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Ratings: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Genre: Short Stories / Fiction / Indian Literature / Contemporary Fiction

Book Review:
Vikram Chandra's Love and Longing in Bombay is a stunning collection of stories that captures the spirit of one of the world's most vibrant cities. Published in 1997, this book announced the arrival of a major literary talent—a writer who could combine the narrative drive of popular fiction with the depth and precision of literary art.

The collection is structured around a framing device: over five evenings, a mysterious civil servant tells stories to a group of listeners in a smoky Bombay bar. Each story is a gem, exploring different aspects of life in the city. ''Shakti'' is a tale of forbidden love between members of feuding business families, reminiscent of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet. ''Dharma'' follows a soldier who returns to Bombay after committing a terrible act to save his life, only to find himself haunted by the past. ''Kama'' is a noir-inflected detective story that pulls the reader into spiraling layers of corruption and deceit.

What makes these stories exceptional is Chandra's ability to blend genres and moods. There is romance, thriller, ghost story, and social realism, all rendered with the same luminous prose and deep attention to detail. The Observer praised the book for its ''linguistically multiplanar and authentic'' depiction of Bombay, noting its ''breathtaking accuracy of detail.'' The Spectator called Chandra ''that rare thing, a writer who is simultaneously a master story-teller and a master stylist.''

For readers who love short fiction, for anyone interested in contemporary Indian writing, or for those simply seeking stories that stay with you long after the final page, Love and Longing in Bombay is essential reading. A modern classic.