Reviews

Tales from Firozsha Baag by Rohinton Mistry

dr_oligo's review

emotional funny inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ipb1's review

4.0

These brief stories can't quite come up to the superb standards of [b:Family Matters|19661|Family Matters|Rohinton Mistry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388279746l/19661._SY75_.jpg|1435094] and [b:A Fine Balance|11059934|A Fine Balance|Rohinton Mistry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575897039l/11059934._SY75_.jpg|865827], but then very few things can. Still, an enormously entertaining and enriching collection.

bloodyfool0's review

4.0

It is really disappointment to know Mr. Mistry wrote but a handful of books. All his books are great reads particularly A Fine Balance.

This book is a series of short stories based on a Parsi housing estate in Bombay. Each story centres on a particular personality. The prose is superb to read and Mr. Mistry effortlessly eases you into the storyline from the first line hooking you in.

Some stories are hilarious and some reminiscent of the male adolescence stage of like.

kingbob's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative reflective fast-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

4.25

anisharohra's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Admittedly, my enjoyment of this book is greatly influenced by my Indian-Canadian heritage. As someone who understands most of the foreign words, concepts, beliefs, and values, this book takes a special place in my heart because it is so familiar and towards the end, so very accurate about my own situation. I feel doubly connected to the characters knowing that these are the people I've left behind, or because these are the ones that have followed me here. 

But beyond my own personal attachment to the book, the writing flows really well, making the book a fast read, and the characters grope at the heart; despite their flaws, I couldn't help but love them. 

I don't have much experience with collections of short stories, but I think I can say that few are as cleverly intertwined as these, with the characters reappearance in multiple stories making the reader feel as if they were one of them. And by the end, the similarities between Kersi and the author making a meta note about the nature of the stories and adding to the pure accuracy of them. 

There is no flowery pretentiousness, there is only reality within this collection and it's a fresh take that I appreciated greatly.

fishface's review

challenging reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

An excellent short story selection, based around the Parsi inhabitants of the Firozsha Baag apartment building. The author expertly intertwined the lives of his characters to give the sense of them being neighbours (neither friends nor merely acquaintances). Some of the story's explore the immigrant experience, as sons and daughters of the block move to abroad with an interesting focus on how those who remain in their country of origin feel about the experience.

disastrouslyshy's review against another edition

I read it for Writer's Craft in grade 12 and it wasn't what I was expecting it to be. It was different and I liked that. The stories were well written and the characters were well-developed. I really enjoyed the read.

gen97's review

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

rbharath's review

relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

 ‘A Fine Balance’ by Rohinton Misty is among my top 25 reads of all time. I also liked ‘Family Matters’ and ‘Such a Long Journey’. This one does not quite match up to the three books I have referred, but is still a nice little roundup of decent stories. 

All the short stories are set around Firozsha Baag, a predominantly Parsi complex, and its inhabitants. The first story ‘Auspicious Occasion’ gets the book off to a good start – the writing is trademark Rohinton Mistry. Rustomji is a cranky man, who does not attend to any of the repairs in the flat or contribute to the external upkeep as he believes the trust is responsible for it. His wife Mehroo is patient with him, though she does try to nudge him along to be more practical. They are to visit the Fire Temple on Behram roje, but it is not a smooth ride. 

There are 10 other stories in the book and the ones I liked the most are – ‘The Collectors’ where Dr Mody and a young boy Jehangir share a common interest in collecting stamps, ‘The Paying Guests’ where the owners turn to legal action to get their flat vacated, ‘Exercisers’ as Jehangir tries his best to follow his parents’ expectations. All the stories are easy to read. 

Each of the stories provide prominence to different characters though many appear in multiple stories. The punch which his other books delivered though, does not quite come through in many of the stories in this book. One of the defining features of Mistry’s writing is the raw & unrelenting realism, quite unlike any author I have read. The stories in this book do carry that, but at times it descends into crudity and could have been better. 

 A book well worth the read if you like his writing. If you have not read any of his books, I would say - start with the others I have mentioned at the start of the review. 

deanjean_reads's review against another edition

3.0

Not even done with the book yet, unfortunately... but it was good.