Reading Order
Maximum City Reading Order
Suketu Mehta's Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found (2004) is a National Book Award finalist work of narrative nonfiction about Mumbai — its criminal underworld, its Bollywood film industry, its bar dancers, its police, its Hindu-Muslim riots — following Mehta's return after twenty years away. It is one of the great books about any city, and the most important portrait of Mumbai in English.
Where to start
Maximum City
Complete Maximum City Book List
- 1Buy
Maximum City
Suketu Mehta·2004·The complete standalone book. No sequels; start and finish here.
Maximum City — Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maximum City fiction or nonfiction?
Maximum City is narrative nonfiction — reported journalism written with novelistic attention to scene, dialogue, and character. Mehta spent years in Mumbai reporting the book, and every scene is based on direct reporting, though the writing employs the techniques of literary nonfiction.
Do I need to know India or Mumbai to read Maximum City?
No prior knowledge is necessary. Maximum City introduces every major context it needs — the history of the city, the structure of Bollywood, the mechanics of organized crime — within the narrative itself. It is designed to be accessible to a reader who knows nothing about Mumbai, though readers with Indian background report finding additional layers of recognition.
How does Maximum City relate to Behind the Beautiful Forevers?
Katherine Boo's Behind the Beautiful Forevers (2012) and Maximum City (2004) are the two most important works of English-language narrative nonfiction about Mumbai, and they complement each other: Mehta covers the entire social spectrum of the city from the underworld to Bollywood, while Boo focuses entirely on one slum adjacent to the international airport. Reading both gives a fuller picture of the city than either provides alone.
Monthly Newsletter
Never miss a big release
Get the most anticipated upcoming books delivered to your inbox once a month — no spam, no filler.
Monthly only. Unsubscribe anytime.
Book links are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, BookReleaseRadar earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.