A brilliant collection of interconnected stories set in contemporary India, from the acclaimed author of Red Earth and Pouring Rain.
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Apr 19, 2010
T.
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I spent 12 years trying to remember a story which I'd read in the New Yorker, and loved. For years I tried to reconstruct scraps of what I remembered about the story--practically nothing, except the image of a woman's fingers flying over a telephone keypad. Not the author's name, not the character's name, and certainly not the name of the story. Since it was set in India, I thought it might be by an Indian writer, but I wasn't sure.
At last I found it by exhaustively combing the New More...
At last I found it by exhaustively combing the New More...
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Mar 02, 2010
John
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I bought Chandra's immense novel Sacred Games a little while ago. While it looks to be wonderful, I've been a bit intimidated by the sheer size of the thing. So this collection of five stories -- one short novel plus four in the novelette/novella range -- seemed a reasonable means of warming myself up to Chandra's work, as it were.
The five pieces are called "Dharma", "Shakti", "Kama", "Artha" and "Shanti". Shamefully I had to look up the meanings of these terms; I'll give shorthand versions, w More...
The five pieces are called "Dharma", "Shakti", "Kama", "Artha" and "Shanti". Shamefully I had to look up the meanings of these terms; I'll give shorthand versions, w More...
Jun 09, 2011
Neha
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Another book with Longing in its name.. and its theme too.. its true when they say that we all long for something.. some just know it and some don’t .. and its never ending.. one desire fulfilled leads to another and we live our lives longing for fulfilment. All in all life is a vicious circle of longing and what do we desire the most – love...
I have not been a fan of Vikram Chandra after reading ‘Red Earth and Pouring Rain’ and even ‘Sacred Games’ was just a decent read. But you ca More...
I have not been a fan of Vikram Chandra after reading ‘Red Earth and Pouring Rain’ and even ‘Sacred Games’ was just a decent read. But you ca More...
Sep 30, 2011
Madeline
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The five stories in Love and Longing in Bombay are connected in a few ways: they're all told through the same character, to the narrator, at varying degrees of distance; they're all really about Bombay (except, perhaps, "Shanti," the final story); they're all about some kind of love; they're all really, really about storytelling. I liked that Chandra uses the stories to explore a variety of genres, linking the stories through framing device and theme while exploring other areas in each
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May 10, 2007
Jen
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I first read this book in the Philippines and promptly took it out of hte library when I returned. I don't usually re-read books or short storis, but I've actually read this oee a few times. It sticks with me. I think its the deliciousness of hte characterers and hwo I feel as though I've been to Bomay and knows its landmarks and mood after reading these stories. The first one about the ghost in the old home is not my favourtie, but the Sikh detective, the computer software syspense tale, th
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Nov 09, 2011
Lori
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I read a good bit of fiction by Indian authors. I have a deep connection to the subcontinent and try to learn about the culture through current literature. I have truly enjoyed works by Lahiri, Mistry and others. Their stories captured me.
Having giving that disclaimer, I truly did not like this book. Chandra is a gifted writer, no doubt, but I felt no connection to his characters, to their stories. Even though the stories were relatively short, I found myself having difficulty f More...
Having giving that disclaimer, I truly did not like this book. Chandra is a gifted writer, no doubt, but I felt no connection to his characters, to their stories. Even though the stories were relatively short, I found myself having difficulty f More...
Jan 23, 2009
Tracy
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One of these stories introduces the detective character at the heart of Sacred Games, Chandra's big novel. It's not the best story in the book, though. Chandra runs through a variety of genres -- including the ghost story, which is one of the most touching of the collection. The best piece, IMHO, is about social-climbing in Mumbai. It's the one that stuck with me after I'd finished the book.
Apr 11, 2011
Amy
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This one was interesting; I spent much of the time reading it trying to make connections amongst the characters. My favorite part was the chapter on Megha and Sartaj Singh. He was a main character in Sacred Games, and we never really get to know what happened with Megha--until this story. I like Seth's style of writing; it makes me think.
Jun 19, 2009
Heather
rated it:
I really enjoyed a few of the stories in this book, but plodded through a couple, disinterested.
Overall i thought Chandra's writing was beautiful, rich and vivid. It was, i believe, the pace that bothered me. The stories did not have the pace or structure that i expect from short stories. I would feel as though i was reading a novel and then the story would end abruptly.
I loved the experience of being transported to india, and feeling another culture, another worldview, but the use More...
Overall i thought Chandra's writing was beautiful, rich and vivid. It was, i believe, the pace that bothered me. The stories did not have the pace or structure that i expect from short stories. I would feel as though i was reading a novel and then the story would end abruptly.
I loved the experience of being transported to india, and feeling another culture, another worldview, but the use More...
