Top 5 Books By Premchand Translated In English

The story of the poor condition of peasants before the independence of India is written in a poetic manner in Godan by Premchand, this english translation of this hindi novel has tried to capture the right essence of the story touching the nuances of the hindi rightly, this is by many considers as the best book by Premchand, given the volume, and depth of issues it covers. Hori, a poor peasant dreams of living a life of dignity and nothing more but the exploitation of the surroundings exerted on the poor for the profit of rich people becomes one of the prominent premises of this book. 

Premchand’s Gaban is a tale of unchecked aspirations and to which extent moral decay can lead to dire consequences. It is the story of married couple Ramanath and Jalpa and their greed for extravagance despite them not having the measures to fulfil them. This translated version in Hindi is as riveting as the originally written Hindi text, but would obviously lack in depth and readability given the fact that Premchand’s commanding language and way to describe cannot be replicated. Ramanath in this story ends up committing the crime of embezzlement, if you want to get introduced to Premchand’s writing then this can be one of the best books to read. 

This short story collection by Munshi Premchand can be the right book to pick if you are new to Hindi literature, even though this is a translated book in English it would induce a strong urge to complete all the stories, with undivided attention. Each story written by Premchand has an Indianness to it, one that is relatable or familiar to understand that it matches with the socio economic structure of our country. A short story collection reading would be better than committing to a hefty novel. 11 stories to begin reading with Premchand’s writing would be a good way to enjoy stories. 

This story by Premchand is a heart wrenching read that would show you how the life of a young girl takes a dark turn when is marred to a man far older than her. It stands as one of the best Premchand books to read especially for readers that want to take a peek into the societal pressures and expectations that are laid down only on women. Nirmala can be a good introduction to Premchand’s writing especially in the English translated version. This novel deals with multiple issues such as exploitation of the village poor, unjustified societal norms and many more issues that need to be addressed even in contemporary times. 

As most of the books by Premchand target societal issues, Pratigya is also of the very same nature, this is a comparatively slick read than Gaban and Godan but is worth every bit of your time if you have heard the name of Premchand and want to know about the indelible mark he has left on Hindi literature. Reading this would make you underrated why Premchand books are among the best Hindi books to read for literary cravings and why his writing and observation of Indian society are still relevant even in contemporary times.