It’s Nov 2025 and I have just finished reading my 200th Hindi language book. Here are some more of my favourite Hindi books of all time (only considering books written originally in Hindi) –
रावी पार / Ravi Paar (“Across Ravi”)
Author: Gulzar
Genre: Story collection, social commentary
My Favorite Part: Heart-wrenching and thought-provoking stories about India-Pakistan partition, about broken human relations, and many more
Other Books by the Author: Wonderful poetry collection रात पशमीने की / Raat Pashmeene Ki (“Night of Pashmina”)
अतीत के चलचित्र / Ateet ke Chalchitra (“Videos from the Past”)
Author: Mahadevi Verma
Genre: Memoirs, sketches
My Favorite Part: Such poignant description of people, emotions, and human-relations within Indian society
Other Books by the Author: Famous for her poetry, other prose works – मेरा परिवार / Mera Parivar (“My Family”), स्मृति की रेखाएँ / Smriti ki Rekhayein (“Lines of Memories”), पथ के साथी / Path ke Sathi (“Fellow Travellers”), शृंखला की कड़ियाँ / Shrinkhala ki Kadiyaan (“The Links in the Chain”). The last one is a collection of feminist essays, akin to Virginia Woolf’s A room of one’s own.
मेरी तेरी उसकी बात / Meri Teri Uski Baat (“About me, you and them”)
Author: Yashpal
Genre: Historical novel, social commentary
My Favorite Part: authentic depiction of the sentiments of the common public during the pre-independence era, specifically 1920s and 30s
Other Books by the Author: The short story अभिशप्त / Abhishapt (“Cursed”) in Yashpal ji’s story collection
मानव समाज / Manav Samaj (“Human Society”)
Author: Rahul Sankrityayan
Genre: Treatise, Anthropology
My Favorite Part: Not many non-fictional informative books in Hindi. Learning about the evolution of human societies from hunter-gatherers to farmers to industrial workers
Other Books by the Author: Stories from pre-history to history – वोल्गा से गंगा / Volga se Ganga (“From Volga to Ganges”) and a treatise on philosophy – दर्शन दिग्दर्शन / Darshan Digsarshan (“Philosophical Compass”)
टोपी शुक्ला / Topi Shukla (“Topi Shukla”)
Author: Rahi Masoom Raza
Genre: Novel
My Favorite Part: A poignant, funny and accurate depiction of post-partition Indian society. The mastery of the author on regional vernacular is amazing!
घाव करें गंभीर / Ghav Karein Gambheer (“Shrapnels”)
Author: Sharad Joshi
Genre: Satire, Social commentary
My Favorite Part: After Harishankar Parsai ji, Sharad Joshi is probably the best satirist India has produced. But he has an additional literary mystical flavour to his writing!