Rabindranath Tagore is our nation’s pride; a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, painter, and writer of many fiction books.
In this article, you get to introduce yourself to his fantastic body of work, which we need to read, especially in today’s age, as his work is a great way to learn about society’s growth. So, here are the ten best Fiction books of Rabindranath Tagore.
#1 Chitra – A Play in One Act by Rabindranath Tagore
About the book
Title: Chitra – A Play in One Act
Author: Rabindranath Tagore
Publisher: Hesperides Press
Pages: 48
Goodreads Rating: 3.74/5
This ancient book contains Rabindranath Tagore’s 1892 play, Chitra. It is a play in one act that adapts the story from the Mahabharata. This particular tale revolves around the character Chitrangada—a female soldier who attempts to get the attention of Arjuna.
Chitra has been performed in many countries worldwide and used as the basis for various mediums and formats, including dance.
Why do we recommend this book?
This ancient book is being republished in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition, complete with a specially commissioned new author biography.
To buy Chitra by Rabindranath Tagore now:
#2 Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore, Radha Chakravarty (Translator)
About the book
Title: Chokher Bali
Author: Rabindranath Tagore, Radha Chakravarty (Translator)
Publisher: Rupa
Pages: 298
Goodreads Rating: 3.93/5
The title of the book can be translated as “a grain of sand”, a “constant irritant to the eye”, or an “eyesore”. Eyesore was used as the title for its first English translation by Surendranath Tagore, published in 1914. Tagore had used a working title Binodini before its publication.
Chokher Bali is a 1903 Bengali novel by Rabindranath Tagore that depicts the central character’s life, Binodini, and her relationships with three individuals. It explores the extramarital affair between Binodini, a young widow, and Mahendra, one of the three other main characters; the complicated friendship with Asha, his girl-wife; and her mutually conflicting feelings with Behari, Mahendra’s adopted brother. The content also highlighted issues of women’s literacy, child marriage, patriarchy within the family, and the fates of three widows.
Why do we recommend this book?
It is one of Rabindranath Tagore’s most famous Fiction books and a timeless Bengali literature classic. First published as a serial, it is a novel on love, family, and sexuality in Bengal society.
To buy Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore now:
#3 Gora by Rabindranath Tagore
About the book
Title: Gora
Author: Rabindranath Tagore
Publisher: Albatros
Pages: 580
Goodreads Rating: 4.26/5
Gora is one of the monumental works in the history of Bengali fiction. The story reflects Bengal’s social, political, and religious scene at the turn of the century. The forces that were operating in Bengal at that time were one of the intense nationalism and revival of ancient spiritual values and also that of liberal Western thought. What makes Gora a great prose epic is its social content and brilliant story of self-searching, resolving conflicts, and self-discovery.
Why do we recommend this book?
The novel’s brilliance is that it hasn’t lost relevance even after a century has passed—a highly recommended and awesome read.
To buy Gora by Rabindranath Tagore now:
#4 Haimanti: Of Autumn by Rabindranath Tagore, A. Datta (Translator)
A. Datta (Translator)
About the book
Title: Haimanti: Of Autumn
Author: Rabindranath Tagore, A. Datta (Translator)
Publisher: Smashwords
Pages: 15
Goodreads Rating: 4.24/5
Taught at the college level across India, this gem of a short story, originally written in Bengali in 1914, lays bare the heart of marital relations in a significant part of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as well as an uncertain proportion of twenty-first century India.
This piece will give you more insight into traditional Indian concepts of arranged marriage and joint family than merely spending a lifetime in India can. If you stay till the end, compare the final paragraph of the story with the first three, and you will see why for the vulture of metaphor, it is an endless circle of feeding where the beginning follows the end.
Why do we recommend this book?
The writing of Tagore is compelling, and we are lucky that such amazing work is now available to us. You will read it again and again.
To buy Haimanti: Of Autumn by Rabindranath Tagore now:
#5 Short Stories From Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore, Pratima Bowes (Translator)
About the book
Title: Short Stories From Rabindranath Tagore
Author: Rabindranath Tagore, Pratima Bowes (Translator)
Publisher: East-West Publications
Pages: 249
Goodreads Rating: 4.23/5
This book has some incredible and throughout short stories. Tagore’s main interest is people and the kaleidoscope of human emotions as men and women struggle with the restrictions and prohibitions of contemporary Hindu society.
The themes linger in your mind long after you put them down. Tagore truly has great insight into the human psyche and behaviour.
Why do we recommend this book?
This collection has a very strong start for those who want to read Tagore but don’t know where to start; if you are that person, pick this book.
To buy Short Stories From Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore now:
#6 The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore, Surendranath Tagore (Translator), Anita Desai (Introduction)
About the book
Title: The Home and the World
Author: Rabindranath Tagore, Surendranath Tagore (Translator), Anita Desai (Introduction)
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Pages: 213
Goodreads Rating: 3.83/5
Set on a Bengali noble’s estate in 1908, this is both a love story and a novel of political awakening. The central character, Bimala, is torn between the duties owed to her husband, Nikhil, and the demands made on her by the radical leader, Sandip.
Her attempts to resolve the irreconcilable pressures of the home and world reflect the conflict in India itself, and the tragic outcome foreshadows the unrest that accompanied Partition in 1947. This edition includes an introduction by Anita Desai.
Why do we recommend this book?
A simple story in appearance, but after reading it, you’ll have intense discussions and focus on the lives, thoughts, and struggles of small people in a big world, all laid against the changing politics of the time.
