It’s Nov 2025 and I have just finished reading my 200th Hindi language book. Here are my favourite Hindi books of all time (only considering books written originally in Hindi) –
गुनाहों का देवता / Gunahon Ka Devta (“Lord of Sins”)
Author: Dharmveer Bharati
Genre: Novel, romance, philosophy
My Favorite Part: author’s poetic description of human relations, especially three different kinds of love – love of the soul, physical love, and devotional love
Other Books by the Author: Another gem by Bharati ji is कनुप्रिया (Kanupriya), epic poetry about the Radha and Krishna, the epitome of romantic love in Hindu mythology
मेरी प्रिय कहानियाँ / Meri Priya Kahaniyan (“My Favorite Stories”)
Author: Bheeshm Sahni
Genre: Story collection, social commentary
My Favorite Part: Stories depicting Indian society and human nature
Other Books by the Author: तमस / Tamas (“Darkness”), a historical novel)
निठल्ले की डायरी / Nithalle ki Diary (“The Diary of an Idle Man”)
Author: Harishankar Parsai
Genre: Satire, social commentary, human psychology
My Favorite Part: There is no oddity of Indian personal, social or political life that Parsai ji doesn’t comment on. His satire is as relevant today as it was in the 1960s or 70s or 80s or 90s when he wrote it!
Other Books by the Author: There are many-many great books by Parsai ji, for example विकलांग श्रद्धा का दौर / Viklang Shraddha ka Daur (“The Era of handicapped Respect”), अपनी-अपनी बीमारी / Apni-Apni Beemari (“Everyone has their own ailment”) and so on. If you want to get an overall feeling of his work, just start with प्रेमचंद के फटे जूते / Premchand ke phate Joote (“Tattered shoes of Premchand”) which has a bit of everything – his (satirical) essays, (satirical) short stories, (non-satirical) biographical sketches and such.
शेखर: एक जीवनी / Shekhar: Ek Jeevani (“Shekhar: A Biography”)
Author: S.H.V Agyeya
Genre: Biographical novel, drama
My Favorite Part: The accurate depiction of human nature through the protagonist, Shekhar.
रश्मिरथी / Rashmirathi (“Charioteer of the Sun”)
Author: Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’
Genre: Poetry, mythology
My Favorite Part: poetry that fills up with energy, strong characters that exude grandiosity
Other Books by the Author: A non-fictional treatise on Indian cultural history – संस्कृति के चार अध्याय / Sanskriti ke chaar Adhyaya (“Four Chapters of Civilization”)
मानसरोवर / Mansarovar (“Mansarovar”)
Author: Munshi Premchand
Genre: Story collection, social commentary
My Favorite Part: Stories such as मंत्र / Mantra (“Mantra”), कफ़न / Kafan (“Death Shroud”), बूढ़ी काकी / Boodhi Kaaki (“The Old Woman”)
Other Books by the Author: Highly revered novels such as गोदान / Godaan, निर्मला / Nirmala