BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS – NOVEMBER 2022

SHANTARAM: AN ADVENTUROUS TALE SET IN MUMBAI – GREGORY DAVID ROBERTS

Shantaram, a book based on the author’s life, takes you through the journey of an escaped convict from Australia who lands himself in the thick of Bombay city. What follows is a rollercoaster ride that ebbs and flows through slums, romance, action and the underworld. For a Mumbaikar the book paints a verbal picture of the popular spots in the city, ushering nostalgia. It shows how the city can hold and absorb people from any part of the world and make them its own. Its sequel, but a standalone novel, The Mountain Shadow, is equally engaging.

WHAT IF THERE WERE NO BEES – SUZANBREATHLESS IN BOMBAY: STORIES BY MURZBAN F. SHROFF

Breathless in Bombay is a concept collection of 14 stories set in contemporary Bombay featuring interesting characters in fascinating situations: from the wandering thoughts of a Chowpatty Beach massage wala to the heartwarming relationship between a carriage driver and his beloved horse. No book about Bombay is complete without its Bollywood angle and this one features a story about the doomed love affair between a schizophrenic painter and his Bollywood girlfriend. Each of these stories is beautifully crafted against the chaotic backdrop of the city, giving the reader an insider’s view of this fascinating city.