THE ULTIMATE READING LIST
From politicians to sporting heroes and books to movies, our special Independence Day series tracks their impact on the making of modern India. In Part 2, we list 70 influential books written in English post-Independence
Lists are an impossible thing. They are always partial, bound to disappoint more than please. And yet they’re seductive because of their imperfection. Who doesn’t like passing along one of them and grumbling about it or nodding their head in approval at the odd right choice. When The Hindustan Times asked me to compile the 70 most influential books written in English post Independence, I decided to jump into the deep end.
What makes a great book? Is it a book that’s historically important, or one that
stands the test of time? Often a book is highly regarded at the time of publication but
forgotten thereafter. Should one put in books that have won major prizes, even if one disagrees with the verdict? And what about books that have won a large readership?
The books on my list had to meet one or more of the following criteria: have social impact (by creating a debate, a new readership, or winning a major prize); stand the test of time; be accessible to the general reader - the only scholarly books on this list are those that have changed the way we see the world; be an extraordinary translation from Indian languages to English; and, be books of outstanding merit by foreigners. I have included just one book per author.