A Fine Balance

In 1975, in an unidentified Indian city, Mrs Dina Dalal, a financially pressed Parsi widow in her early 40s sets up a sweatshop of sorts in her ramshackle apartment. Determined to remain financially independent and to avoid a second marriage, she takes in a boarder and two Hindu tailors to sew dresses for an export company. As the four share their stories, then meals, then living space, human kinship prevails and the four become a kind of family, despite the lines of caste, class and religion. When tragedy strikes, their cherished, newfound stability is threatened, and each character must face a difficult choice in trying to salvage their relationships.

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Devestating, inspiring, amazing - Rated
Devestating, inspiring, amazing - this is defintely on my list of top ten fav books. You get a real insight into India's history and politics but through the human condition. The characters are complex and believable, the story beautifully written and awe making. I cried and cried at the warmth and goodness people have in their hearts and at the hopelessness and tragedy surrounding us. I emerged from this story a different person (I mean, I do after each book I read, but this was particularly pronounced). Everyone should read this once in their lives.

Fails to inspire.......... - Rated
I really wanted to like this book. Promising start and a good introduction to the characters, but the novel just seems to drone on and on.
It tries so hard to deliver "India in the 70's", with its blend of corruption, greed, strife and suffering. Unfortunately, it never really hits anywhere near the 5 star mark. I didnt feel any compassion at all to our central characters. Indeed, at times, I became frustrated with the whole affair and abandoned the book for a few days. Then resume, hoping something exciting/enthralling would happen. Er, no.
Its hard work to stick with. And once I'd read it, I didnt really feel anything inspiring had happened to me.
Disappointing. Just goes to show you shouldnt rely on all the feedback you see! Its all down to personal taste I suppose. And this wasnt a "change your life" read for me at all.

never to be forgotton - Rated
I read this book more than 10 years ago. It was an emotional roller coaster. When reading it publicly people would smile at the expressions on my face - smiling, sadness, grimacing. An amazing book that I have recommended to many many people. When talking to one friend about what book would he take to his grave this was the one he chose. Never have I been so emotionally bound by a book and never has a book left such an indelible impression on my mind.

I never cry... this made me cry! - Rated
At first it may seem like a cutesey, twee little story, but as Mistry's prose weave their magic prepare to feel it!
I won't go on as there are plenty of reviews here but I will just say that this is my favourite book. The reason? Because is it is deeply human and that made me cry. I never cry (even though at times I damn well need to !) and this book managed to make me.

A great story. A triumph and a tragedy told with supreme skill.

A superb piece of storytelling - Rated
In some ways this is a very old fashioned book. It just tells a straightforward story. No surrealism, no magic realism , no obscure metaphor, just a well spun tale. And it is all the better for it.

What this superbly written book is about is India's State of Emergency in the 1970s, imposed by Indira Gandhi. The situation is described through the lives of four individuals, a widow, two tailors and a student. We see how the political situation affects, and tragically affects the lives of these four people.

A Fine Balance is deeply tragic, it had me close to tears on several occassions, it is also very funny and above all it rings shockingly true to life. The descriptions of poverty and of state brutality are harrowing but the ability of ordinary people to find even a little happiness in the dark is genuinely uplifting

The chief joy of the book is the wide range of characters which do indeed bring to mind Dickens, or indeed the obvious comparison, Vikram Seth.

So in summary, uplifting, harrowing, amusing, touching. Very strongly recommended, I might already have found the best book I'll read this year.