Your Top 5 Urdu Novels of all time ?

[Sugarcane]

All fans of Mooozar Kaleem MA are over 30

 

[Kompromat]

It is heartening to know that you have read even urdu novels which is very unlike this generation.people are hardly into reading these days and even if someone is,they are only reading english books.by the way what is ur age brother?

Sir i'm quad-lingual and i can read and write six languages. My grandpa was a linguistics professor who drilled all of these languages into me until he passed away, when i was 13.

I inherited a treasure trove of fine,Urdu,Farsi and Punjabi literature from him. I finished reading deewan e ghalib and dewaan e mir @ 14.

I belong to a minority in my generation who are able to read and write scholarly level Punjabi. Then, from summer school on-wards i have not been in touch as all of my schooling since took place abroad.

I feel nostalgic....for sure want to reconnect to literature in Urdu etc once i get done with a few strings i have been tailgating for a while.

 

[dravidianhero]

Sir i'm quad-lingual and i can read and write six languages. My grandpa was a linguistics professor who drilled all of these languages into me until he passed away, when i was 13.

I inherited a treasure trove of fine,Urdu,Farsi and Punjabi literature from him. I finished reading deewan e ghalib and dewaan e mir @ 14.

I belong to a minority in my generation who are able to read and write scholarly level Punjabi. Then, from summer school on-wards i have not been in touch as all of my schooling since took place abroad.

I feel nostalgic....for sure want to reconnect to literature in Urdu etc once i get done with a few strings i have been tailgating for a while.

goes to show how having a good scholar at home is hundred times better than going to school.
May you inspire ppl around you to plunge into the sea of knowledge and explore it as much as they can.but you have forgotten to tell ur age mate.

 

[Slav Defence]

In urdu books,I have read books of following writers:

-Naseem Hijazi
-Khan Asif
-Ibn e safi
-Ibn e Insha
-Ashfaq Ahmed
-Bushra Rehman
-Javed Chaudhry.

My most favoraite books were 'Charhtay Suraj kay pujari' and Zero point by Javed Chaudjhry,Kaleesa aur aag,Moazzam Ali,Aur talwar toot gaye,Khafla e Hijaz,Qasir o Kisra.
Where as I was never interested in Urdu/english literature much,infact I was way interested in religious,scientific and Islamic studies.
I enjoyed the research work of Professor Haroon Yahya,and enjoyed english versions of his research the most....Shakepeare's Macbeth and Hamlet are interesting as well.

@Secur,what was your favouraite book?

 

[Kompromat]

goes to show how having a good scholar at home is hundred times better than going to school.
May you inspire ppl around you to plunge into the sea of knowledge and explore it as much as they can.but you have forgotten to tell ur age mate.

Age is just a number sir

 

[Farah Sohail]

1-Amar bail by Umera Ahmed(not Bano Qudsia one) is my all time fav novel in Urdu... It is a must read....Amazing it is..

2. Then Peer-e-kamil

3- Woh jo qarz rakhtay thay by Farhat Ishtiaq
@Aeronaut Well...which type of novels do u want to gift someone? With happy endings or those with tragic ones? Tell me ..so tht i can suggest you novels accordingly

 

[Chak Bamu]

1. Raja Gidh - Bano Qudsia ..... A twisted and deeply psychological tale of unconscious self discovery punctuated with unfulfilled love. Only Bano Apa could write such a master peice.

2. Udaas Naslain - Abdullah Hussain .... A novel written during the early Ayub years. Addresses many themes of life before Partition, and a bit after. Captures an era and foretells the unpleasant future from a humanist perspective.

3. AliPur ka Aili - Mumtaz Mufti .... More a disguised autobiography than a novel, and very interesting. Mufti Ji was at his best here. If you read this, you may want to read the next installment - Alakh Nagri.

4. Qaisar-o-Kisra - Naseem Hijazi .... The master writer of 'Islamic Novels' wrote many works. This is my favorite, not because of a usual history lesson from perspective of someone close to a historical figure, but a proper fiction. The protagonist is a noble Arab who had been alienated from his homeland and wanders through Levant and is only able to return once Paganism & Tribalism is subjugated by Islam.

5. Aag ka Darya - QuratulAin Haider .... This is supposed to be the best novel written about Partition.


I have spent more time on Short story collections. Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Bano Qudsia, Ashfaq Ahmad, Mumtaz Mufti, Krishan Chandar, Munshi PremChand, Manto, are all good. But I really like travelogues, and autobiographical works. Real life is much more interesting than fiction.

