Book picks similar to
The Lost Child by Mulk Raj Anand


short-stories
classics
short-stories-read
1

The Complete Adventures of Feluda, Vol. 1


Satyajit Ray - 2000
    Mitter, AKA Feluda. The plots involve murder, mystery and adventure, most of the times in exotic locations, narrated in a racy, humorous style by the detective's cousin-cum-assistant Topeshranjan Mitter AKA Topshe, and in most cases, accompanied by the funny Lalmohan Ganguly AKA Jatayu, who himself was a famous crime writer. All of this makes for enormously entertaining fare - and it is no wonder that each Feluda book has been a best-seller. All the stories are now available together in this two volume omnibus. For the first time ever, the stories are arranged in chronological order of composition, and one can note Feluda's development from an unknown amateur detective to a famous investigator. This first volume contains some of the best Feluda stories ever written.

Kintsugi: A Novel


Anukrti Upadhyay - 2020
    And about men surprised by women who are unconventional, unafraid and independent. It is the story of Meena, rebellious and unexamined, and Yuri, as complex as Meena is naive. Of Hajime, outsider to two cultures, and Prakash, unable to see beyond his limited horizons. It is also the story of Haruko who has dedicated herself to her art, and of Leela who is determined to break gender roles and learn the traditional gold-craft of her community. Set between Japan and Jaipur, Kintsugi follows the lives of these characters as they intersect and diverge, collide and break and join again in unexpected ways. The result is a brilliantly original novel as profound as it is playful, as emotionally moving as it is gripping.

Naked Voices: Stories And Sketches


Saadat Hasan Manto - 2008
    In one of the three sketches, which form part of this collection, the author brilliantly reveals himself to the world in a schizophrenic piece titled 'Saadat Hasan' calling 'Manto the writer' a liar, a thief and a failure! And in another titled 'In a Letter to Uncle Sam', Manto superbly couches his anti-imperialistic views in an innocent letter from a poor nephew to a capitalist and prosperous uncle in America.

Pullela Gopi Chand: The World Beneath His Feat


Sanjay Sharma - 2011
    1973, Indian badminton player.

The Mark of Vishnu: Stories


Khushwant Singh - 2011
    This selection includes ten of his best, bearing testimony to the author's remarkable range and his ability to create unforgettable characters out of everyday lives.

The Village by the Sea


Anita Desai - 1982
    Hari and Lila were born and raised in the village, but now their family is falling into despair: the father to alcohol while the mother is seriously ill. As for money, that there is not even enough to meet the most basic needs between.

The Indian Constitution


Madhav Khosla - 2012
    Combining authoritative analysis, new ideas, and diverse perspectives, they discuss subjects which are topical yet enduring, as also emerging areas of study and debate. Giving identity to over a billion people, the Indian Constitution is one of the world's great political texts. Drafted over six decades ago, its endurance and operation have fascinated and surprised many. In this short introduction, Madhav Khosla brings to light its many features, aspirations, and controversies. How does the Constitution separate power between different political actors? What form of citizenship does it embrace? And how can it change? In answering questions such as these, Khosla unravels the document's remarkable and challenging journey, inviting readers to reflect upon the theory and practice of constitutionalism in the world's largest democracy.

How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and Other Stories


Sudha Murty - 2004
    Sudha Murthy has even picked out anecdotes from her own life to present to the readers a book that shows them the forgotten values of life.How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and Other Stories is filled with heart touching tales varying from one about how her grandmother asked the then twelve-year-old author to teach her the alphabet. Sudha talks about her encounter with J.R.D Tata. Each of the twenty-five stories in the book provides some inspiration to its readers.The stories are presented in an effortless and humorous fashion. Sudha Murthy recounts tales from her life in a simple yet engrossing manner. The stories range from her childhood to her life as a teacher and a mother. The book shows readers how her mother's constant advice on saving money actually helped Sudha when she had to start a company with her husband. It also features a story where the protagonist takes a train ride with the President. About Sudha MurthySudha Murthy, also known as Sudha Kulkarni, is a social worker and author.Other popular books written by Sudha are The Magic Drum And Other Favorite Stories, Dolla Bahu, The Old Man And His God, and Wise & Otherwise (an audiobook).Sudha Murthy has tried her hand at both fiction and non-fiction. She writes in English and Kannada and so far, she has written a compilation of short stories, two books for children, nine novels, three separate non-fiction collections, three travelogues, and four technical books. She has been awarded the R. K. Narayan's Award for Literature (2006) and has also been the recipient of the Padma Shri award (2006).She was born in Shiggaon, North Karnataka in the year 1950. She is the wife of N. R. Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys Technologies limited and is at present, the Chairperson of Infosys. She is actively involved in social service and is a part of the Gate

