by Manil Suri
First published 2001
Vishnu sprawls on the steps of a crumbling Bombay apartment building, caught between life and death. The residents step around his body as they go about their daily routines. Mrs. Asrani and Mrs. Pathak argue over who should feed him. Their husbands debate whether to call an ambulance. Above them, young Salim and Kavita plan to elope despite their families' opposition to their Hindu-Muslim romance. As Vishnu drifts in and out of consciousness, he experiences visions that blur the line between reality and myth. He begins to believe he might be the Hindu god Vishnu himself, ascending through different levels of existence. The building's residents face their own spiritual reckonings as this dying man forces them to confront questions of duty, compassion, and faith that they have long avoided.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, magical-realism
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, spiritual-awakening
Setting: Bombay, India
Period: Contemporary
Paperback · Bloomsbury Publishing Plc