To every cartophiles delight, Reddit user Backforward 24 has created a map that shows every country’s favourite book. This visual delight depicts the most beloved and iconic books of every nation according to reviews and ratings sourced by the user from literary data sites such as Goodreads. By those guidelines India’s front runner was the 1997 bestseller ‘The God Of Small Things’ by Arundhati Roy.

This charming coming of age novel is about the lives of fraternal twins Rahel and Esthappen and how they deal with life, love and family in a Communist-centric Kerala. The book candidly addresses Indian politics, caste relations and the angst of forbidden love, and Roy never falters when it comes to calling it like it is. Her unapologetic yet heartfelt approach won the approval of audiences and critics alike and in the same year it was released, the novel was awarded the prestigious Booker Prize.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the internet if everyone agreed about something and Backforward 24 has gained a lot of criticism for their seemingly random allocation of titles to each country. Many believe India’s most noteworthy and influential works would be in the realm of the Mahabharata, the Ramayana or even the works of Rabindranath Tagore. The user has stated repeatedly that these choices are not backed by empirical data and the main motivation behind the map was its aesthetic value.

There is no denying that in every country there are books that have shaped history and changed the course of peoples’ lives and many of those old favourites make an appearance in this map. Overall this beautiful project is a labour of love and with Roy’s masterpiece as our representation, we have nothing to complain about.