English, August: An Indian Story


Upamanyu Chatterjee - 1988
    His friends go to Yale and Harvard. August himself has just landed a prize government job. The job takes him to Madna, “the hottest town in India,” deep in the sticks. There he finds himself surrounded by incompetents and cranks, time wasters, bureaucrats, and crazies. What to do? Get stoned, shirk work, collapse in the heat, stare at the ceiling. Dealing with the locals turns out to be a lot easier for August than living with himself. English, August is a comic masterpiece from contemporary India. Like A Confederacy of Dunces and The Catcher in the Rye, it is both an inspired and hilarious satire and a timeless story of self-discovery.

India's Greatest Speeches


Nitin Agarwal - 2014
    Set to inspire, this book includes some of the most stirring and eloquent addresses by Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Mother Teresa, JRD Tata, Abdul Kalam, Nardendra Modi and other influential Indian leaders.This impelling selection of expressive moments of oratory would provide the reader a fresh perspective; evoke feelings of patriotism, inspiration and unbounded motivation. Nitin Aggarwal introduces each speech with relevant information, providing valuable insight.

Shoes of the Dead


Kota Neelima - 2013
    The powerful district committee of Mityala routinely dismisses the suicide and refuses compensation to his widow. Gangiri, his brother, makes it his life’s mission to bring justice to the dead by influencing the committee to validate similar farmer suicides.Keyur Kashinath of the Democratic Party - first-time member of Parliament from Mityala, and son of Vaishnav Kashinath, the party’s general secretary - is the heir to his father’s power in Delhi politics. He faces his first crisis every suicide in his constituency certified by the committee as debt-related is a blot on the party’s image, and his competence.The brilliant farmer battles his inheritance of despair, the arrogant politician fights for the power he has received as legacy. Their two worlds collide in a conflict that pushes both to the limits of morality from where there is no turning back. At stake is the truth about ‘inherited’ democratic power. And at the end, there can only be one winner. Passionate and startlingly insightful, Shoes of the Dead is a chilling parable of modern-day India.A book that will make you stroll through India’s corridors of power and politics with a perfect portrayal of how its consequences creep into the lives of the farmers forcing them to commit suicide. Get ready to read a gripping tale by Kota Neelima.

The Reluctant Dragon


Kenneth Grahame - 1898
    When the town-folk send for St. George to slay the dragon, the boy needs to come up with a clever plan to save his friend and convince the townsfolk to accept him. This story first appeared as a chapter in Grahame's Dream Days and was first published as a separate book by Holiday House in 1938 with illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard.

Servants of India


R.K. Laxman - 2000
    Laxman profiles ten hilariously idiosyncratic people, who are among the countless men and women who run the lives of the middle class in India. The tales are put together by Ganesh, a freelance journalist trying to write a feature article on servants he has known. As his chronicle progresses, what emerges is a richly embellished narrative starring unforgettable characters. There is Swami, the cook, who finds his true vocation as a godman; Kumar, who deserts his household duties to pursue his tinsel-town dreams; Anthony, the driver, who makes money on the side by giving lifts to strangers; the maid Shanti, whose lift is thrown into turmoil by the neighbour's servant who is besotted with her; and Ramaswami, a trusted retainer who reappears mysteriously, much to the consternation of his employer, long after he has been presumed drowned. Marked by Laxman's trademark wit, and including pencil sketches drawn especially for this edition, Servants of India is a delightful read.

Chanakya Niti on Corruption: Glimples of how Chanakya tackled menace of corruption 300 BCE in India?


