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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm tempted to say that this book is pure heartbreak, but that isn't actually true. The highs of this book are so wonderfully wholesome. It's just that the lows are so incredibly devastating that I kept wanting to cry out for the characters. The fates of Narayan and Maneck really got to me. I'm sure at some point this book has been accused of being torture porn, and what stops me from slapping that label is a) I haven't read A Little Life yet, and apparently that takes the crown, and b) the good parts of this book are SO GOOD that I will hold onto those pure little moments for dear life.
I went into A Fine Balance a little worried about the comparisons to Dickens because I haven't liked every Dickens that I've read. What made A Fine Balance so much more vivid was just how relatable Rohinton Mistry makes everything. I was able to see, hear, even smell each setting. I think a big part of my enjoyment of this book is that the struggles are more modern than Dickens's characters' struggles. The relatable nature of everyone trying to hustle just to make next month's rent created a deeper connection to the narrative for me. I could see where everyone was coming from, even if I didn't agree with their actions.
I fell in and out of love with characters. I rooted for Dina hardcore at first, felt the sting of betrayal as she learned to exploit others, and then fell in love with her all over again as she grew. I was annoyed by Maneck, then I pitied him, and then I was determined that he make things right. On and on, with every character.
All that being said, this book isn't without its flaws. I would like to present to you the sentence about Dina applying lipstick after having not worn makeup for many years: "She made a false start and smudged the lip line, but the labial acrobatics soon came back to her, the pursing and puckering and tautening, the simian contortions that seemed so absurd in the mirror" (363). LABIAL ACROBATICS. I had to put the book down for a minute or two. My mind went to Lesbian Land so quickly. I couldn't decide whether to laugh at the writing or to cry at the very "men writing women" quality it had. Cringe cringe cringe.
Mistry makes up for his sins along the way, though. I loved reading about Valmik (who makes not one, but two, surprise cameos at the end of the book!) and his proofreading career. He says, "For twenty-four years, the triumphs and tragedies of our country quickened my breath, making my pulse sing with joy or quiver with sorrow. In twenty-four years of proofreading, flocks of words flew into my head through the windows of my soul. Some of them stayed on and built nests in there. Why should I not speak like a poet, with a commonwealth of language at my disposal, constantly invigorated by new arrivals?" (229).
I think the image I'll take forward is Dina's quilt. That, and the line, "...she had, during these last few months, known what a family was" (541). My heart.
I went into A Fine Balance a little worried about the comparisons to Dickens because I haven't liked every Dickens that I've read. What made A Fine Balance so much more vivid was just how relatable Rohinton Mistry makes everything. I was able to see, hear, even smell each setting. I think a big part of my enjoyment of this book is that the struggles are more modern than Dickens's characters' struggles. The relatable nature of everyone trying to hustle just to make next month's rent created a deeper connection to the narrative for me. I could see where everyone was coming from, even if I didn't agree with their actions.
I fell in and out of love with characters. I rooted for Dina hardcore at first, felt the sting of betrayal as she learned to exploit others, and then fell in love with her all over again as she grew. I was annoyed by Maneck, then I pitied him, and then I was determined that he make things right. On and on, with every character.
All that being said, this book isn't without its flaws. I would like to present to you the sentence about Dina applying lipstick after having not worn makeup for many years: "She made a false start and smudged the lip line, but the labial acrobatics soon came back to her, the pursing and puckering and tautening, the simian contortions that seemed so absurd in the mirror" (363). LABIAL ACROBATICS. I had to put the book down for a minute or two. My mind went to Lesbian Land so quickly. I couldn't decide whether to laugh at the writing or to cry at the very "men writing women" quality it had. Cringe cringe cringe.
Mistry makes up for his sins along the way, though. I loved reading about Valmik (who makes not one, but two, surprise cameos at the end of the book!) and his proofreading career. He says, "For twenty-four years, the triumphs and tragedies of our country quickened my breath, making my pulse sing with joy or quiver with sorrow. In twenty-four years of proofreading, flocks of words flew into my head through the windows of my soul. Some of them stayed on and built nests in there. Why should I not speak like a poet, with a commonwealth of language at my disposal, constantly invigorated by new arrivals?" (229).
I think the image I'll take forward is Dina's quilt. That, and the line, "...she had, during these last few months, known what a family was" (541). My heart.
I'm upset with Rohinton Mistry. I cared about the characters in this book, worried about them, and he poured misery after misery on their heads.
The injustice and suffering is even keener when compared with the brief periods of happiness so gratefully enjoyed and appreciated.
Mistry does these moments so well. There is a lot of gentle humour, affection, camaraderie and friendship in the brief respite the characters enjoy. We dare to hope for our poor friends that life is looking up and that they can be happy. But of course then the boot comes down and squashes them flat.
It's not as hopeless and depressing as, say, The Road. There is a lot of resilience, an ability to find the good in awful situations. But this novel made me very sad at times. I was going to read Shuggie Bain next but I think I need some respite first.
It probably should be 5 stars but I'm taking one off owing to the heartbreak.
The injustice and suffering is even keener when compared with the brief periods of happiness so gratefully enjoyed and appreciated.
Mistry does these moments so well. There is a lot of gentle humour, affection, camaraderie and friendship in the brief respite the characters enjoy. We dare to hope for our poor friends that life is looking up and that they can be happy. But of course then the boot comes down and squashes them flat.
It's not as hopeless and depressing as, say, The Road. There is a lot of resilience, an ability to find the good in awful situations. But this novel made me very sad at times. I was going to read Shuggie Bain next but I think I need some respite first.
It probably should be 5 stars but I'm taking one off owing to the heartbreak.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What an unreliable thing is time - when I want it to fly, the hours stick to me like glue. And what a changeable thing, too. Time is the twine to tie our lives into parcels of years and months. Or a rubber band stretched to suit our fancy. Time can be the pretty ribbon in a little girl's hair. Or the lines in your face, stealing your youthful colour and your hair. .... But in the end, time is a noose around the neck, strangling slowly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Police brutality
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Rape
Incredibly moving story, managed to get me completely involved in the lives of Dina, Maneck, Om and Ishvar. Worth every tear I cried over it.
This book contained no wasted sentences. I even learned some new words, such as "triturate," "horripilation," and "sortilegious"!
The characters were so well-crafted, their stories weaving in and out, making layers of tragedy. This book has SO much tragedy, of so many different kinds. It starts off with comparatively light sorrow, then gives you a taste of the heavy, and towards the end it was almost more than I could bear. But even in the darkest of times, there is some good to be had. I'm not sure that was supposed to be the book's message (the blatant message seems to be "Never visit India!"), but it's what I'm deciding to come away with.
The characters were so well-crafted, their stories weaving in and out, making layers of tragedy. This book has SO much tragedy, of so many different kinds. It starts off with comparatively light sorrow, then gives you a taste of the heavy, and towards the end it was almost more than I could bear. But even in the darkest of times, there is some good to be had. I'm not sure that was supposed to be the book's message (the blatant message seems to be "Never visit India!"), but it's what I'm deciding to come away with.