What do you think?
Rate this book
Women and Men in My Life
Please Read Notes: Brand New, International Softcover Edition, Printed in black and white pages, minor self wear on the cover or pages, Sale restriction may be printed on the book, but Book name, contents, and author are exactly same as Hardcover Edition. Fast delivery through DHL/FedEx express.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1995
15 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
About the author
Khushwant Singh
298 books1,425 followersKhushwant Singh, (Punjabi: ਖ਼ੁਸ਼ਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Hindi: खुशवंत सिंह) born on 2 February 1915 in Hadali, Undivided India, (now a part of Pakistan), was a prominent Indian novelist and journalist. Singh's weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All", carried by several Indian newspapers, was among the most widely-read columns in the country.
An important post-colonial novelist writing in English, Singh is best known for his trenchant secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with acid wit.
An important post-colonial novelist writing in English, Singh is best known for his trenchant secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with acid wit.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
July 4, 2022
Didn't like it much in the beginning. Felt more like a gossip column to settle scores.
The beauty of this book lies in how each character can be portrayed using minimal set of unique different words.
Looked up for the women and men of this book. Both these sections have their shortcomings, but overall enjoyed the collection.
The beauty of this book lies in how each character can be portrayed using minimal set of unique different words.
Looked up for the women and men of this book. Both these sections have their shortcomings, but overall enjoyed the collection.
June 19, 2023
Men and women in my life - Khushwant Singh
Rating 3.5/5
It is a very short and easy book to read. There are few essays on people whom Khushwant Singh knew or whom he came in contact with. Each of the essay takes over few pages.
I do not have much to write about this book. If you have read sufficient Khushwant literature, these people are not new. In his autobiography, not a nice man to know, Portrait of a lady and few others, many of these people occurances come. So few were re-read for me.
Though I have one observation about this book. The men section of the book is dedicated to individuals who come from some respected areas and nature of jobs and quite famous, like a judge, military personnel, bollywood personalities.
Where as,
the women section of the book is dedicated to individuals, some of whom are/were famous, but it included general public and many of them. The number was more compared to men's section. Call me whatever adjective you want, but this was my general observation, the answer only the editor who compiled this collection can answer!
I generally read such small books - just for my own motivation - easy to read and finish quickly. Just a kind of cheat code to increment my year's reading tally. On a literary front, absolute ZERO in terms of learning a fact or appreciating a particular thought process.
If you are looking for something serious to read, stay away from this book please.
Cheers,
Rating 3.5/5
It is a very short and easy book to read. There are few essays on people whom Khushwant Singh knew or whom he came in contact with. Each of the essay takes over few pages.
I do not have much to write about this book. If you have read sufficient Khushwant literature, these people are not new. In his autobiography, not a nice man to know, Portrait of a lady and few others, many of these people occurances come. So few were re-read for me.
Though I have one observation about this book. The men section of the book is dedicated to individuals who come from some respected areas and nature of jobs and quite famous, like a judge, military personnel, bollywood personalities.
Where as,
the women section of the book is dedicated to individuals, some of whom are/were famous, but it included general public and many of them. The number was more compared to men's section. Call me whatever adjective you want, but this was my general observation, the answer only the editor who compiled this collection can answer!
I generally read such small books - just for my own motivation - easy to read and finish quickly. Just a kind of cheat code to increment my year's reading tally. On a literary front, absolute ZERO in terms of learning a fact or appreciating a particular thought process.
If you are looking for something serious to read, stay away from this book please.
Cheers,
April 29, 2017
Khushwant Singh may his soul rest in peace. In the time which has elapsed his soul must have found a body. We will know when the writer in the person starts to erupt out of its being.
Khushwant Singh’s memoir Women and Men in My Life is divided into two parts, women he knew or wanted to know (I have a good reason for saying that) in the first part and men he knew in the second part. Twelve women and eight men, in fact.These are sort of character sketches not critical portraits but nevertheless sharp, witty and provocative reading material. If you like to gossip behind people’s backs that is.
