Novels set in Indian subcontinent?

[HolidaysQueen]

I'm looking for a Christmas present for DH. We've travelled a lot in India, Sri Lanka, and studied the Indian subcontinent in our degrees, so DH has always loved reading novels set in those countries. I'd like to get him one or two novels for Christmas, especially as they'll also be a good read for me later

His favourite novel ever is A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry and I know he's also read and enjoyed Midnight's Children, The Glass Palace (can't think of the others of the top of my head).

Any suggestions of authors or specific novels?

Thanks

The Siege of Krishnapor by JG Farell?

Won the Booker Prize in 79 I think.

Maharanis - fantastic book about generations of Indian princesses.

Anil's Ghost
(Michael Ondaatje Sri Lanka)

A Passage to India (E. M. Forster)

I've read a few and enjoyed all except for The inheritance of loss by Kiran Desai (just found it boring)

How about Salman Rushdie - Shame
or Vikram Seth - A suitable boy (a good long read!)

The God of Small things - can't remember the author, but it was v. moving.

Thingy Desai (Anita's daughter) - now I can't remember the title but was a Booker shortlister a couple of years ago. I think the word River was in the title. Help me out someone!

The Moors Last Sigh is another of Rushdie's and I love it.

God of Small Things ?

I'll have a think for some others.

admylin - i'm reading inheritance of loss at the moment and am also finding it a bit slow-going!

The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye

Q & A by Vikas Swarup? Animal's People, by Indra Sinha.

Romesh gunasekara has some very evocative novels starting with the very small Reef, more from Sri Lanka

The Hungry Tide and Sea of Poppies (Amitav Ghosh) The latter was on the Booker prize shortlist. I found it quite heavy going but loved the Hungry Tide (set in Sunderbans, est Bengal).
Shantaram ...all 933 pages of it....pacy and gripping but sometimes prose leaves a bit to be desired.
All of William Dalrymple's book are great. Non fiction but entertaining and very well-written. (City of Djinns is my favourite)
Vikram Chandra..Red Earth and Pouring Rain and Sacred Games.
Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai.
A Fine Balance is my favourite book too!!

The death of Mr Love - Indra Sinha (might be too girly)

and I second anything by William Dalrymple, esp City of Djinns

these are great suggestions, thank you!
we've both read all of william dalrymple's books - they are great.

I enjoyed A Son of the Circus by John Irving

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.

Historical British Raj stuff:
Paul Scott The Jewel in the Crown and the other three books in the Raj Quartet as well as
Staying On
EM Forster: A Passage to India
But the best of all is (as previously suggested) JG Farrell's The Siege of Krishnapur.

I second the suggestion of "Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard" by Kiran Desai, it is very funny.

Try also "Feasting, Fasting" by Anita Desai. I have read many of her books, but this is the best, in my opinioin.

This year's Booker winner - The White Tiger. Not a comfortable read but an interesting one.

Seconded recommendation for Paul Scott - the whole of the Jewel in the Crown series, but Staying On is good too (also a Booker winner, I think).

HQ - I just answered your post without realising it was you. Only as I hit 'submit' did I make the connection with Rohinton Mistry.

I have lots more recommendations if you want 'em.... but I may not clog up this thread with them!!

i'm currently reading

The White Tiger by Adiga. It won some award or something. it's pretty recent and not too bad. (so far)

morning!
so i've added white tiger (i know and trust flossie's literary judgment!) and the siege of krishnapur to my amazon order for now, but all of the others are either going on my christmas list or on the long list for later (i've got this thread on my watch list so i don't forget them!)
thank you all

If you like Dalrymple then there is a lovely book called 'An Indian Summer ' by James Cameron travel writing/memoir i think out of print sadly. Red Earth and Pouring Rain is fab and I loved Sacred Games (Vikram Chandra)

I read 'A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush' and 'Slowly Down the Ganges' by Eric Newby. They are not novels but are hysterically funny.

One of my favourite authors is R K Narayan. Try 'A Tiger for Malgudi', or really any of his novels and short stories.

His books are a breeze to read, and an absolute joy. You really get a feel for the place.

HQ, I emailed you another idea but I used the wrong email... have just resent!!