A FINE BALANCE is the first Rohinton Mistry book that I read. Since then, I have read FAMILY MATTERS, another excellent book, and I will post a review on this shortly. I enjoy Mistry’s writing style and the subject matter of his books, although it can be quite depressing. In this instance, this story centres on the unlikely living arrangements of four characters that are forced by their strained economic circumstances to share an apartment.
Dina Dilal is a widow who has spent her life trying to escape her abusive and domineering brother, in a society where independent women are not the norm. The apartment represents her attempt to maintain her freedom, but she can ill afford the rent on her own. She is cajoled to take in a young fellow Parsi as a boarder, Maneck Kohlah, whose parents have sent him to the city to study. With her ailing eyesight getting worse and her independence slowly slipping from her, she then hires two Hindu tailors to sew for her; the arrangement equivalent to that of a sweat shop.
Despite their disparate backgrounds, the four live akin to a family, as they rely on each other in the face of financial hardship, personal troubles, and political turmoil. Their journey in life in laden with hardship and what finally happens to the four main characters in this book (and their friends/acquaintances in the story) is heart rendering. To say more would give the plot way.
So to find out what happens to Dina, Maneck and her tailors, I beseech you to read A FINE BALANCE. It is only fair to warn you that you may find this book too disturbing and heartbreaking. But then, to quote an Indian saying (or is it Meera Syal’s???), “Life is not all ha! ha! he! he!” (In other words, life is not always full of laughter and joy).
2 comments:
Went to down under, see people love to read. Went to europe, everybody reading in trains too. But in Malaysia, everybody either sleeps or sms when they are free. Hope my son will love books.
Ya....I know. I loved reading since I was young, starting with Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. I thank my aunt, who lives in England for this. She used to bring me books for presents.
My mother actually used to scold me for reading, saying that it was a useless habit that would not benefit me, unlike school books. How wrong was she....for once! he!he!
If you encourage your son from young, who knows! My daughter loves reading but unfortunately the trait does not run with my son, sigh! There is still hope yet....
Happy New Year Jo. May 2009bring you prosperity.
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