Feb 20, 2012
Shylashree
rated it:
5 short stories, I found myself having difficulty following them because I simply couldn't make myself care. The 1st story was unclear as to the events. 2nd story about 2 high-society ladies with a good ending. 3rd story about an inspector investigating a murder and giving divorce to his wife.
Aug 14, 2009
Nancy
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WOW!! A vivid, amazing collection of short stories. Absolutely gorgeous. I'm so enamored of Sartaj Singh, the Bombay detective who's the main character in one of them, that I'm now settling in with Sacred Games (which also stars Sartaj). 900+ pages. EEK!
Dec 31, 2009
Vera
rated it:
I wish I could write a review that did this book - my feelings for this book - any kind of justice.
The pace in the stories is slow but it is right for the human characters and for discovering them. Each story is full of necessary detail, is of human scale, our messy, imperfect beautiful lives. Chandra knows people.
I think we know which two books I will be borrowing from the library next.
(Hint: Red Earth and Pouring Rain A Novel and Sacred Games A Novel) More...
The pace in the stories is slow but it is right for the human characters and for discovering them. Each story is full of necessary detail, is of human scale, our messy, imperfect beautiful lives. Chandra knows people.
I think we know which two books I will be borrowing from the library next.
(Hint: Red Earth and Pouring Rain A Novel and Sacred Games A Novel) More...
May 03, 2009
Diana
rated it:
Not stunning- definitely not a must read but interesting nonetheless. Short stories were sometimes hard to follow and the use of Hindi in the text was not often clear for those who can't speak the language.
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Dec 01, 2008
This is a short collection of stories, not coincidentally about love and longing. This book really brought me into the characters' worlds, and changed my outlook on my own.
Sep 02, 2011
Malabaricus
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A book you seem to have read before.Shades of Somerset Maugham with none of the language or depth. Quite trite stories with not very believable characters.
Oct 10, 2011
Ken
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An absorbing collection of stories that made me want to read more. The story-within-a-story device does get a bit tiresome, but not enough to detract from Chandra's brilliant imagery and character development.
Dec 02, 2008
Heatherer
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I absolutely love this book- each layer is fascinating and so well written, I find myself totally immersed in emotion with each page...
Oct 27, 2011
Prakriti
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Brilliant! Highly recommended! The stories, the characters would stay in your mind long after you have finished the book!
Aug 06, 2011
Very vividly written! Wonderful stories; especially liked the narrator, Mr. Subramaniam. Highly recommend it!
Dec 24, 2008
Brooke
rated it:
Only ok. It's short stories, and the first three were pretty good, but the last two barely told a story. I didn't even finish the 2nd to last one: I just didn't care about the characters at all due to lack of exposition.
Feb 16, 2011
Voula
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What a treat this book was. Someone I know was throwing it out and having read his "Sacred Games" I was really excited about finding it and of course I was immensely rewarded. I just adore Vikram Chandra.
Dec 17, 2009
Harpreet
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This is one hell of an imaginative book! The stories are extremely vivid and explicit, and the descriptions take you into the story and bring you right next to the character @ that moment. There were parts of the book where I was slightly confused but overall the book just immerses you in its detailed stories. Also, there are many different aspects and views of love depicted in this book. It's not standard or the cliche Indian normative, there's a broader and a more open point of view of lo
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Oct 04, 2007
Zainab
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This is a collection of 5 short stories. It took me a long time to read this book, as I didn't like the 1st story and thought the rest of the book would be similarly uninteresting. But the subsequent stories were much better, and the last one really tied it all up beautifully. the 5th story is special because it's a lovely story in it's own right, but it also knits the book together, and makes you realize the significance that story telling has for the narrator of the tales. i was very sad when
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Mar 30, 2010
A. Joyce
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I really enjoyed the "Shakti" story, but the rest are too dark for me.
Apr 03, 2011
Steve
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Chandra's collection reveals a writer of great potential but this did not come to fruition here. For this reader the only real stories which held attention were 'Shakti', which charted the war of social influence between two Bombay divas, and 'Kama', which introduced the most memorable character in the collection, 'Sartaj Singh' the Sikh detective inspector. Some wonderfully written passages but no real impact overall.
Sep 15, 2008
Swapna
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This was a gift to me from a friend I found this book quite readable but not outstanding though...hummm stories being written very well but somehow to me it looked as if lack depth. but do have strong narration while no amount of good language could warm me up to the characters in the story.....so recommend this book to be read once simply for the strong narration and to gain a glimpse of Bombay. ...
Dec 16, 2009
Jessica
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All 5 short stories in "Love & Longing in Bombay" take place in contemporary India and have the same narrator. Each story focuses on a different aspect of the society of Bombay: religion, power, sex, money and peace. The writing is engrossing and give you a real sense of the city. Vikram Chandra's superb storytelling makes this one of my favorite short story collections.
