Best Arundhati Roy Books Of All Time
Arundhati Roy is a non-expatriate Indian author and political activist whose works are acclaimed across the globe. She is best known for her novel The God of Small Things, which won her the Man Booker Prize in 1997. Her narrative style is complex covering different levels of reading. Roy has also written two screenplays and received the Cultural Freedom Prize by the Lannan Foundation for her contribution towards women’s rights.
| Arundhati Roy Books | Price | Rating |
| The God Of Small Things | Rs.216 | 4.1/5 |
| The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness | Rs.327 | 3.9/5 |
| An Ordinary Person’s Guide To Empire | Rs.170 | 3.9/5 |
| The Algebra Of Infinite Justice | Rs.180 | 3.9/5 |
| The End Of Imagination | Rs.1264 | 4.1/5 |
| Capitalism: A Ghost Story | Rs.922 | 3.9/5 |
| Listening To Grasshoppers | Rs.127 | 4/5 |
| The Cost Of Living | Rs.3172 | 4/5 |
| Power Politics | Rs.989 | 4.6/5 |
| Things That Can And Cannot Be Said | Rs.161 | 3.6/5 |
1. The God Of Small Things
Roy’s debut novel, The God of Small Things accounts the childhood experiences of fraternal twins, Esthappen and Rahel who come from an affluent Indian family. As unexpected events unfold, the twins learn the harsh reality of life. The book highlights the issues of the caste system and communism, a powerful family saga, forbidden love story and piercing political drama, all of which are going to keep you engaged.
Year Of Publication: 1997
Number Of Copies Sold: 8 million copies
Price: Rs.216
Awards: Booker Prize in 1997
2. The End Of Imagination
The End of Imagination is a comprehensive book that brings together the acclaimed books of essays from Roy’s collection. It compiled her writings from The Cost of Living, Power Politics, War Talk, Public Power in the Age of Empire and An Ordinary Person’s Guide to Empire. From the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq to the need to confront corporate power and democratic institutions globally, the book circulates Roy’s inspiring thoughts.
Year Of Publication: 1998
Price: Rs.1264
3. The Cost Of Living
Regarded as a spirited polemic, The Cost of Living discusses the two great illusions of India’s progress, the massive dam projects displacing many and the detonation of India’s first nuclear bomb. Roy uses moral outrage and imaginative sweep to unravel the hidden cost beneath the prosperity and progress of our country.
Year Of Publication: 1999
Price: Rs.3172
4. The Algebra Of Infinite Justice
The Algebra Of Infinite Justice brings together political essays written by Roy on the global and local concerns among which the abuse of Nuclear bomb showoffs is of priority. Creating massive debates and acclaims across the globe, her novel carefully discusses diverse issues ranging from the power of politics to the nuclear bomb tests. This one’s sure to educate the readers and evoke a series of questions in their minds.
Year Of Publication: 2001
Price: Rs.180
5. Listening To Grasshoppers
Written between 2002 and 2008, Listening to Grasshoppers: Field Notes on Democracy is a collection of essays on the Indian democracy and its bitter truth. With claims that only the upper 10% of the society enjoys democracy, Roy paints a picture of what the result of our democracy will lead to. She raises the question of whether India truly is a democratic nation or not.
Year Of Publication: 2009
Price: Rs.127
6. Power Politics
Power Politics is an amalgamation of essays that challenge the ideas of urgent matters such as the globalization of the world, nuclear war, the privatization of India’s power supply by the US-based energy companies and the construction of monumental dams in India dislocating thousands of people. She challenges the subjects that only experts can comment on.
Year Of Publication: 2001
Price: Rs.989
7. An Ordinary Person’s Guide To Empire
An Ordinary Person’s Guide to Empire is a collection of fourteen essays written between June 2002 and November 2004. These writings draw the thread of empire by uncovering links between America’s War on Terror, the growing threat of corporate power, the response of states to the resistance movement, the role of NGOs, caste and communal politics in India and the preserved machinery of an increasingly corporatized mass media. Diligently researched and analytically argued, this novel is of major relevance in our times.
Year Of Publication: 2003
Price: Rs.170
8. Capitalism: A Ghost Story
Capitalism: A Ghost Story examines the dark side of Indian democracy in contemporary times. It also showcases how the demands of globalized capitalism have sub judged billions of people based on the highest and most intense forms of racism and exploitation. From hundreds of farmers committing suicide to escape debt and hundreds of millions of people living on less than two dollars a day to poisoned rivers, barren wells and cleared forests, there are ghosts residing almost everywhere in India.
Year Of Publication: 2014
Price: Rs.922
9. Things That Can And Cannot Be Said
Co-written by John Cusack, Things That Can and Cannot Be Said gives an insight into the conversations of Roy, John, and Daniel with the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. The book reflects upon their interaction on topics like the nature of the state, surveillance in an era of perpetual war and the meaning of patriotism. Disturbing yet powerful and provocative, this one’s sure to sit high on your shelves.
Year Of Publication: 2016
Price: Rs.161
10. The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness
Spanning decades and locations, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness describes the stories of people who have been broken by the world they live in and how they are rescued by love and hope. Written in a whisper and shout and through tears and laughter, this novel develops an aching love in the reader’s heart.
Year Of Publication: 2017
Number Of Copies Sold: 400,000 copies within months
Price: Rs.327
Awards:
- Nominated for Critics’ Circle Award in 2018
- Long-listed for Man Brooker Prize in 2017
- Short-listed for The Hindu Literary Prize in 2017