He loved women with beauty and personality and was bowled over by women who had both. He was drawn to different women, like moth to flame to seek out their stories. He wanted to be captivated and captivate them, spend time with them to understand where they came from, how it shaped their personality and made them who they are. Women he wrote about varied from Amrita Shergill (the only name I was familiar with) to the beggar maid who he didn’t know, to people who formed a part of his social circle.
The men he wrote about, in far less detail I might add, included Chetan Anand and Inder Sain Johar among others.
Khushwant Singh appeared to be an incorrigible gossip, taking great pleasure in exposing others and loved a scandal. What I liked about him ,was that he was a great sport when the joke was on him and thought nothing of saying what he felt, even if it was downright offensive. He lived life on his own terms and was completely unapologetic about his choices. But how his wife and family put up with it, is what I would like to know.
Sometimes it is hard to believe that it is about real people he’s met during his lifetime. Too saucy for it to be believable and sarcastic to the point of being caustic.
While reading this book the omnipresent question in my head manifested even more strongly- how much liberty can a writer take? And how many friends walked out of his life in a huff or threatened to kill him, after the book got released? I can never do what he did, writing an expose on people he knew personally and some he called friends.
I read the book in between hospital visits so I can’t be a fair judge of the writing but addictive it definitely was. When I was in the hospital. It promptly lost its charm when I came home. Only to be picked up again when I needed to be distracted.
This is a book from my grandpa’s library but thank goodness he hasn’t read it. He got it as a gift with a magazine subscription. I recently found out that nine sketches were missing from the book when I saw a much fatter book sitting on a shelf in a book store. Honestly you can never trust the freebies that come with a subscription.
Nonfiction which reads like fiction, blurring boundaries. A book which can teach you how to draw different characters while keeping you entertained, with many cringe worthy and is he for real moments, is how I will remember the book.
https://eternaloxymoron.wordpress.com/
Khushwant Singh’s memoir Women and Men in My Life is divided into two parts, women he knew or wanted to know (I have a good reason for saying that) in the first part and men he knew in the second part. Twelve women and eight men, in fact.These are sort of character sketches not critical portraits but nevertheless sharp, witty and provocative reading material. If you like to gossip behind people’s backs that is.
He loved women with beauty and personality and was bowled over by women who had both. He was drawn to different women, like moth to flame to seek out their stories. He wanted to be captivated and captivate them, spend time with them to understand where they came from, how it shaped their personality and made them who they are. Women he wrote about varied from Amrita Shergill (the only name I was familiar with) to the beggar maid who he didn’t know, to people who formed a part of his social circle.
The men he wrote about, in far less detail I might add, included Chetan Anand and Inder Sain Johar among others.
Khushwant Singh appeared to be an incorrigible gossip, taking great pleasure in exposing others and loved a scandal. What I liked about him ,was that he was a great sport when the joke was on him and thought nothing of saying what he felt, even if it was downright offensive. He lived life on his own terms and was completely unapologetic about his choices. But how his wife and family put up with it, is what I would like to know.
Sometimes it is hard to believe that it is about real people he’s met during his lifetime. Too saucy for it to be believable and sarcastic to the point of being caustic.
While reading this book the omnipresent question in my head manifested even more strongly- how much liberty can a writer take? And how many friends walked out of his life in a huff or threatened to kill him, after the book got released? I can never do what he did, writing an expose on people he knew personally and some he called friends.
I read the book in between hospital visits so I can’t be a fair judge of the writing but addictive it definitely was. When I was in the hospital. It promptly lost its charm when I came home. Only to be picked up again when I needed to be distracted.
This is a book from my grandpa’s library but thank goodness he hasn’t read it. He got it as a gift with a magazine subscription. I recently found out that nine sketches were missing from the book when I saw a much fatter book sitting on a shelf in a book store. Honestly you can never trust the freebies that come with a subscription.
Nonfiction which reads like fiction, blurring boundaries. A book which can teach you how to draw different characters while keeping you entertained, with many cringe worthy and is he for real moments, is how I will remember the book.
https://eternaloxymoron.wordpress.com/
June 8, 2014
A bunch of anecdotes, ranging from pretty much just name dropping, to interesting behind-the-scenes insights on some interesting people who've made names for themselves. The writing also ranges from bland and perfunctory, to witty and expressive (Funnily enough, though not surprising, the women's chapters are the best written and most descriptive! - Of course, I don't blame him).
