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Books that celebrate same-sex love

| TNN | Last updated on - Aug 26, 2019, 18:29 IST

1/22

Books that celebrate same-sex love

After suffering years of trauma, taboos, and shame associated with same-sex relationships, India's LGBTQ+ community finally found acceptance in the society when in a historic verdict on September 6, 2018, the Supreme Court of India ruled out Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code decriminalizing homosexual relationships. The verdict said, "LGBT Community has same rights as of any ordinary citizen. Respect for each other's rights and others are supreme humanity. Criminalising gay sex is irrational and indefensible." The ruling was crucial for providing equal rights to all citizens of the country and giving India's LGBTQ+ community a chance to live a dignified life.

Here we list down some wonderful books that celebrate same-sex relationships:

2/22

The Carpet Weaver by Nemat Sadat

This coming of age tale is the first story on gay love in Afghanistan. Set in 1977 the story follows Kanishka Nurzada, the son of a carpet seller who falls in love with his friend Maihan. In Afghan society, their love would not just be frowned upon but would merit a death penalty. When war strikes the two are torn apart and Kanishka has to face many adventures as he attempts to find Maihan.

Photo: Penguin Books

3/22

Gay Icons of India by Hoshang Merchant and Akshaya K. Rath

The Supreme Court of India scrapped Section 377 in a landmark judgement in September 2018, thus decriminalising same-sex relationships. This historic verdict finally led to inclusion and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in India after fighting years of homophobia and discrimination. 'Gay Icons of India' is about 22 remarkable personalities from the LGBT community who resisted inequality and injustice through their art and supported LGBTQ+ social movements. 'From dancers and poets to writers and artists, Hoshang Merchant and Akshaya K. Rath pay homage to these inspirational figures who stand steadfastly for equal love and the right to be different,' reads the book's blurb.

Photo: Pan Macmilan India

4/22

The Scent of God by Saikat Majumdar

Saikat Majumdar’s 2019 book ‘The Scent of God’ is about Anirvan, a young boy studying in an elite all-boys’ school run by Hindu monastic order. While Anirvan is fascinated by the spiritual life and dreams of becoming a monk one day, he is drawn to a fellow student and they develop an intimate relationship. A series of events leads the boys to lose touch with each other only to reconnect years later. But this time, will they be able to live their lives together in a world that doesn’t recognise their love?

Photo: Simon & Schuster India

5/22

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Pulitzer Prize 2018 winning novel 'Less' is a funny and heart-warming tale of a moderately successful writer Arthur Less, who is about to turn 50. When Less has a terrible break-up with his boyfriend of nine years, he plans to go on a solo trip around the world by attending literary events-- in turn, running away from his problems, and reflecting and re-discovering himself. Andrew Sean Greer's 'Less' is a bountiful adventure; the narrative is witty, humorous and heart-breaking at times when Less ponders over his past-relationships and life so far.

Picture: Abacus

6/22

The Boyfriend by R. Raj Rao

Professor Raj Rao's explosive book takes a turn at Mumbai’s gay subculture, and narrates a passionate fling between an senior journalist and a younger Dalit boy. Raj Rao's book not only explores the nuances of a same-sex relationship, it also does accurate portrayals of infatuation, heartbreak, and critiques casteism and homophobia wonderfully.
Image: Penguin

7/22

Eleven Ways to Love by various

The eleven essays in the book, carefully and delicately chosen, do not seek to force any agenda or to whine about how our country had earlier failed to recognize and legitimise this one emotion called "love" freely. Written with the most sincere emotions and evocative language, the subjects in the collection range from transgender romance, body image issues, inter-caste and inter-class relations, disability, polyamory, queer love, long distance, and loneliness. But they are all connected with one unifying string -- the pursuit of love.
Image: Penguin Random House

8/22

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Albertalli’s highly acclaimed YA novel 'Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda' has recently been turned into a movie titled 'Love, Simon'. the book follows 16-year-old closeted homosexual Simon Spier, whose life gets upended when he finds out his secret about to unfurl publicly. Funny, poignant and moving, the book is a coming-of-age book which explores a young boy's experience of coming out, love, and heartbreak beautifully.
Image: HarperCollins

