Books set in India before Independence

[Izzywigs]

I have just finished A Rising Man and A Necessary Evil. They were both brilliant books. I enjoy reading novels set in India. In the late 1800s early 1900s. So has anyone any recommendations please?

A Passage to India
The Far Pavillions

If you want something non fiction from the early days I highly recommend "White Mughals" by William Dalrymple. On the one hand it's a love story with a very human element and on the other shows how the British in India changed during the late 18th and 19th centuries.
William Dalrymple lives much of the time in Delhi and is a real India expert.

I was going to say The Far Pavillions. Not the right time period, but A Fine Balance or A Suitable Boy are also on my list of favourites too.

Something a little bit different 'Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary' by Anita Anand.

Zemindar (I read it in my teens) and it inspired me so much that Lucknow was on my list of places to visit when I eventually made it to India.

Also The Siege of Krisnapur which I think may have won the Booker Prize in the 70s?

A Fine Balance is such a brilliant novel for capturing the essence of India in the mid 20th Century but heartbreaking nevertheless.

The Pass Beyond Kashmir by Berkeley Mather. It's a really old book, I read it years ago when I found it at my grandparents. It's a great read - an atmospheric thriller.

What about Kim by Rudyard Kipling? Did it for English A Level many moons ago. Wasn't that struck on it at the time but it's an amazing read.

Midnights children
Malgudi days
Glass pavilion
A suitable boy

Burmese Days by George Orwell - set a bit later than you specify, but still during the colonial era and a very atmospheric read.

A house for mr Biswas
Sea of poppies
A princess remembered

I am sure I will think of more!

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts! Based in India.

Not fiction but Plain tales from the Raj and Women of the Raj have fascinating insights in to what life was like for the British in India

The Strangler Vine

Wrong time period but The White Tiger was a great read.

Lorelai - I agree that The White Tiger is a very good book.

Marvellous, I have read some of these but will definitely get the others. Thank you.

How about trying some non- fiction...some of the rl characters had fascinating lives you couldn't make up.

@Whyareyiudoingthat, do you have anything you can recommend?

Here is a good list, some I have read.

m.barnesandnoble.com/b/books/historical-fiction/colonial-india-historical-fiction/_/N-29Z8q8Z10nt