For a young person like me, it's a rare, innocent view into the lives of young, bored middle class people back then, (without getting into the whole socio-political zeitgeist of the independence era) something I could relate to and help me understand those times better.
For a young person like me, it's a rare, innocent view into the lives of young, bored middle class people back then, (without getting into the whole socio-political zeitgeist of the independence era) something I could relate to and help me understand those times better.
June 24, 2008
a collection of short stories where Khushwant singh candidly discusses his relationship with some of the people who touched his life --- some stayed his friends and others refuse to see his face after this book!!!
January 22, 2023
It is Kushwant Singh...never a dull moment...He makes you smile or laugh every couple of pages and honest (except when he talks about Krishna Menon). In every portrait he just exhibits the whole life in a single sentence. Enjoy.
September 10, 2019
In More Ways Than One, It Would Absolutely Be No Exaggeration To Bestow The Title Of “Grand Old Man Of Indian Journalism Upon Sardar Khushwant Singh As There Was Virtually Little That He Has Not Done In A Life Well Lived Before The Final Curtain Call At The Ripe Young Age Of 99.
Reams And Reams Have Been Penned With Absolute Authority By Khushwant Singh On Virtually Any & Everything Under The Sun & Also The Moon Across A Distinguished Writing Career Spread Across 65 Years.
This Particular Book Of His Was Penned At The Ripe Young Age Of 87. The First Edition Saw The Light Of The Day In 1995 And Subsequently Went Into It’s 10th Reprint Edition In 2007..All This Within His Lifetime Easily Making Khushwant Singh One Of The Most Read Authors Having 89 Books To His Credit Not To Mention His Tongue In Cheek Gossip Column “With Malice Towards One And All” That Was Translated & Syndicated Worldwide In His Lifetime.
This Book Is Like A Treasure Trove As It’s Full Of Nostalgia For Me As Well As Several Generations Of Avid Readers Who Were Lucky To Grow Up When He Published His First Book In 1950 Even Though Most Of Us Instantly Connect With Him During His Tenure As Editor Of The Illustrated Weekly Of India, His Bestselling Novel ‘Train To Pakistan Being Brought Alive On The Silver Screen And Much Later His Syndicated Column That Were Eagerly Awaited Week After Week Down The Years.
This Book Brings Back Nostalgia Gushing Like A Burst Dam As It Gives A Warm Feeling Of Once Again Walking Down Memory Lane Now That He Is No Longer Amidst Us But Nonetheless His Rich & Illustrious ✍️ings Keep Him Alive And Refreshed In Our Collective Memory.
The First Part Of The Book Spread Across 122 Pages Is Exclusively Dedicated To The Dozen Women Who Made A Huge Difference In The Life & Times Of Sardar Khushwant Singh With Their Very Presence As Long As The Association Lasted Blowing Hot & Blowing Cold With Some For A Few Weeks, Some For A Few Months And Some Firmly Cemented Across Years And Others Even Across Decades Too.
Prominently Featured Here Include Devyani Chaubal (Aka Devi), Sadia Dehlavi, Anees Jung, Dharma Kumar, Kamna Prasad, Amrita Shergill, Reeta Devi Varma And Interestingly Even A Nameless Beggar Maid Too. A Single Chapter Is Dedicated To Each Of The Dozen Women And The Nuggets Provided Are Truly Priceless Indeed. Some Of The Women Being Undisputed Celebrities From All Walks Of Life And Others Equally Celebrated By The Author.
The Remaining 60 Odd Pages Spread Across 8 Chapters Is Dedicated To An Assortment Of Men In His Life That Are Evenly Spread Across The Spectrum Of His Landscape Which Give Meaningful Insights Into Lesser Known Facets Of These Eight Men Who Made His Life What It Was Eventually Meant To Be With Their Presence.
