Delhi: Adventures In A Megacity (PB)‘A book that is . . . as eccentric and anarchic as its subject’—William Dalrymple In this extraordinary portrait of one of the world’s largest cities, Sam Miller sets out to discover the real Delhi, a city he describes as being ‘India’s dreamtown— and its purgatory’. He treads the city’s streets, including its less celebrated destinations—Nehru Place, Pitampura and Gurgaon—places most writers ignore. His encounters with Delhi’s people, from ragpickers to members of the Police Brass Band, create a richly entertaining portrait of what the city is and what it is becoming. Miller is, like so many of the people he meets, a migrant in one of the world’s fastest growing megapolises and the Delhi he depicts is one whose future concerns us all. Miller possesses an intense curiosity; he has an infallible eye for life’s diversities, for all the marvellous and sublime moments that illuminate people’s lives. This is a generous, original, humorous portrait of a great city; one which unerringly locates the humanity beneath the mundane, the unsung and the unfamiliar. |
What people are saying - Write a review
Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified
LibraryThing Review
User Review - toddtyrtle - LibraryThingVery entertaining. I started reading it some time before my first trip to India then had to take it back to the library. Finished it after returning and really enjoyed the "visit back". Now I want to ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - danoomistmatiste - LibraryThingA William Dalrympish attempt at Delhification or should I say become a Delhiphile. I am afraid to say he falls far short of expectations, for some reason fixated by the sordid underbelly of the city ... Read full review
Contents
Prologue | 1 |
In which the Author is dazzled by the | 15 |
An Early Intermission | 34 |
A Second Intermission | 58 |
A Third Intermission | 79 |
A Fourth Intermission | 102 |
In which the Author discovers a | 107 |
A Fifth Intermission | 124 |
considers the best way of disposing of a dead body | 186 |
A Ninth Intermission | 208 |
A Tenth Intermission | 226 |
In which the Author is phlebotomized | 231 |
meets a human yoyo and avoids the cannibals of Noida | 246 |
and falls at the feet of King George V | 263 |
Acknowledgements | 283 |
Copyright Acknowledgements | 293 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
asked became become began Birla Brahma Kumari British building built bungalow camera Campa Cola capital centre city’s Connaught Place corpse cremation death Delhi Metro English eyes Feroze Shah Kotla foreign Gandhi Geocaching Gurgaon head Hindi Hindu House huge hundred India Indian inside Internet Iwas Jantar Mantar killed land later live looked Ludlow Castle metres Metro migrants mobile phone modern mosque Mother Dairy moved Mughal Muslim nearby Nehru ofthe Old Delhi park past photograph plastic pointed police population railway Raisina Hill realized residents Ridge river road roof rubbish sari Seelampur seemed sewer shopping malls signboard Sikhs Singh smile South Delhi spiral station streets subcities suddenly tell temple There’s Tihar told tourist trying turned urban Vasant Vihar walk wall wandered West Delhi woman women word Yamuna young