Shashi Tharoor Books: Shashi Tharoor is one of the most eminent and learned figures in the Indian demography. Apart from being an excellent writer, he is simultaneously an Indian politician and diplomat.
Currently, he forms a part of the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha, a member of the parliament. Shashi Tharoor, though of Indian origin, was born in the UK, in London.
Tharoor began writing at the very early age of six. Later, his writing career took impetus. His initial literary years included writing for various columns in newspapers and magazines.
Tharoor has written columns for some of the best English language newspapers in the country, including The Times of India, The Hindu and the Deccan Chronicle. Other papers and magazines where he used to contribute include Gentleman, the Indian Express and the International Herald Tribune.
Under his name, Shashi Tharoor, the writer, has four fictional novels; 14 non-fictional books and 2 illustrated editions of literary pieces.
- Themes in the Books of Shashi Tharoor
- Fiction Books by Shashi Tharoor
- Nonfiction Books by Shahi Tharoor
- 10 Lines on the Topic of Shashi Tharoor Books
- Is Shashi Tharoor a good writer?
- How many books has Shashi Tharoor written?
- Does Tharoor write for children?
- What is the latest book by Shashi Tharoor?
Books of Shashi Tharoor
Shashi Tharoor has written nearly 19 books of Fiction, all of which have been regarded as bestsellers. His stories and novels centre around the theme of India, encompassing in themselves the history, culture, traditional and political aspect of the country. Some of his greatest literary works include The Great Indian Novel, India from Midnight to Millennium, An Era of Darkness and The Paradoxical Prime Minister, to name a few.
The literary career of Shashi Tharoor has been quite a celebrated one in India. As mentioned earlier, each of his books has attained the bestseller landmark, and many of them have had numerous reprints and translations. His novel titled The Great Indian Novel has had 43 editions as of 2014.
Shashi Tharoor has advanced his literary career in the field of non-fiction as well. Of his non-fictitious novels, the most eminent one is An Era of Darkness. This novel was revised and re-printed. In the Uk, it was published as the Inglorious Empire: What the British did to India. His other books of non-fiction include Why I Am a Hindu and The Paradoxical Prime Minister.
In September 2019, Shashi Tharoor published yet another one of his books, titled The Hindu Way: An Introduction. His latest novel has been co-authored with Samir Saran and is titled The New World Disorder and the Indian Imperative.
Themes in the Books of Shashi Tharoor
All of Shashi Tharoor’s books are written on, about and concerning India. Issues that are recurring in his novel are the political scenario of India and the effects of such a situation on the country.
Apart from politics and diplomatic themes, his books also talk mainly about the culture and tradition of India. India’s religious scheme and propagandas also find its way into his writings.
Things such as Indian art and Indian films are cultural aspects that Shashi Tharoor has addressed in most of his novels. His books, though written about serious traditional and political concerns of India, are satirical and recurrently comic.
Shashi Tharoor employs the devices of satire, humor and sometimes black comedy to perpetuate his concerns and ideas to his readers. His books on non-fiction, once again, focus on the administrative and political system of the Indian subcontinent.
Fiction Books by Shashi Tharoor
The Great Indian Novel, The Five Dollar Smile and other stories, and Show Business are three of Tharoor’s most popular books on Fiction.
The Great Indian Novel: Published in1989, this novel of Fiction is divided into 18 books or parts. In this excellent work of his, Tharoor has narrated the tale of Indian Independence Movement but in the subcontext of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It can be treated as a subversion of two significant events and work. The eminent Indian figures involved in the movement have been given the shape and form of the Indian mythological characters; the circumstances involved in the campaign are told in the light of the occurrences in Mahabharata itself.
Show Business: This novel of Tharoor traces the life if its protagonist Ashok Banjara who is an acclaimed superstar in the industry of Bollywood. In the form of reminisces and nostalgia of Bajara’s Tharoor takes a satirical and humorous stand in writing the story of Bollywood and its long-standing history.
Nonfiction Books by Shahi Tharoor
Most of the books written by Tharoor are non-fictional. Of those, mentions should be made of India: From Midnight to Millennium, An Era of Darkness, Why I am a Hindu, The Paradoxical Prime Minister and The Hindu Way.
India – from Midnight to Millenium: This novel is regarded as one of Tharro’s most iconic and popular works. It follows the discourse of politics, religion, caste and democracy in the Indian context. A significant portion of the novel focuses on India as it was under the leadership of Indira Gandhi.
An Era of Darkness: This novel, published in 2016, has its roots in a speech which Tharoor had given in the Oxford Union, titled “Does Britain owe reparations to its former colonies?”. The book focuses on British colonies in India and how that colonization had its effects on the cultural, social and economic standpoint of the country. The novel also focuses on the aftermath of the British colonialism in India.
Why I am a Hindu: As the name suggests, this novel of Tharoor traces the roots and origins of the Indian religion Hindu; talks about the Hindu way of life and death. Additionally, Tharoor also writes about his reception and perception of the religion Hinduism and how relevant it is in the subcortex of the country and its increasing population.
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10 Lines on the Topic of Shashi Tharoor Books
- Shashi Tharoor is one of India’s most significant politicians, diplomats and contemporary writers.
- His books are prevalent and widely read in India as well as abroad.
- Shashi Tharoor has authored 19 books in total, including Fiction and non-fiction.
- Majority of Tharoor’s books are non-fictional; however, his contribution to Fiction has also been noteworthy.
- The themes that Tharoor’s books deal with include the political and social discourse of India post and pre-independence.
- Shashi Tharoor began his writing career as a columnist in various English magazines, journals and Indian newspapers.
- Two of Tharoor’s most popular books include An Era of Darkness and The Great Indian Novel.
- Tharoor has been the recipient of numerous awards.
- For his novel The Great Indian Novel, Shashi Tharoor was awarded the Hindustan Times Literary Award in 1990.
- For the same novel, he was also awarded the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 1991, for the category of Best Book of the Year in the Eurasian Region.
FAQ’s On Shashi Tharoor Books
Question 1.
Is Shashi Tharoor a good writer?
Answer:
Yes. Shashi Tharoor has one of the most successful literary careers in India. His books are read far and wide. All the books that he has authored have been ranked as number one bestseller.
Question 2.
How many books has Shashi Tharoor written?
Answer:
Shashi Tharoor has authored several books, both fiction and non-fiction. He has around 19 books in total, besides a handful of short stories.
Question 3.
Does Tharoor write for children?
Answer:
No. Shashi Tharoor does not write for children. His books deal with research-based topics that are of and historical-political significance of India.
Question 4.
What is the latest book by Shashi Tharoor?
Answer:
New World Disorder and the Indian Imperative is Tharoor’s latest books and has been co-authored.