Prominently Featured Are Chetan Anand, Inder Sain Johar (More Popularly Known As I.S. Johar (Not Distantly Nor Remotely Related To K.Jo.) Gopal Das Khosla, Balwant Gargi & A.G.Noorani Amongst Others.
While The Reading Is Indeed Colorful, Almost Bordering On Risqué This Making It A Fascinating Read, My Only Grouse Is With Both The Publisher Harper Collins As Well As The India Today Group Who Actually Chickened Out When It Came To Incorporating Even A Single Celebrity Picture Of The 20 Women & Men In The Life Of Sardar Khushwant Singh That Would Have Made This An Ideal Coffee Table Book If It Had Been Properly Illustrated!!!
Reams And Reams Have Been Penned With Absolute Authority By Khushwant Singh On Virtually Any & Everything Under The Sun & Also The Moon Across A Distinguished Writing Career Spread Across 65 Years.
This Particular Book Of His Was Penned At The Ripe Young Age Of 87. The First Edition Saw The Light Of The Day In 1995 And Subsequently Went Into It’s 10th Reprint Edition In 2007..All This Within His Lifetime Easily Making Khushwant Singh One Of The Most Read Authors Having 89 Books To His Credit Not To Mention His Tongue In Cheek Gossip Column “With Malice Towards One And All” That Was Translated & Syndicated Worldwide In His Lifetime.
This Book Is Like A Treasure Trove As It’s Full Of Nostalgia For Me As Well As Several Generations Of Avid Readers Who Were Lucky To Grow Up When He Published His First Book In 1950 Even Though Most Of Us Instantly Connect With Him During His Tenure As Editor Of The Illustrated Weekly Of India, His Bestselling Novel ‘Train To Pakistan Being Brought Alive On The Silver Screen And Much Later His Syndicated Column That Were Eagerly Awaited Week After Week Down The Years.
This Book Brings Back Nostalgia Gushing Like A Burst Dam As It Gives A Warm Feeling Of Once Again Walking Down Memory Lane Now That He Is No Longer Amidst Us But Nonetheless His Rich & Illustrious ✍️ings Keep Him Alive And Refreshed In Our Collective Memory.
The First Part Of The Book Spread Across 122 Pages Is Exclusively Dedicated To The Dozen Women Who Made A Huge Difference In The Life & Times Of Sardar Khushwant Singh With Their Very Presence As Long As The Association Lasted Blowing Hot & Blowing Cold With Some For A Few Weeks, Some For A Few Months And Some Firmly Cemented Across Years And Others Even Across Decades Too.
Prominently Featured Here Include Devyani Chaubal (Aka Devi), Sadia Dehlavi, Anees Jung, Dharma Kumar, Kamna Prasad, Amrita Shergill, Reeta Devi Varma And Interestingly Even A Nameless Beggar Maid Too. A Single Chapter Is Dedicated To Each Of The Dozen Women And The Nuggets Provided Are Truly Priceless Indeed. Some Of The Women Being Undisputed Celebrities From All Walks Of Life And Others Equally Celebrated By The Author.
The Remaining 60 Odd Pages Spread Across 8 Chapters Is Dedicated To An Assortment Of Men In His Life That Are Evenly Spread Across The Spectrum Of His Landscape Which Give Meaningful Insights Into Lesser Known Facets Of These Eight Men Who Made His Life What It Was Eventually Meant To Be With Their Presence.
Prominently Featured Are Chetan Anand, Inder Sain Johar (More Popularly Known As I.S. Johar (Not Distantly Nor Remotely Related To K.Jo.) Gopal Das Khosla, Balwant Gargi & A.G.Noorani Amongst Others.
While The Reading Is Indeed Colorful, Almost Bordering On Risqué This Making It A Fascinating Read, My Only Grouse Is With Both The Publisher Harper Collins As Well As The India Today Group Who Actually Chickened Out When It Came To Incorporating Even A Single Celebrity Picture Of The 20 Women & Men In The Life Of Sardar Khushwant Singh That Would Have Made This An Ideal Coffee Table Book If It Had Been Properly Illustrated!!!
