Books and Authors
Master important books and their authors for RRB exam preparation with comprehensive coverage of classic and contemporary literature.
Classic Indian Literature
Hindi Literature
Premchand (Dhanpat Rai)
- Godan: Rural life and farmer struggles
- Nirmala: Story of child marriage and social issues
- Gaban: Financial struggles and moral values
- Kafan: Satire on rural selfishness
- Shatranj ke Khiladi: Chess players during British rule
Mahadevi Varma
- Yama: Collection of poems
- Deepshikha: Poetry collection
- Smriti ki Rekhaen: Autobiographical work
- Himalaya: Nature poetry
- Path ke Sathi: Children’s stories
Jaishankar Prasad
- Kamayani: Epic poem based on Indian mythology
- Jharna: Poetry collection
- Aansoo: Collection of emotional poems
- Titli: Children’s literature
- Kahaniyan: Short stories collection
Sanskrit Literature
Kalidasa
- Meghaduta: Cloud messenger (poem)
- Abhijnanasakuntalam: Shakuntala play
- Raghuvamsa: Epic poem about Raghu dynasty
- Kumarasambhavam: Birth of Kartikeya
- Vikramorvasiyam: Love story of Vikrama and Urvashi
Valmiki
- Ramayana: Epic about Lord Rama
- 7 Kandas: Bala, Ayodhya, Aranya, Kishkindha, Sundara, Yuddha, Uttara
- 24,000 verses: One of the largest epics
- Teachings: Dharma, righteousness, moral values
Vyasa
- Mahabharata: Epic about Pandavas and Kauravas
- 18 Parvas: Books within the epic
- Bhagavad Gita: Part of Mahabharata
- 1 lakh verses: Longest epic poem
Bengali Literature
Rabindranath Tagore
- Gitanjali: Nobel Prize-winning poetry collection
- The Home and the World: Novel (Ghare Baire)
- Gora: Complex novel about identity
- Chokher Bali: A grain of sand (novel)
- Post Office: Play (Dak Ghar)
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
- Devdas: Tragic love story
- Parineeta: Married woman
- Srikanta: Autobiographical novel
- Charitraheen: Characterless (novel)
- Pather Dabi: Right of way
English Literature by Indian Authors
Independence Era Literature
Mulk Raj Anand
- Untouchable: Social discrimination
- Coolie: Labor exploitation
- The Village: Rural life trilogy
- The Sword and the Sickle: Third part of trilogy
- Seven Summers: Autobiographical work
R.K. Narayan
- Malgudi Days: Short stories collection
- The Guide: Railway guide becomes spiritual guide
- Swami and Friends: School days story
- The Financial Expert: Financial struggles
- Waiting for the Mahatma: Gandhi’s influence
Raja Rao
- Kanthapura: Village and Gandhi’s influence
- The Serpent and the Rope: Philosophical novel
- The Cat and Shakespeare: Metaphysical novel
- Comrade Kirillov: Russian Revolution
- On the Ganga Ghat: Spiritual themes
Contemporary Indian Authors
Salman Rushdie
- Midnight’s Children: Partition and independent India
- The Satanic Verses: Controversial novel
- The Moor’s Last Sigh: Art history
- Shame: Political satire
- The Golden House: Modern American life
Arundhati Roy
- The God of Small Things: Booker Prize winner
- The Ministry of Utmost Happiness: Contemporary issues
- The End of Imagination: Anti-nuclear essays
- Capitalism: A Ghost Story: Economic critique
- Azadi: Freedom essays
Amitav Ghosh
- The Shadow Lines: Partition and memory
- The Calcutta Chromosome: Medical mystery
- The Glass Palace: Burma and tea gardens
- Sea of Poppies: Opium trade trilogy
- River of Smoke: Second part of trilogy
International Classic Literature
English Literature
William Shakespeare
- Hamlet: Prince of Denmark tragedy
- Romeo and Juliet: Star-crossed lovers
- Macbeth: Scottish tragedy about ambition
- Julius Caesar: Roman political drama
- Othello: Moorish general tragedy
Charles Dickens
- Great Expectations: Pip’s journey
- Oliver Twist: Orphan’s adventures
- A Tale of Two Cities: French Revolution
- David Copperfield: Autobiographical novel
- Hard Times: Industrial revolution criticism
Jane Austen
- Pride and Prejudice: Elizabeth and Darcy
- Sense and Sensibility: Sisters’ choices
- Emma: Matchmaking gone wrong
- Mansfield Park: Morality and social class
- Persuasion: Second chances in love
American Literature
Ernest Hemingway
- The Old Man and the Sea: Cuban fisherman
