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About the work

Love and Longing in Bombay Stories (the literary collection by Vikram Chandra) is a resonant mosaic of life in contemporary Mumbai, weaving together desire, memory, and the city’s intricate social fabric. The work delves into the intimate moments that illuminate larger cultural shifts, offering readers a portrait of love and yearning set against urban bustle, caste tensions, and the remnants of tradition in a modern metropolis. (9780316136778)

Summary

The collection blends sharp urban realism with tender, fragile emotions as characters navigate romance, longing, and moral ambiguity within Bombay’s diverse streetscape. From intersecting stories of aspiring lovers to characters haunted by past choices, the narratives explore how geography—neighborhoods, markets, and stairwells—shapes longing and the choices people make in pursuit of connection. Across these tales, longing often collides with duty, fate, and the undercurrents of social expectations, producing a rich tapestry of desire and consequence.

About the author

Vikram Chandra is a renowned novelist and storyteller whose work fuses modern complexity with classical narrative depth. Born in the United States to Indian parents and educated at Stanford and the University of Mumbai, he draws on a wide ethical and literary sensibility to craft urban tales that resonate across cultures. Chandra’s prose is noted for its luminous characterization, intricate plotting, and keen attention to the social textures of Mumbai, making Love and Longing in Bombay Stories a landmark in contemporary Indian fiction.

In brief

A finely tuned collection that captures the pulse of Bombay through love, longing, and the moral choices that define urban life.

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