February 9, 2023
If I were to write of the people I had fallen out with, it wouldn't read as fondly as Khushwant Singh describes the ones he disdained! His sense of self is extraordinary and his candor- infectious
It's crazy how in a page or two, he gives you everything you would have wanted to know about someone. He woos you into the lives of these people with honesty, not mystery, something only a man as self-assured as him could do!
This book does more than give a glimpse into the people he couldn't forget. It ranges from the 1920s to the late 1960s and 1970s, giving you a taste of how the elite lived through it all, it humanizes the many public figures we know as just figures.
Many pages into the book you would be left wondering if you actually just enjoy reading trivia or the fact that one could be so blatantly blunt about oneself, and the men and women in his life!
I think I am a 50-50 to both!
It's crazy how in a page or two, he gives you everything you would have wanted to know about someone. He woos you into the lives of these people with honesty, not mystery, something only a man as self-assured as him could do!
This book does more than give a glimpse into the people he couldn't forget. It ranges from the 1920s to the late 1960s and 1970s, giving you a taste of how the elite lived through it all, it humanizes the many public figures we know as just figures.
Many pages into the book you would be left wondering if you actually just enjoy reading trivia or the fact that one could be so blatantly blunt about oneself, and the men and women in his life!
I think I am a 50-50 to both!
February 3, 2019
Courageous, this book is. With Khushwant Singh's simple yet flawless writing style, this book takes you down to his memory lane; to the women and men he met in his life and how their relationship took shape and how they parted ways or remained friends to this day. You may not find anything special in the theme or in the story in fact, but his way of writing keeps you interested in his memoirs. It must have taken immense courage to put forward 'behind-the-scenes' of his life and that too in the most honest way possible. And as he himself said in the start, while some of the people he wrote about were happy with what was written about them, at the same time, this book cost him some people in his life.
September 6, 2019
The book is not a novel or a work of fiction but is just a remembrance of the people that he met and who made a mark on his life but in the classic no-hands-barred Khsuhwant Singh style.
It is also semi-autobiographical in nature where he talks about where he was in life when he met a person and how did their relationship evolve with time.
It can be a good in-flight read where the book might not have any consequence for you and you don't even have to do any critical-thinking but it leaves you with a light smile as you remember the people that left a mark on your life.
It is also semi-autobiographical in nature where he talks about where he was in life when he met a person and how did their relationship evolve with time.
It can be a good in-flight read where the book might not have any consequence for you and you don't even have to do any critical-thinking but it leaves you with a light smile as you remember the people that left a mark on your life.
July 7, 2020
One of those books I picked up just because there was nothing else to read, I absolutely loved it!
Khushwant Singh is a pretty new author to me and I judged him of him being a calm Sardar with more experience as a writer than me as a human...Oh Boy! I was wrong in every way.
His mastery with words is clearly seen in his descriptions of his awkward relationships with married women and the book flows like a river in a countryside!
I genuinely enjoyed the women part more and to be honest,writers had way too much fun in the 50's!
Khushwant Singh is a pretty new author to me and I judged him of him being a calm Sardar with more experience as a writer than me as a human...Oh Boy! I was wrong in every way.
His mastery with words is clearly seen in his descriptions of his awkward relationships with married women and the book flows like a river in a countryside!
I genuinely enjoyed the women part more and to be honest,writers had way too much fun in the 50's!
June 7, 2017
Average anecdotes. Why Khushwant Singh bothered to write them is beyond me. It was as if the book tried to yell at me- Look! I'm interesting. The only "woman in Singh's life" I can recollect a decade after I read this book is Amrita Shergil. Sadly, her promiscuity is her only attribute I remember-which says something about the writing. But I could be wrong. Maybe I should have another go at the book. Then again it's not worth the effort.
December 13, 2021
In my opinion, Khushwant's books are read not just for the quality/informativeness of the content but also for his style of writing. If this book is read with the latter in mind, then you would not be disappointed. Although Khushwant is in usual form with his "no holds barred" writing, the book suffers from a lack of continuity. This criticism seems expected since he himself alludes to it in the foreword. Overall, a quick and fun read.
