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Published 22:50 IST, February 24th 2020

Mumbai based books to read that bring the city of dreams to life

A good book can take you to amazing places. Here are the five best books to read that are based on Mumbai that bring the city that never sleeps to life.

Reported by: Rohan Patil
null | Image: self

Books are considered as the true best friend of people. Some can make you feel happy some can make you sad but importantly, a book never fails to make you feel something. Some books can even take you to a fantasy world which is more perfect than reality while some can take you to places where you haven’t been. It is also possible that a book can give you another perspective about a place which is already known by you. Here is a list of some books which can take you to the heart of a city that never sleeps. Let’s take a look at 5 books that bring Mumbai to life.

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Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

The first book on the list is this beautiful non-fiction read by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Katherine Boo. Her book is proof that a good story is not only found in the fictional world. She has spent three years in the Annawadi community that is on the outskirts of Mumbai. The stories that she has crafted are bound by hope while some are also about a touch of tragedy.

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Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

Undoubtedly it is one of the most popular works by Salman Rushdie. The book is a perfect blend of historical fiction with a fantastic realism as it goes across the subcontinent. Both beginning and ending within Mumbai that has a touch of surrealism gives an amazing perspective to Mumbai

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Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup

Almost everyone in Mumbai and around the world remembers Slumdog Millionaire as a movie that made an impact and left the mark of Mumbai at the Academy Awards, but a few people know that the story revolved around a novel which was originally titled Q&A. It was the debut work by diplomat turned writer Vikas Swarup. The emotional tale of a young boy trying to make it big in a quiz show gives a beautiful insight into the real world in Mumbai.

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Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Shantaram is a fast-paced thriller which is an amazingly inspirational tale from the author’s own life. The movie follows the exciting tale of an Australian convict who settles in slums of Mumbai. It shows the life of him as he mixes with locals of Mumbai ranging from artists, commoners to crime lords. The author, Roberts have lived a life of an Australian escaped prisoner who was on the run in Mumbai that has helped him in writing this story in rich detail.

Breathless in Bombay by Murzban F Shroff

It is a beautiful collection of 14 short stories that give an insight to Bombay as well as Mumbai. The short stories follow the incredible transformation to being the capital of the urban world. The tales also show that Mumbai’s growth is based on rich traditions and shows the two sides of Mumbai.

Updated 22:50 IST, February 24th 2020

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