Books Written By Women That Every Man Must Read
Forget Sir Vidia’s verdict. Women’s writing offers essential insights into the human experience—one every man should reckon with. Esquire India opens the door to 7 such Indian books
Women writers have "a narrow view of the world," VS Naipaul once remarked. "I read a piece of writing, and within a paragraph or two I know whether it is by a woman or not. I think [it is] unequal to me.”
We beg to differ. Some of the best writing by women provides “a full and authentic report of human experience,” as Ian Watt said about the genre of the novel.
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Here, in no particular order, is a pick of eight memorable works out of many by Indian women. These are narratives in which men can discover the mechanisms that shape not just women’s experiences, but also their own.
When I Hit You
By Meena Kandasamy
Words like ‘unflinching’ and ‘searing’ are book blurb cliches, but they’re only too apt in this case. With poetic force, Meena Kandasamy exposes the psychology of domestic violence and emotional abuse from a survivor’s perspective. It strips away the social hypocrisies that allow educated, “progressive” men to become abusers, while showing how patriarchal structures enable such abuse in the first place.
The Liberation of Sita
By Volga
Volga’s subversive work stands out amidst a sea of mythological re-interpretations. Here, Sita, abandoned by Rama, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, meeting women who have broken free from husbands, sons, and concepts such as desire and chastity. The Telugu stories, translated by T Vijay Kumar and C Vijayasree, opens up a space within the tradition to question received notions of dharma and duty.
The Sari Shop
By Rupa Bajwa
Rupa Bajwa’s novel follows a sales assistant at a prestigious sari shop in Amritsar as he shuffles through his life trying to improve himself, particularly by learning English. His encounters with wealthy customers and involvement with the wife of a fellow worker force him to confront the limitations of social mobility. You don’t have to work in a sari shop to find a pointed commentary on the prevalence of class divisions and gender inequalities.
The Cosmopolitans
By Anjum Hasan
The Cosmopolitans is a deft and often ironic look at those who inhabit India's urban intellectual spaces. Through her Bengaluru-based protagonist, Hasan presents a critique of the art world while exploring themes of authenticity and the tension between traditional and cosmopolitan cultures. You may never mansplain again.
The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai
Not every inheritance is material and not every legacy can be forgotten. Kiran Desai’s novel weaves together issues of globalisation and colonialism through parallel stories of a teenage girl and her grandfather in Kalimpong, and an immigrant working as a cook in New York. It shows how privilege can blind us to others’ struggles as the weight of the past continues to press upon the present.
Quarterlife
By Devika Rege
A striking debut whose male characters wrestle with questions of who they ought be versus who they actually are. Devika Rege’s Quarterlife explores the nature of India after 2014 through the eyes of individuals trying and often failing to make sense of their place in a changing world. Rege examines the interplay of entitlement and class at a time of nationalistic fervour, raising questions without easy answers.
That Long Silence
By Shashi Deshpande
What is your partner keeping from you? Through the story of Jaya, a housewife in suburban Mumbai who reassesses her life after a crisis, this introspective novel provides access to thoughts and feelings many husbands may not be privy to. Shashi Deshpande explores the tension between personal freedom and familial responsibility, and the messy realities of marriage and motherhood. It’s the cost of the silence society can impose on women.
Difficult Daughters
By Manju Kapur
The Partition-era novel shows how women’s struggles for autonomy mirror larger political movements. The characters navigate family expectations, education and marriage, and their stories reveal how personal choices ripple through generations. It’s another reminder that understanding the past can light the path to a more equitable future.
To read more stories from Esquire India's March 2025 issue, pick up a copy of the magazine from your nearest newspaper stand or bookstore. Or click here to subscribe to the magazine.