August 27, 2018
I got to know many famous People of Yonder years specially Many Women who should be famous but are not. It was an interesting and fun read till the end, you will find various characters in this book and if you like Khushwant Singh's Writing style then you will be really spell bounded till the end, even though it's not a Story but I was never bored for once and loved this Book.
June 3, 2023
Kushwant singh was that commercial entertainer whose writings have the power to kill the boredom and seclusion in life, and it feels like being the presence of a company. As a matter of fact, it has gossip in it . But that's fine . Ultimately, the purpose is to have a happy feeling after reading. I loved it , it's a runny reading.
December 4, 2025
This book talks about events as far back as the 70s and 80's. It paints a picture of many lives that we will never touch. Most of the people written about in this book are long passed away. They lived such full lives.
It feels surreal and I mourn them... especially the woman who fought the sardar neighbour because he kicked her adopted stray dog. Om Shanti.
It feels surreal and I mourn them... especially the woman who fought the sardar neighbour because he kicked her adopted stray dog. Om Shanti.
July 1, 2019
The author talked about 12 women & 8 men in his life in his typical, no-nonsense way in few pages for each. It's a small, simple, light read book. Everyone should write this sort of book in life once, published or not published, for the own self :) I have one. Three stars for this one.
March 13, 2018
It takes guts of steel to write a near autobiographical book of this genre. Only Khushwant Singh had it.
November 14, 2019
This was one of my least favorite out of his other books.
December 20, 2019
Please dont waste your money !!
April 8, 2020
A typical Khuswant Singh read. The narrative is autobiographical and portraits his love and life.
May 11, 2021
Those who don't know Khushwant singh may find it extremely boring but it's a nice small pocket book to know few cool personalities from the point of view of Khushwant singh
June 2, 2021
Hated the author and the style of writing. Icky stuff really.
May 12, 2017
Please refer my reviews of Agnostic Khushwant. Same-to-same! Shame-to-shame!
September 2, 2024
Khuswant Singh has always impressed me with the human understanding he has. He brings in his raw perspectives without any hesitation. From rich people to a person on the street, he has covered various personalities in this book. Each one is different than the other, some you may not like, and some you will definitely like.
Reading this kind of book just increases your empathy level to new heights. It keeps you thinking, it makes you observant of people around you. It is a satisfying feeling.
PS - I don't think this book is available in the market anymore. I brought it from a friend of my father, who got it in late 80s or early 90s.
Reading this kind of book just increases your empathy level to new heights. It keeps you thinking, it makes you observant of people around you. It is a satisfying feeling.
PS - I don't think this book is available in the market anymore. I brought it from a friend of my father, who got it in late 80s or early 90s.
December 13, 2015
well written, as usual.. the affinity towards his mates had a great impact on him according to his writing.. however it's never exiting to know about other people you don't know or have heard of unless it's erotic and comic..
unlike his other books( eroticism being the main weapon and tool for attraction) this book though being good verbally and with description may not be that alluring than his other books..
P.S : erotic writing suits Khushwant Singh more
unlike his other books( eroticism being the main weapon and tool for attraction) this book though being good verbally and with description may not be that alluring than his other books..
P.S : erotic writing suits Khushwant Singh more
November 20, 2024
A short and quirky book about men and women as it is clear from the title.
Some characters were so intriguing, funny and witty. No wonder author had such expanse of connections throughout his work life.
This book, I would say, is a good compilation of all life experiences the author specifically wanted to remember or those that left a mark in his life.
I enjoyed this short quick read because author's writing is excellent.
Some characters were so intriguing, funny and witty. No wonder author had such expanse of connections throughout his work life.
This book, I would say, is a good compilation of all life experiences the author specifically wanted to remember or those that left a mark in his life.
I enjoyed this short quick read because author's writing is excellent.
December 28, 2011
Khushwant's writing style is hilarious, and that's what makes this book delightful to read. A lot has not been written otherwise, about most people in this book, so Khushwant's description of their personalities and character traits is likely to be what readers perceive of those individuals (who knows how truthful he is being!)
July 22, 2011
very nice
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews