Delhi: A Novel

The author mixes erudition and humour in a very readable form. His characters are interesting. His prose is engaging. The structure of the book is ingenious: first, he introduces himself and his relationship with his hijda paramour, Baghmati. The progress and decline of the relationship is interwoven with a series of first person narratives from Delhi's history. We start with the Delhi of seven or eight centuries ago and arrive in the Delhi of the twentieth century.Singh's perspectives are provocative and, in many cases, politically incorrect. We read the opinion of the pro-British/ anti-independence and the anti-Ghandi characters.Singh is also a great disciple of Rabelais. Avoid the book if you are put off by crude humour. But if you enjoy good historical literature from a master of prose, read this masterpiece.

My review may be more suited for a Delhite than anybody else because that's where my heart lies.Though the first few pages seem at the borderline of porn and outright vulgarity, as one reads along, understandably because the narration and content are so riveting, it because as clear as day that the stories are like panchatantra. Interesting little stories with a strong underlying theme and message.I cannot find a better storyteller to take you through a world of kings, mistresses, commoners, bylanes, chaurahas, religion, death, gore, shayari, forts, kandahars, hope, joy, despair, betrayals, love, infatuation, and yes, sex. Many a times, the plots leave a strong trail of afterthoughts in your mind. Not a book you can read and forget. It stays! Enjoy.

Recounting History is a challenge since people are familiar with dates and key personalities and events. Kushwant Singh ( may he RIP) has traced the history of Delhi in a manner nobody can.. Told from multiple perspectives in first person, he grips us. He combines profane with the Profound, Sublime with the ridiculous, satire with seriousness... we fall in love with the city and the people. You can feel the smells and sounds of Delhi through time.A book not to be missed....

Though it is somtimes vulgar but still a wonderful historic novel. This is the kind of fiction I would love to indulge in. The author's love and affection for India for what it is is what I share, though I was born in Rawalpindi and never had a chance to set foot in what is now India.

Khushwant Singh is a terrific writer and Delhi is an absorbing account of history of the city of Delhi told from the perspective of a series of stories, each of which is told by a different character from a different period of history. In between the stories is woven a narrative of modern Delhi. Singh is certainly not afraid to take risks and doesn't pull any punches. He expores historical events that are frequently harsh and also explores the human soul which also delves into the territory of hidden truths that can be disturbing for anyone wanting to remain in the safety zone of propriety. Singh also shows a sharp sense of humour and he often juxtaposes humour against a backdrop of poignant moments. I highly recommend this book for those readers who have a strong stomach for truth about human life.

I read this book while visiting Delhi and it brought the history to life and gave wonderful insights into it's ancient and recent past. Kushwant Singh is insightful, profound and incredibly humorous as well. The book captivates and draws one into it's narrative so that it is hard to put it down once you begin reading. It themes include Delhi history, religious tensions, social inequailty and more. I highly recommend this book.

A nice novel with lost of historical information. Though, I have been to delhi quite a few times, never did I know the history and its existence about Delhi. Kushwant singh is know for spice & humour in his novels. This novel is no different. The novel starts with a good note, though in the middle, it becomes a bit monotonus. All in all, it is a good read.I recommend it!

Great novel. (Recommended by my adult daughter.)

This is a long book, which is generally very enjoyable. It's very well written, with wit, humor, sensuality and extensive historical knowledge. I tended to prefer the contemporary accounts of the narrator's adventures and his relationship with the hijra to some of the more detailed historical accounts, especially the protracted descriptions of battles. Some character voices work better than others; but they are all engrossing. The book provides a fascinating glimpse of what makes modern day Dheli such a wonderfully complex, multicultural place.

The late great khushwant Singh teaching the world how to write real English literature. Entertaining ,funny moving ,sad ,poetic you will feel a rollercoaster of emotions

Loads of information, deftly presented. Stories from all points of view. Very engaging.

'Delhi' by Khushwant Singh takes the reader through the rich history of Delhi, it gives glimpses of various historical attractions giving all the descriptions and stories related to them. In short it is a beautiful tale of even beautiful city knitted across centuries telling various true incidents and stories on a fictional setup in backdrop. Telling the tales of princes, princesses, sultans, poets, saint, eunuchs, common masses and various other entities author takes the reader on a roller coaster ride showing lust, power, love, betrayal and all the other elements which has shaped Delhi in its present mysterious, glamorous but charismatic state.I won't say it is the best book to start reading Khushwant Singh but I would say do read it and in fact one can't afford not to read it if u love Khushwant Singh writing or want to know a bit more about Delhi and its growth journey.

Another good one by the "dirty" old man of Delhi,Khushwant Singh. Delhi shown in its best and worst through its history.However one thing that really annoyed me which has nothing to do with the narrative is the number of typos in the kindle edition.I don't expect my e-books to be lower in quality to the paperback. But when there are typos in kindle edition it makes one feel as if it's inferior to the paperback which it shouldn't be.Each and every typo was just so annoying when it came across.