Nithalle Ki Diary

by Harishankar Parsai

Nithalle Ki Diary by Harishankar Parsai is from Rajkamal Prakashan, a noted publishing house of Hindi literature.

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2016

About the author

Harishankar Parsai (हरिशंकर परसाई) was one of the greatest hindi satire writer. Despite holding a MA degree in English, he never wrote in this language. Started his career as a teacher, he later quit it to become a full time writer and started a literature magazine "Vasudha"(it was later closed because of financial difficulties).

He was famous for his blunt and pinching style of writing which included allegorical as well as realist approach. He was funny enough to make you laugh but serious enough to prick your conscience. There would be hardly any dimension of life left which has not appeared in his satires. He received Sahitya Academy Award(biggest literature award in India) for his book "Viklaang Sraddha ka Daur". He has penned down some novels also.

Reviews

[Pallavi Shukla · Rating 5 out of 5]

“निठल्ले की डायरी” एक अद्भुत संग्रह है जो कई अनुभवों को साझा करती है। हरिशंकर परसाई जी की लेखन शैली आपको हंसाएगी और सोचने पर मजबूर करेगी। इस किताब की गुणवत्ता सबसे अच्छी है। इसे पढ़कर दिल खुश हुआ और सीखने को मिला कि कड़वी बातें भी मीठे तरीके से कैसे कही जा सकती हैं।

यह एक बेहतरीन व्यंग्य संग्रह है जिसमें आम आदमी के जीवन से जुड़े कई मुद्दों पर कटाक्ष किया गया है, जैसे राजनीति, राजनेता, जातिवाद, नौकरशाही, भ्रष्टाचार आदि। इस किताब की सबसे अच्छी बात यह है कि यह आज भी उतनी ही प्रासंगिक है जितनी पहले थी। इसमें हास्य गहरा और सूक्ष्म है, जो आपको हंसाता है और सोचने पर मजबूर करता है।

यह किताब हर किसी के लिए है- मजेदार, ज्ञानवर्धक और अविस्मरणीय। अगर आपने इसे नहीं पढ़ा है, तो आप एक अद्भुत लेखक की रचना से चूक रहे हैं जो आपको हंसाता है, सोचता है और महसूस कराता है। यह डायरी एक नए रंग और अनुभव के साथ हर कहानी को जीवंत बनाती है। अगर आपको हिंदी उपन्यास पसंद हैं, तो इसे जरूर पढ़ें।💛🌻

[Ashita · Rating 4 out of 5]

काफी समय बाद एक हिंदी भाषा में किताब पढ़ी है।
शुरुआत मुश्किल थी और यह किताब ऐसी नहीं थी जो मैं आमतौर पर पढ़ती हूँ।
बहुत ही खूबसूरती से लिखी गई किताब, जिसमें हास्य और व्यंग्य वास्तव में सराहनीय थे। यह किताब, जिसे १९६८ में लिखा गया था, देखकर हैरानी हुई कि चीजें अब भी वैसी की वैसी ही है।

[Anveshak · Rating 4 out of 5]

चुभने वाले व्यंग्यों का एक संकलन जो कि हमारे समाज के विभिन्न मुद्दों पर बारीकी से नजर रखते हैं और व्यंग्य की भाषा में लिख जाते हैं।

[Venkatesh V · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a good, funny and thought provoking satire on our society, politics, people.
The author writing is simple, crisp and clear. It can be read by anyone.
I recommend it everyone to read and think about.

Note: If you have time please also go through the audiobook of the same in Storytel App narrated by Nandakishore Pandey.

यह हमारे समाज, राजनीति और लोगों पर एक अच्छा, मज़ेदार और विचारोत्तेजक व्यंग्य है।
लेखक का लेखन सरल और स्पष्ट है।
इसे कोई भी पढ़ सकता है।
मैं सभी को इसे पढ़ने और इसके बारे में सोचने की सलाह देता हूँ।

नोट: यदि आपके पास समय हो तो कृपया स्टोरीटेल ऐप पर नंदकिशोर पांडे द्वारा सुनाई गई ऑडियोबुक भी सुनें।

[Jhankar Niyogi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is no doubt the best Satire I have ever read. I am like 99.99% of the Indian millennials who have never read Hindi after school. In my case, I last read/ wrote Hindi in class 8th. After that, whether it was my graduation, my Job, daily News, or a generic conversation with Colleagues, I speak 80% of my sentences in English.
I wanted to get back to my Hindi stories, but I was facing two problems: 1. I had forgotten how to read Hindi, not literally, but the speed and confidence with which I used to read a couple of months ago (koi angrez ka bachha bhi mujhse behtarin padh leta)
And finally, I made up my mind and picked up one of my favourite writers when I was in school, Munshi Premchand Ji's Kafan. I bought that book in October 2024, and no doubt all the short stories are remarkably amazing. But I was not able to read it. I was stuttering and stammering in each line so much, I started losing interest in reading the book. October 2025 came, and I was still not done with the book. Meanwhile, I guess I finished one of Hercule Poirot's books by Agatha Christie, Mahagatha by Satyarth Nayak. Vishwamitra, Parshuram, and a couple of other books. Then I bought Harishankar Parshai Ji's Nithalle Ki Dairy, and I don't remember any time when I was not occupied by any mandatory task; I was doing anything other than reading it.
Every chapter, every paragraph and sentence of this book resembles so much with us, our society, our government, our people, the type of people who live around us, our family. You name and pick any sort of behaviour from the people around you, and Parsai Ji has that in this book. This is so much to think about how someone wrote something in 1969-70, which is still 100% relevant in 2025.

This has become my most recommended book.

[Aman SharmaJii · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even after 101 years, Nithalle Ki Diary feels fresh and very entertaining. Harishankar Parsai’s humour and satire on politics, society, and daily life are still so true even today. The way he writes makes you laugh, but also makes you think deeply about our world. His language is simple, but the message is powerful and unforgettable. This book is not just for fun—it shows us the reality of life in a very smart way. Truly, Nithalle Ki Diary is a must-read for everyone who enjoys humour with meaning.

[Shreyasi Sur · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Nithalle Ki Diary" or "The Diary of a Lazybones" written by famous Hindi Writer Harishankar Parsai. It is a satirical collection of short stories.
In the book,the main protagonist, named Nithalla or "Lazybones" narrates stories of his mundane life through a humorous and often self-deprecating topics, which highlights the absurdities of everyday situations and social norms from his laid-back attitude towards life and his style of living.
A hilarious yet great book to read. Highly recommended

[rkade · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Premchand ke Phate Joote, I was like, chalo, let’s try another Harishankar Prasai kitab — so I picked up Nithlle ki Diary. And wow! The writing is super witty and full of satire. Each chapter feels like a solid punch on people, society, and politics — and the craziest part? It still makes total sense in today’s world.

Now honestly, this isn’t that page-turner type of book. Matlab, you don’t binge it in one night. After every chapter, you have to stop, think, and let it sink in. But I think that's fun — it makes you laugh, makes you go “so true,” and at the same time gets your brain running.

Overall, a smart, satirical, and mast read — not for speed-reading, but for chilling and enjoying Harishankar’s wit, one chapter at a time.

[Amar Kaldate · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s striking how each chapter in this book remains eerily relevant even today. A must-read for every Indian in 2025.

[Ritik Kumar]

A satirical masterpiece you can't miss.

[Nisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satire at its best