Dev Dantreliya - 2014
    Chanakya who was born around 3rd BC in Bharat (now Hindustan), astute, shrewd and ruthless political master. Equally selfless and patriotic teacher who politically united the small states post invasion of Greeks and reclaimed the boundaries of Bharat stretching from Puruvarsha (Persia, now Iran), Gansthan (now Afghanistan) to far east of Magadh (Bihar state). We know Chanakya for his Niti-shashtras, for his voluminous work on economy, maxims of wisdom and intelligence. But we do not know much about minute details with which he governed the country at that time. We do not know, during his time of around 3rd BCE, at how much advance stage the economy, public life, administration, industries, defence mechanisms, taxations, public-private partnerships, foreign policy, judicial systems, banking and accounting systems ….. were there in India. It seems, they all were in more than perfect stage compared to present scenario factoring advancement in science and technology etc. We will look at each of them one by one. In this book, “Chanakya Niti on Corruption”, we will take a look at corruption. What Chanakya thinks about sources of corruption, ways of finding about corruption, judgements and punishments of corruptions etc. Chanakya knows very well that just like it is impossible to know when and how much water a fish drinks, it is utmost difficult to know how much money government officials steal away while in charge of it. Knowing human nature which succumbs to greed, fear, lust, anger or any such tamas gunas, and indulges in acts of corruption to accumulate wealth in the country or outside. Chanakya keeps eye on conduct and life style of not only ministers, but all levels of the government officials too. Chanakya takes multi pronged approach to tackle and eradicate corruption. He knows that by establishing one department to tackle corruption problems are not going to be solved, instead will increase many fold later when that department itself becomes corrupt eventually. He relies on spying, continuous intelligence gathering, harsh punishments leading to deaths, rewards who bring to notice acts of corruptions by officials etc, promotions and rewards to who do their job righteously. Not only that, 3rd century BC, do you imagine there were clear cut rules and guidelines how to write account books, !. At that time, he knew that what impact it creates on overall economy and nation building, if sanctioned amount for projects are not utilised actually? Chanakya knows corruption is contiguous, and he tackles such problems too with well laid out and practical laws to follow at that time. Looking at the crux of the guidelines what Chanakya outlines, it seems that essence of those laws are applicable still today with more verbatim or expansion of words to suite and cover present scenarios. But, the essence remains same. He knew that in corruption free country, trade and business, entrepreneurship and industries flourishes and so overall wealth, health and security of the nation. I hope reading this book "Chanakya Niti on Corruption", will open up a window to explore further on how an Indian political guru administered this nation 3rd century BCE.

Never Say Goodbye


Rajiv Seth - 2012
    It is a story of an extra-marital affair and how it is looked at from a woman’s and a man’s perspective. It is a story of how the field of genetics can affect a person’s thoughts and approaches to ethics in science.The characters in the book are simple at times, complex at the other, but easy to relate with. The story is pacy and delivers unexpected twists at the most unexpected times. Anjali, is a young doctor, who is driven by an urge to do much more than just medicine. An infatuation leads to her marrying a businessman, and into a joint family, where studies and education take second place. Even her husband has a very different outlook to life. They are, literally, moving on different paths in life, and Anjali realises this only when she meets Aakash who, too, is a doctor. From being her mentor, Aakash gradually becomes her soul mate and their relationship reaches a flashpoint as they fight an outbreak of plague in a tiny village in north India. Anjali goes headlong into the relationship, not caring about the consequences but Aakash preaches to her about the strengths of the institution of marriage in India and how extra-marital affairs are, rightly or wrongly, frowned upon in India. Their approaches to the relationship reverse when Anjali gets pregnant with his child. Anjali goes on to study human genetics at an institution in the UK. At the end of the programme, she is entrusted with the task of setting up a laboratory in Shillong to research on therapeutic cloning. The institution is keen on the laboratory being located in a remote place where the laws on cloning research are less stringent than in the UK. Over a few years, without Anjali realising it, the laboratory moves towards successful research into techniques for human cloning. Anjali thinks this is unethical and resists pressure to actually clone a human being.What follows is an emotion-arousing sequence of events. At times you will just love Anjali, and at times you will hate her for the way she relates to people. But that regardless, you will never want to press the pause button until you finish the roller-coaster ride which the author takes you through.