Travel to Asia

Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found

Format: Paperback
Author: Suketu Mehta
ReleaseDate: 27 September, 2005
Publisher: Vintage
Rating:

Inspecting the bowels of Bombay
Mehta explores the bowels of human existence in the "Maximum City" with a cast of thousands: thieves, fascists, bigots, murderers, gangsters, extortionists, gunmen, prostitutes, pimps, dancers, lovers, corrupt civil service workers, bad cops, worse cops, and everyone else in between. Mehta shows us the fascinating sides of a Bombay that most non-Bombay residents can never see or sometimes even know exists. He doesn't sugar coat the lives he peeks into - little or none of it is "beautiful. " Bombay's underworld is strange and terrible but I feel all the better for having been taken by Mehta on a guided tour. I caught myself reading until past 3:00AM one night while reading this book, unable to put it down. Highly recommended for anyone drawn yet confused by India.

Bombay
I now strongly feel "Mumbai" is a swear word, this city is Bombay. A compelling story of Bombay, its history culture, people, politics, gangs, movies, and everything that makes it addictive.

Expansive snapshot of an interesting place
In the long run, perhaps the book's greatest value will be its presenting at first-hand an account of the nefarious and destructive effect that the xenophobic Shiv Sena political party had on the tapestry of various ethnic, religious and linguistic groups that make Bombay such an interesting urban setting, a story that has been largely ignored outside of India itself (and indeed, in India only glancingly addressed). Worth all the praise that has been lavished on it even if a bit overlong, Suketu Metha's Maximum City realistically presents the swirling, pollution-choke tableau that is present-day Bombay. Full of humor and pathos, the book makes a good introduction for anyone visiting the region.

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