Saadat Hasan MantoBombay Stories (Vintage International)

Sometimes compared to F Scott Fitzgerald, Saadat Manto certainly led a rather dissipated life and wrote for the movies, but for the most part there the similarity ends. Manto writes short stories that read like scripts for radio or movies of which he wrote quite a few, probably more than he did regular fiction. The Bombay Stories were written towards the end of his short life, after he moved to Lahore and some 15 years after he lived in Bombay. The feel of these stories seems to me to have more in common with Kerouac or even Burroughs than Fitzgerald. Although they are principally concerned with lives of gangsters, pimps, prostitutes and the desperately poor the stories are not sentimental, nor is he slumming and in this respect they put me in mind of Katherine Boo's magnificent Behind the Beautiful Forevers.

I didn't realize until I started to read this wonderful collection that it was not short stories as such, but wonderful autobiographical sketches of the author's time in Bombay. His interactions with gangsters, prostitutes, film industry personnel, etc. were so vivid that I almost felt as if I had been introduced to those individuals myself. The first book of Manto that I read was Mottled Dawn, which were sketches of partition, and his writing is so very colorful that I was pleased to read this collection which shows the real India.

Great characterizations and insights of Manto and those around him in Pre-War Bombay. There is a constant comparison of the characters' superficial behaviour against their true motivations story after story.

Lots of erotica in these stories but with taste and as part of the story. It's a real insiite into the lives of low caste members of old India society.

His short stories based on Bombay of the past has a sense of the ironic, shows the fraility of human life and the deception and airs Indians put on. On a par with one or two Russian writers such as Ivan Turgenev and/or N Gogol.

This is a lame collection. Yes the stories are all about urban settings populated by whores and/or actors or those aspiring to be either butso few of the stories evoke any kind of vague sympathy in the reader. The settings are all fairly "stock"; filthy, overcrowded buildings with"open toilets" and not much more as far as descriptions. Throughout the women and men remain almost faceless. The one saving grace is that many of the stories are indeed short.

It is a number of short stories, mostly involving prostitutes.It is well written, but I would have rather read about a morebroad-based coverage of the people and situations of thatcity. I would not recommend it.

These stories are timeless tale of love and despair in a big city. Manto is a master storyteller at par with Maupassant. Loved rereading each of the story in this collection.

Intriguing dingy and at times depressing but weirdly enriching. I am glad I have read this and yearn to go back to India again.

Bombay Stories is a collection of short stories by Saadat Hassan Manto which bring out the reality of his favourite city. This book focuses on the lower strata of the society, the people who are looked down upon, the pimps, prostitutes, conmen and aspiring actors in the city. He writing is raw and provocative. He writes of the city as it is, his prostitutes brimming with hopelessness, craving for love.I have loved reading his works on previous occasions and have loved some of his best stories, including Toba Tek Singh, Ten Rupees, Smell and Cold Meat. However, this collection failed to strike a chord with me. Some of the stories, however are an exception that include the story Smell. The remaining few, felt strikingly similar and at times repetitive and a concoction of his earlier works. Nevertheless, the writing is unique and a must read for all. I have tried reading his works in his original language and have failed miserably and hope to master the language in its original. That being said, I feel, most of the emotions that the author wanted to convey was lost in translation.

This has got to be my favourite collection from Manto whom I consider my inspiration, my friend and just someone who knows what's up. Anyone who loves Mumbai and wants a walk back in time to Bombay should get their hands on this book. It's unputdownable and an absolute treat to your imagination. It's clear to me now that Manto left his heart in Mumbai. Just read this book and you will know.

I like this book. Book is time passing. You don't bore, when you are reading this book. Monto wrote several books in his time. I frist time listen his name and frist time read this book. He was very famous in his time. Time is gone, but people remember him by his books.Thanls.

The Subcontinental Divide (Partition) and its effects on the human psyche stringed with the beads of words and woven with the thread of history. Manto was a man with the magic pen. What he wrote in the form of short stories is unmatched by anyone till date. He is simply the best in the wizardry of story telling.