituality, and the nature of reality, often through Ramaswamy’s intellectual reflections. His marriage to Madeleine, a French teacher interested in Buddhism, becomes a central point.
Their relationship highlights their deep cultural and philosophical differences. The novel incorporates Indian philosophy and mythology as Ramaswamy searches for truth and self-realization.
Satyajit Ray’s novel “Sonar Kella” features his famous Bengali detective, Prodosh C. Mitter, known as Feluda. Feluda takes on a fascinating case involving Mukul, a young boy who has vivid memories of a past life. Mukul claims he lived in a “Golden Fortress” filled with gems.
His story attracts the attention of criminals who believe the treasure is real. Feluda, along with his cousin Topshe and the thriller writer Jatayu, travels across the deserts and historic forts of Rajasthan to protect the boy and solve the mystery.
The adventure combines suspense, travel, and Ray’s typical warmth and intelligence.
Anuradha Roy’s “All the Lives We Never Lived” is narrated by Myshkin Chand Rozario. He looks back on his childhood in the fictional town of Muntazir in the 1930s. His artistic and free-spirited mother, Gayatri, made the shocking decision to leave him and his father.
She sought independence and pursued her passion for art, traveling abroad with a foreign companion. The story unfolds against the background of India’s struggle for freedom and the rising tensions leading to World War II.
Through Myshkin’s recollections, we feel his enduring sense of loss and explore the reasons behind his mother’s choices and how they deeply affected both their lives.
Satyajit Ray’s book “Chhinnamastar Abhishap” sends the detective Feluda to Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.
He investigates a mysterious death connected to an old family heirloom—a manuscript—and a supposed curse linked to a nearby temple dedicated to the goddess Chhinnamasta (The Headless Goddess). The story unfolds in a scenic but somewhat isolated setting.
Historical family secrets, suspicious local figures, and eerie superstitions surrounding the temple add layers to the puzzle. Feluda uses his sharp observation skills and logical reasoning to cut through the fear and misdirection.
He eventually uncovers a plot driven by human greed and betrayal, revealing the truth behind the apparent curse.