Maximum CityMaximum City
Score Modern
What it's about
Suketu Mehta grew up in Bombay, left for New York, and returned with his family for two and a half years to understand the city. He spent time with the people who make it run: Hindu and Muslim gangsters and hitmen, the politicians who incited riots, the police who fight them, Bollywood stars and screenwriters, a bar dancer, and a family giving up everything to become monks.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the Samuel Johnson Prize. It's a dazzling, sprawling portrait of one of the world's great cities.
You'll love it if you liked
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
A Fine Balance
Family MattersGood to know
It's long and episodic. Gangsters describe killings in detail.
By the numbers
- Readers33 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics48 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller1 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #1126 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2074 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Maximum City worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the Samuel Johnson Prize. It ranks #2,074 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Maximum City about?
Suketu Mehta grew up in Bombay, left for New York, and returned with his family for two and a half years to understand the city. He spent time with the people who make it run: Hindu and Muslim gangsters and hitmen, the politicians who incited riots, the police who fight them, Bollywood stars and screenwriters, a bar dancer, and a family giving up everything to become monks.
How long does it take to read Maximum City?
About 6 hours (240 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Maximum City?
If you liked it, try Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry or Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry.