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| A Fine Balance |
Some stories stir up emotions to the depths. Some stories effortlessly connect us to their characters, so much that we start to feel their thoughts. And then there are some stories that so sensitively depict life's vicissitudes that they transform our understanding of life! So compelling they are that we are moved to make those corrections in our life. Such stories prompt us, spur us, urge us to reflect and introspect, and sometimes even bring about a refinement of our thinking. 'A Fine Balance' by Rohinton Mistry is one such book that does all of the above, at least it did to me. No other book had affected me as much as this book did.
The book deserves a big "wow", it is such a work of consummate skill, it is definitely a masterpiece! I absolutely loved it, not just because I have an affinity for stories replete with strong emotive intensities but because of the unflinching honesty with which the story has been crafted and the profundity in the author's depiction of the characters and the plot, that makes it such a powerful book.
Emotions gallore... Laden with despair and hopelessness, the story is heart rending, haunting and compelling. As a reader, it's hard not to feel a stab of pathos as you follow the lives of the principal characters in the novel.
The story chronicles the lives of four characters - two tailors Ishwar and Omprakash who happen to be uncle and nephew; a widow Dina (who was their landlady) and a college student, Manek over a period of one year when they come together under one roof. The same year also coincided with the period when India was reeling under political turmoil, tyranny and unrest because of Indira Gandhi's call of Emergency. The story shows how these four characters endure grinding poverty, oppression and exploitation by those in power and those with power.
Some readers may pan this book as utterly boring and depressing because unlike most other books wherein the principal characters face hardships and go through the grind but ultimately emerge triumphant in the end, this story doesn't end on a happy note. However nothing is ever melodramatic in the story. And even though this story is fictional, Rohinton Mistry has so explicitly and impeccably woven the plot and the characters that everything seems so tangibly real and the reader will surely empathise with the four characters for their utter helplessness in the face of a ruthless political climate created by the corrupt politicians and the police. By the time I finished the book, I was deeply saddened and was wondering as to, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