I have noted that many people have been touting Pir-e-Kamil. I have read it and though it is interesting, it certainly can not find place on a list of top ten novels. If someone wishes to know why, all they have to do is read something by Bano Qudsia and marvel at her mastery of the art of writing. Umaira Ahmad in contrast would seem amateurish.

 

[Kompromat]

1-Amar bail by Umera Ahmed(not Bano Qudsia one) is my all time fav novel in Urdu... It is a must read....Amazing it is..

2. Then Peer-e-kamil

3- Woh jo qarz rakhtay thay by Farhat Ishtiaq
@Aeronaut Well...which type of novels do u want to gift someone? With happy endings or those with tragic ones? Tell me ..so tht i can suggest you novels accordingly

Happy, morally encouraging and lively.

 

[Chak Bamu]

Happy, morally encouraging and lively.

Oh boy.... Then go for Digests. They invariably have happy endings, are often lively and moralizing. But they are no novels. For those, go for Naseem Hijazi works that end in a military victory for Muslims.

- Dastan-e-Mujahid
- Moazzam Ali
- Khak-o-Khoon (a bit gory, because it deals with partition, but still a fine novel)
- Yousuf bin Tashfeen

Pir-e-Kamil is right up this alley. Go for it too then.

You should expand the selection to include short stories too.

Shahab Nama would do well too, even though it is an autobiography.

For lively, you can not beat comic works by Col. Shafiqur Rehman. BaJang Amad by Col. Muhammad Khan is an absolute gem too.

 

[Farah Sohail]

Happy, morally encouraging and lively.

Ok...then u should go for more of Farhat Ishtiaq'a novels...They are just what u want..but not Woh jo qarz rakhtay thay...its very good but tragic...
Umera Ahmed is a brilliant writer but her stories are much more intense..and sometimes can be depressing..but there is always a strong message in her novels...
But Amarbail by Umera Ahmed...although its tragic but this one should not be missed( in my opinion) ... Anyone who has good literary taste willl definitely like it ...I think...I highly recommend this novel

Some novels of Farhat Ishtiaq are:

Dil se niklay hain jo lafz
Diyar e Dil
Mere Humdum mere Dost
Jo bachay hain sang samait lo

Then Dil Diya Dehleez by Riffat Siraj..Although its not typically a happy and lively novel but has a happy ending and is very interesting.. Its has suspense...emotions...romance everything

Kuj menu maran da shouq vi cee...by Asiya Mirza... Although title is punjabi but is a urdu novel.. I think ....this type of novel...u are actually looking for.....happy and lively overall

 

[Farah Sohail]

Hasil (not Lahasil) by Umera Ahmed is very very good too...with a very strong message... its beautifully written...Forgot to add this one in my previous list..one of my favs of Umera Ahmed...Its a serious novel...but with a happy ending..

 

[Farah Sohail]

Ye sub ko la hasil kun pasand hai jab ke i think Hasil is better than Lahasil.

I agree

 

[Spring Onion]

@Spring Onion

addi, its actually a present im giving to someone. 10-15 best literature works, off the shelf.

Got a list from, @Mirzay too...need atleast 5 more.

I personally know jack about Urdu literature...attempting to bring out the best pic for someone who's literature savvy...i ain't planning on looking dumb and tasteless.

ok Got it bro.

Then get the list from members here but choose only those novels from the list which you think best describe the taste of the person you are going to gift.

Since I have read every shyt as well as good books almost everything so I wont recommend any.

May be Mirzay suggests some mix ones and other members and you choose according to the taste of that person.

You may get a hint from the title of the novel as well as author.

 

[Huda]

Well you're definitely going to look dumb and tasteless if you're going to choose something from these lists. you don't just go and gift somebody some books you don't know anything about !!!!

aap khawateen aaj kal sirf tv dramo walay novels hi parti ho ??????

Hum TV dramas wali novel nhi parhte bal ke Tv wale hazarat humhari novels per dramas may use kr rahe hain

 

[Farah Sohail]

Hum TV dramas wali novel nhi parhte bal ke Tv wale hazarat humhari novels per dramas may use kr rahe hain

True....Also, I hate it when some drama is made on any of my fav novels...because it usually ruins the novel...

Have u read Aks by Umera Ahmed...?