A fine balance

This is not a review but merely an attempt to write a few lines about a book that I recently read - A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry.

My friend when recommending this book to me said, “This will suck out all happiness in you.” Half-way through the book I was drained of all happiness in me. When I finished it I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and a lump in the throat. The novel is sad, grim, haunting and depressing, and although there are moments of joy, comedy, romance and happiness, it’s not a happy story. This is the most depressing book I’ve read so far.


This novel chronicles the life of four strangers thrown together under one roof in Bombay. Dina Dalal is a widow in a constant struggle to make both ends meets and keep her precarious independence, much to the chagrin of his wealthy brother. Maneck leaves the himalayan hills and his family he loves to purse a diploma in refregiration in Bombay, a course which his father thinks will equip him to carve a prosperous future for himself. Ishvar and Omprakash, uncle and nephew, leave their town plagued with “untouchability” with dreams of saving up enough money and returning to thier town to start their own tailoring shop. This is a story about how these four come together and find family in each other. This a story about their friendship, laughter, sharing and caring, their courage to struggle despite their problems, and the State of Emergency declared by the Prime Minister that leads to a series of events that wreaks havoc in the lives of these four and other poor people.

There are many moments in the book that will bring tears to your eyes. The author’s brilliance shines through in the last few pages and the unexpected twist in the end will blow your head off. Or make you sob if you are weak-hearted like me. For people like me, who can’t stand suspense, do resist the tempatation to read the last page in middle of the story. It’s worth it.

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