My Top Ten Novels by Desi Writers

Very confusing title and even more confusing list...
The category - "Novels written by desi writers" include a lot more than just the Hindi-Urdu literature. In fact - literature written in other "desi" languages is by far much more impactful (by a couple of orders of magniture at the very least) if measured by sheer numbers of readership and - obviously arguably - has accomplished much more finnesse. Take the bong or the malayali literature - and each one of them would probably have a treasure trove just as worthy as the list you have provided. Hence, the effect is something like the author promising a travel guide of Asia and then delivering a travel guide of his hotel room.

If you are interested in exploring the Desi literature - I'd suggest going for Hindi/Gujrati/Marathi (whatever your native language is) translation of them rather than the English one (yes - they are there even though a little more difficult to find). Because the languages are linked more closely than English is with any of them This works for me for all source languages except Kannada/Tamil/Telegu/Malayalam.

Best of luch on your exploration of Desi literature!

Anita Desai and Jhabvala rock my world as far as Indian writers in English is concened.

bulleya

i agree broadly with your list...

anyone else read kamila shamsie? she's also quite good in parts...and rather cute too :-)

Naqshbandi #: "husseini is an afghan...?"

...yes he is an afghan migrant to usa, who lives in Silicon Valley - the largest afghan neighborhood in usa.......he has authored the kite runner (now a major motion picture) and a thousand splendid suns.....

kite runner is very well written and a must read......i haven't start the second one yet......he definitely has a lot of talent......i assume the best afghan writer in the english language.......

if i were to list the best writer/book from author's of south asian heritage, from each country:

- pakistan - (maps for lost lovers - nadeem aslam; head and shoulders above all pakistani writers)

- india - (an equal music - vikram seth)

- sri lanka (english patient - michael O)

- afghanistan (kite runner - khalid husseini; perhaps the only major afghani writing in english, hence head and shoulders, as well)

vikram seth made it onto the bestsellers list, as has mohsin hamid and monica ali and gautam malkani etc. but bestseller doesn't always equal good novel...

husseini is an afghan...?

it's true many desi writers have won prizes but very few have made it to the best sellers list. khalid husseini is probaly an exception.

ana:

I won't read GOST a second tim. I am perhaps too conservative to enjoy a sympathetic description of incest.

While y'all are talking about what should have been included or what should not have been left out, please to remember that this is Asif's list. Not a bad one.

I need to reread GOST. I can't remember the brother being gay. I remember molestation and incest (m'aafi for the spoilers) but. . .

Chaltahai, you liked Red Earth and Pouring Rain?

dash dot

my criteria was twofold (1) novels whose stories I enjoyed (2) PROSE style. i.e. novels WRITTEN beautifully. I am an aesthete and so beautiful language and prose is vitally important. That is also why Nadeem Aslam tops the list...

Naqsh sahib,

(a fictionalised account of the writing of the Kamasutra )

I think the work you are referring to is the Mrichhakatika or the Little Clay Cart but I am not sure that is a novel. It is a Sanskrit Drama.

Regards

ShoreSaheb:

Yes, spoken Hindi and Urdu are the same languages with different scripts, the language of Munshi Prem Chand or of Bollywood.

Asif - what was your modus for the selection. Going through the list - i can see that there is a certain eclecticism in your choice
. Maps for Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam
2. Psychoraag by Suhail Saadi
3. An Equal Music by Vikram Seth
4. Umrao Jaan by Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa
5. Aag Ka Darya (River of Fire) by Qurratulain Hyder
6. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
7. Twilight in Delhi by Ahmed Ali
8. A River Sutra by Gita Mehta
9. Bazaar e Husn (Courtesans’ Quarter) by Munshi Premchand
10. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy


huge volumious efforts (both in chronological time as well as in pages) have found place here - aagka darya, suitable boy etc. Historical novels - or stories set in a psecific historical period (umrao jaan, Twilight). also a nod towards eroticism in there (and given your comments on God of Small things - i would put it there (but I would disagree vehemently that homoeroticism is thekey issue win the book but lets tqke your take on it). Ofcourse a soft corner for brit authors.

If only we knew the criteria for this list. Just saying those that I read doesnot make sense and cannot make a discussion.

Re: # 21 read the perfumed garden

Dostmittar sahib,

I understand your point, but I can transcribe urdu poetry in english alphabet as well; It wouldnt mean that I wrote it both in Urdu and English.

I hope you understand what I mean. Writing in two scripts the same thing physically means not the same thing as writing in two different languages with a distinct expression. I have seen javed Akhtar's urdu poetry written in Devnagri script and published.

Its still Hindustani poetry and not Hindi.

Dosto,
let me reiterate that I only included those novels which I had READ. I made that abundantly clear in my article but it seems we desis often only skim read...

I'm sure there are many great novels I have not read...there is one--a fictionalised account of the writing of the Kamasutra by the sage Vatsyavana which I've been meaning to read for a while but cannot recall the name...

Shoresaheb:

You are both write and wrong. Munshi Premchand did write in the ordinary language spoken by the people of central UP. But it is also true that he wrote in both Urdu and Hindi, since he used both scripts. He started out writing in the Urdu script and later wrote in the Hindi script as well.