- A Farewell to Arms: World War I love story
- For Whom the Bell Tolls: Spanish Civil War
- The Sun Also Rises: Lost generation
- To Have and Have Not: Key West adventure
Mark Twain
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Boyhood adventures
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Mississippi journey
- A Connecticut Yankee: Time travel to Camelot
- The Prince and the Pauper: Identity swap
- Life on the Mississippi: River experiences
Russian Literature
Leo Tolstoy
- War and Peace: Napoleon’s invasion of Russia
- Anna Karenina: Tragic love story
- The Death of Ivan Ilyich: Death and meaning
- Resurrection: Moral redemption
- Family Happiness: Early novella
Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Crime and Punishment: Murder and guilt
- The Brothers Karamazov: Patricide and faith
- The Idiot: Pure goodness in corrupt world
- Notes from Underground: Underground man
- Demons: Political nihilism
Non-Fiction and Autobiographies
Indian Autobiographies
“The Story of My Experiments with Truth” - Mahatma Gandhi
- Autobiography: Gandhi’s life and philosophy
- Experiments: Truth and non-violence
- Satyagraha: Spiritual and political journey
- Influence: Civil rights movements worldwide
“Wings of Fire” - Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
- Autobiography: Missile man’s journey
- Childhood: Poor background to success
- Missile Program: India’s defense development
- Vision: Developed India 2020
“My Experiments with Truth” - Jawaharlal Nehru
- Autobiography: Discovery of India
- Freedom Struggle: Independence movement
- Philosophy: Democratic socialism
- Letters: From prison to daughter
“Playing It My Way” - Sachin Tendulkar
- Autobiography: Cricket career
- Records: 100 international centuries
- World Cup: 2011 victory
- Retirement: Emotional farewell
International Non-Fiction
“The Diary of a Young Girl” - Anne Frank
- Diary: Holocaust victim’s experiences
- Hiding: Secret annex in Amsterdam
- Hope: Despite persecution
- Legacy: Holocaust education
“Long Walk to Freedom” - Nelson Mandela
- Autobiography: Anti-apartheid struggle
- Imprisonment: 27 years in prison
- Presidency: First democratic president
- Reconciliation: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Important Awards and Recognition
Nobel Prize Winners (Indian)
Literature
- Rabindranath Tagore (1913): Gitanjali
- V.S. Naipaul (2001): A House for Mr. Biswas
Peace
- Mother Teresa (1979): Missionary of Charity work
- Kailash Satyarthi (2014): Child rights activism
Economics
- Amartya Sen (1998): Welfare economics
- Abhijit Banerjee (2019): Experimental economics
Booker Prize Winners
Indian Authors
- Salman Rushdie (1981): Midnight’s Children
- Arundhati Roy (1997): The God of Small Things
- Kiran Desai (2006): The Inheritance of Loss
Children’s Literature
Classic Children’s Books
Indian Authors
- Ruskin Bond: “The Blue Umbrella”, “The Room on the Roof”
- R.K. Narayan: “Malgudi School Days”
- Anushka Ravishankar: “Today I Am!”
International Authors
- Roald Dahl: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, “Matilda”
- Enid Blyton: “Famous Five”, “Secret Seven”
- J.K. Rowling: “Harry Potter” series
Practice Questions
Question 1
Who wrote “Discovery of India”?
Question 2
Who is the author of “Godan”?
Question 3
Who wrote “Midnight’s Children”?
Question 4
Who authored “The Guide”?
Question 5
Who wrote “Wings of Fire”?
Question 6
Who is the author of “Gitanjali”?
Question 7
Who wrote “The God of Small Things”?
Question 8
Who authored “Malgudi Days”?
Question 9
Who wrote “War and Peace”?
Question 10
Who is the author of “The Old Man and the Sea”?
Important Literary Terms
Genres
- Epic: Long narrative poem (Ramayana, Mahabharata)
- Novel: Prose fiction
- Short Story: Brief fictional narrative
- Poetry: Rhythmic literary work
- Drama: Theatrical performance
Literary Devices
- Metaphor: Direct comparison
- Simile: Comparison using “like” or “as”
- Personification: Human qualities to objects
- Alliteration: Repetition of initial sounds
- Symbolism: Objects representing ideas
BETA
