If it does nothing else, Maximum City convinces me of that fact. Although I read this slowly taking probably close to 30 hours to absorb it over a few week period, I was sorry to see it end - it could have gone on forever, the stories of Bombay are unlimited. The writing and Mehta's insights are remarkable, he is something of an artistic genius for his ability to give a sense of who a person is and what their life is like while keeping perspective on the big picture. In this way the vibrancy and immediacy of the "Maximum" city is imparted. He focuses on those living beyond the norm in the extreme, on the edge of life and death and freedom: gangsters, prostitutes, movie stars, directors, runaway teenage poets, Jainism. Suketu Mehta grew up in Bombay and moved to New York City when he was 15 - this book is about his return to city of birth as a young adult where he spent 2.5 years as a journalist attached to various people learning about their lives. It is the "City of No" in which resources are tight and daily basic existence is a struggle for millions. Bombay is the largest city on Earth and in parts the most densely populated with certain square miles containing over 1 million people. Maximum City (2004 Pulitzer Prize finalist) is a remarkable book, I was hooked from the start and completely transported to another world.
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