A Fine Balance by
Rohinton Mistry. This novel of epic scope is set in India and covers the entire
lives of the three main protagonists. Dina somehow manages to find love, but
after her husband’s early demise, she can’t bear to stay with her brother and
his family, so she tries to make it on her own by starting a tailoring
business. Elsewhere, a low caste family of tanners tries to better their lot by
traveling to the city to learn tailoring. When Dina needs tailors, she finds
these two, an uncle and nephew. With these three at the center of the tale and
many vivid secondary characters, Mistry draws a picture of what it’s like to
live in India. Unfortunately, it’s heartbreaking to live in India, for nearly
everyone concerned.
This was a huge doorstop of a book, and I had a tough time
getting into it. Then, for most of the middle section, I was pretty interested.
Then at the end of the book, my heart was broken, broken. Maybe this is because
my dad was born in India and I’ve always wanted to go there, and he loved it so
much that I want to love it, but this story made me hate it. This book was well
written, and probably a work of genius, but I give these stars based on my
experience while I’m reading the book (like, the book and me, not just the
book). And sometimes I still love a book that breaks my heart, but this time,
not. 3/5*