To buy The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore now:
#7 The Hungry Stones and Other Stories by Rabindranath Tagore
About the book
Title: The Hungry Stones and Other Stories
Author: Rabindranath Tagore
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Pages: 90
Goodreads Rating: 4.06/5
Tagore’s poems and stories are devotions, mystical, sublimated ecstasy. They are the thoughts of a seer, the perfect union of beauty and truth.
Contents: Hungry Stones; Victory; Once there was a King; Homecoming; My Lord, the Baby; Kingdom of Cards; Devotee; Vision; Babus of Nayanjore; Living or Dead; We Crown Thee King; Renunciation, Cabuliwallah.
Why do we recommend this book?
I highly recommend this book; you can’t miss such emotional and brilliant literature, and these stories are close to perfection.
To buy The Hungry Stones and Other Stories by Rabindranath Tagore now:
#8 The Post Office by Rabindranath Tagore, Devabrata Mukerjea (Translator)
About the book
Title: The Post Office
Author: Rabindranath Tagore, Devabrata Mukerjea (Translator)
Publisher: Hesperides Press
Pages: 88
Goodreads Rating: 4.09/5
This vintage book contains Rabindranath Tagore’s 1912 play, The Post Office. The play revolves around Amal, a child confined to his adopted uncle’s house by an incurable disease who, inspired by the construction of a local post office, fantasises about receiving a letter from the king or being a postman.
The play was translated into English by W. B. Yeats and was performed in English for the first time in 1912 by the Irish Theatre Company in London with Tagore in attendance.
Why do we recommend this book?
This book has innocence defined by a character like Amal, who is stuffy, puerile, and confined by living in the present, depicting his free spirit and vivacity, but who also values life in all its hues. I recommend this book to people of all ages.
To buy The Post Office by Rabindranath Tagore now:
#9 The Wreck by Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
About the book
Title: The Wreck
Author: Rabindranath Tagore
Publisher: Macmillan
Pages: 414
Goodreads Rating: 3.87/5
The Wreck by Rabindranath Tagore sketches the greatest works of the Wheel of Fortune. Timeless tides, a destined stroke of luck, and an ambiguous human mind all imbibe in them the undying threads which surrender the present to the anxious past.
Fate, we shall see, plays the game throughout the cycle of the book. It was not just the lives of the four characters, namely Kamala, Ramesh, Hemnalini, and Dr. Nalinaksha, who suffered the consequences of the wreck, but their destiny, the course of fate, and the sufferings, everything.
Why do we recommend this book?
This book has some genuinely hilarious moments, and it’s recommended for someone who is beginning to explore classic literature and wants to start with something easy and comforting.
To buy The Wreck by Rabindranath Tagore now:
#10 Two Sisters by Rabindranath Tagore, Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee (Translator)
About the book
Title: Two Sisters
Author: Rabindranath Tagore, Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee (Translator)
Publisher: Rupa & Co.
Pages: 104
Goodreads Rating: 3.65/5
Two Sisters (Dui Bon, 1933) was first published in 1943 and is one of Tagore’s last three novels. It is about the eternal conflict that arises when a man does not find a mother figure and a sweetheart in the same person. It revolves around the marriage of Shashanka and Sharmila.
Why do we recommend this book?
I highly recommend this translation to anyone who is thinking of reading Tagore or someone who is looking for good translations. It is a short read, and Tagore subtly highlights the nuances of human nature. Character development is gradual and in pace.
To buy Two Sisters by Rabindranath Tagore now:
Undoubtedly, Rabindranath Tagore is a priceless gem of our nation. We tried to present a wide range of books from his collection that you may enjoy reading and learning about human behaviour. This is certainly one step closer to making our society more accepting.
| 1 | Chitra – A Play in One Act by Rabindranath Tagore | Buy now |
| 2 | Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore, Radha Chakravarty (Translator) | Buy now |
| 3 | Gora by Rabindranath Tagore | Buy now |
| 4 | Haimanti: Of Autumn by Rabindranath Tagore, A. Datta (Translator) | Buy now |
| 5 | Short Stories From Rabindranath Tagore by Rabindranath Tagore, Pratima Bowes (Translator) | Buy now |
| 6 | The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore, Surendranath Tagore (Translator), Anita Desai (Introduction) | Buy now |
| 7 | The Hungry Stones and Other Stories by Rabindranath Tagore | Buy now |
| 8 | The Post Office by Rabindranath Tagore, Devabrata Mukerjea (Translator) | Buy now |
| 9 | The Wreck by Rabindranath Tagore | Buy now |
| 10 | Two Sisters by Rabindranath Tagore, Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee (Translator) | Buy now |
Articles you might also like:
- 10 Best books by Indian Authors for you – Favbookshelf
- 10 Poetry Books of Rabindranath Tagore – A Beautiful Read | Favbookshelf
- 10 Best Classic Short Stories To Read Now – Favbookshelf
- 10 Best Translated Fiction To Diversify Your Reading – Favbookshelf
Videos you might also like:
- 10 Must-Read Fiction Books of All Time | Awesome Reads
- 7 Best Fiction Books for Beginners | Short and Easy Language
Are you an author or a publisher? If yes, then you must check our services for promotions and marketing. They will undoubtedly benefit you.
Disclosure: All our recommendations are honest; most importantly, some links in this post are affiliate links, meaning we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something we recommend.
What are the best Fiction books of Rabindranath Tagore according to you? Leave a comment below. We would love to know your favourite Rabindranath Tagore fiction books!
Subscribe to our newsletter to never miss our updates and book recommendations.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook, and Goodreads to learn more about us.
P.S. If you share it, it will make our day.
Happy Reading, and Keep Smiling!!
Have a nice day ahead.🙂
