Status Updates From Love and Longing in Bombay

Shanti: This story closes the collection just right. Full circle, stories within stories. Many of the stories are about love between a man and a woman, but beside that romantic love there is often strong male friendship. I don't see much of that in stories, especially by male authors, and it adds a warmth to this collection that makes it something special.

Artha: There is a hole at the center of this story. It reminds me of Murakami in that way. The characters feel just a little unreal, the questions remain unanswered. It might feel more grounded if I knew more about the Hindi-Muslim political situation that sits in the background of the story, but even so I think there is a fascinating, haunting emptiness in this

Kama: This is a story full of imperfect people. The cops try their best and truly believe in ending crime, but their methods are heinous. Husbands and wives love each other but still fight, cheat, and split up. Every moment of this story felt like life - beautiful and powerful at times, but ultimately complex and painful where it isn't expected

Shakti: GREAT. Such a good portrait of soft power and the way that women can make or break entire economic empires. It had a lot of elements of a political thriller without forgetting class consciousness or leaving any characters behind.

Dharma: A fantastic portrait of a man and the way that his core self stays the same even as time changes his body and his circumstances. I found myself absorbed and very moved. The frame narrative seemed unnecessary though. Maybe it comes back in the second story and holds the whole collection together? But if not then it definitely didn't need to be here.