9/22

Lihaaf by Ismat Chughtai

Originally a short story, this tale by Ismat Chughtai was a highly controversial one during her time. The story documented a lesbian relationship between a married woman Begun jaan and her help in 19th century Lucknow. Chughtai's exceptional prose was explicit enough even by keeping every detail under the covers.
Image: Rajkamal Prakashan

10/22

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai

An important book in Indian literature, 'Funny Boy' tells the story of Arjie, a young Tamil boy growing up in Colombo. Set in Sri Lanka, it traces the war between the army and the Tamil Tigers, a war that no Sri Lankan can somehow escape. On the other hand, Arjie is slowly coming to terms with the fact that he might be different from other boys. Subtly exploring the themes of homosexuality, Selvadurai's book highlights how society has considered being gay as week, feeble and “funny”.

11/22

On a Muggy Night in Mumbai by Mahesh Dattani

Dattani's evocative play was one of the very firsts to handle openly same-sex themes of love, partnership, trust and betrayal. The story looks into society’s expectations of behavior and how individuals fall victim to those expectations. The book explores wonderfully the how the LGBTQ community has been marginalized in the Indian society, even among the rich. With a particular focus on two parallel themes in the story, Dattani's play highlights the need to remain true to one’s sexual orientation.
Image: Penguin Random House

12/22

A Friend's Story by Vijay Tendulkar

Written in 1981, this Marathi play was later translated into English. The book talked about a moving lesbain relationship a time when conversations about same-sex desire were strictly forbidden. The story is basically a love triangle between Ramu, Sumitra, and the vivacious Nama. Tendulkar's play is one of the first Indian tales to explore the struggles of knowing and facing one's own sexuality.
Image: Oxford University Press

13/22

Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters

This young adult novel is about a young girl discovering her sexuality and what it is like to experience homophobia. The journey of Holland, aged 17, starts with a confusing ‘girl crush’ evolving into a rollercoaster ride of discovering about the concept of attraction towards her own sex.

14/22

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record.

15/22

A Boy’s Own Story by Edmund White

The first of a trilogy, A Boy’s Own Story describes a boy’s coming of age and documents his experience of homosexuality in the 1950s.

16/22

Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima

Japanese author Yukio Mishima’s second novel ‘Confessions of a Mask’ launched him to the national fame. Yukio was in his twenties at that time.

17/22

Valencia by Michelle Tea

Narrating San Franscisco’s queer culture, Valencia is an autobiographical novel. It delves into experimentation and sado-masochism and was considered as a Bible of sorts for young lesbians in the 90s.

18/22

Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman

The novel is about a love affair between an intellectually precocious 17-year-old American-Italian Jewish boy and a visiting 24-year-old American Jewish scholar in 1980s Italy and chronicles the 20 years that follow.

19/22

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann

This novella by the German author Thomas Mann is powerfully intertextual. The novel deals with issues of homoeroticism that also represents the extreme identity crisis experienced by many European artists of the time.

20/22

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

This 1956 novel by James Baldwin focuses on the events in the life of an American man living in Paris. It brings up complex representations of homosexuality and bisexuality with empathy and artistry.

21/22

In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

Written in seven volumes, the novel narrates the experiences of the narrator while he is growing up, learning about art and falling in love.

22/22

Luna by Julie Anne Peters

Luna recounts the life of Regan as she keeps the secret of her older sister Luna's transgender identity. Despite the tensions and the negativity weighing on her choice, Luna fights for her right to be the person she feels that she was meant to be. Alongside her, Regan learns to stand her ground, to think more of herself, and discovers the person she wants to be.

Top Comment

Khushbu Raman

2535 days ago

A notable exclusion in this list is "The Colours of Passion" by Sourabh Mukherjee published by Readomania in 2017. It''s a brilliantly written book that explores various facets of homosexuality in an extremely sensitive manner, and is probably India''s first (and only?) alternate sexuality thriller. Please do mention.

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Books that celebrate same-sex love