Maximum City

To start with, this book is not much about Mumbai- The City, but more about incidents which have marred or shaped the existence of this city, along with chapters about people from certain industry and profession with whom the author had a chance to interact and do research upon during his stay in Mumbai.
So to set the expectation correctly, this book doesn’t cover the political & cultural history of the city comprehensively. Also there are references to the “Spirit of Mumbai” but this book is not about that. Even as a travelogue this doesn’t entirely cover all aspect of the city. And yes it has a feel of reading a diary.
Even then this book is quite a handful and it covers lot of things. There are chapters on the ‘92 riots, the rise of Shiv Sena to power, the Mumbai police, and the underworld. The author also explores the Mumbai film industry and its link with the underworld and also touches upon the famed “Dance Bars” of Mumbai.
This book is based on the numerous interactions and interview that the author had with real people, some whom he chose to name and others who remain anonymous. E.g. much of the writings on Bollywood are based on his interaction with Vidhu Vinodh Chopra. Few of the chapters are touching and will move you, especially because they are true stories. However this is slightly voluminous and so can be a bit daunting. There will be times when you will wonder why a certain chapter is there in the first place.
Overall it’s a decent read especially if these kinds of topics interest you and if you have set your expectations correctly.

This book is wonderful. Okay, yes Bombay has become progressively worse in the past few years, but this book is about the culture of what has defined Bombay. For a person who is new to Bombay, the first thing he feels about the city is the salty fell of the Arabian Sea. Reading this book makes you feel like getting that first feel of Bombay all over again - yes you know the past two decades of that have defined Bombay - riots, underworld, rains, Shiv Sena and of course Bollywood since long. This book touches heavily on them and the writer explores all of these topics in a lot more depth. Reading them from Maximum City is very very enjoyable.

When I narrated the incidents from the book to my friends ( who are born & living in Mumbai ) they too wanted a slice of this book. This book has a lot of wonderful incidents and behind the scenes view of all of the defining characters of Bombay and you'll love reading this book.

CAVEAT - If you're a person who lives in Bombay and hates the quality of life here, I'm not sure if you want to read this book.

I did not like this book. I left it after a couple of pages and have no intentions of returning to it. I think it is tedious, boring, completely misses the point of the city, and reads like a ranting eighteen year old's diary; not literature. I am shocked at the publicity this book has been given. I do not think Suketu Mehta has the perspective that is needed for a travel writer, and that too of a city as mainstream as Bombay, and I don't think much of him as a writer. He is wordy, and his writing is meaningless. Don't read it.

Suketu Mehta paints a picture of Bombay which is both grotesque and alluring at the same time. He goes in depth of the riots, 93 bombings, underworld hit-men, police torture and bar girls. Never will you get such a close encounter with these sides of a city. But remember this not a guide book to the erstwhile Bombay, so Mumbaites might feel this book one sided or lacking. But it really is a must read if you want to know about this great ruined metropolis.

Suketu mehta has captured the spirit of Mumbai in an awesome way, right from the 70s till date, the Bomb blasts affecting the life of Mumbaikars, the relentless Mumbaikar!

A must read