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dunnadam's review against another edition
5.0
What does one read next after having read the perfect book?
Like The Grapes of Wrath, Mistry here presents characters stripped down to the essence of their souls.
The version I read was 800 pages, I could not put it down.
The very meaning of life is in these pages. A book I will never forget.
Like The Grapes of Wrath, Mistry here presents characters stripped down to the essence of their souls.
The version I read was 800 pages, I could not put it down.
The very meaning of life is in these pages. A book I will never forget.
bstorey01's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
draymond's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
oceange's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Rape, Violence, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Suicide, War, Xenophobia, Death, Torture, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Classism, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Misogyny, Murder, Car accident, Death of parent, Excrement, Racism, and Islamophobia
raspbewwies's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was a gutwrenching, rapid read. Set during the Emergency, a period of time in India quite similar to my native country of Sri Lanka, this book was at times relatable and informative. It was a masterclass in character development - I was able to sit and devour this in less than a week from a deep reading slump. It left me with despair, but also with hope, and indeed a fine balance between the two. I think this work will stay with me for time to come - I don’t think I can ever reread this, but I am ever envious of people picking this book up for the first time. Excellent.
mephistoreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
alexandre_rl's review against another edition
5.0
J'ai acheté ce roman de Rohinton Mistry, auteur canadien d'origine indienne, complètement à l'aveugle. La journée même, je me suis rendu compte qu'il était classé comme un chef-d’œuvre et que tout le monde l'avait lu (façon de parler). Les raisons superficielles qui m'ont poussé à l'acheter (belle couverture, épaisseur du livre) m'ont finalement bien servi puisqu'en effet, il s'agit d'une œuvre magistrale. Un roman-fleuve, une somme, un livre "total", foisonnant. Un monde en soi.
À travers un duo de tailleurs, une femme indépendante, un étudiant en réfrigération et une galerie de personnages secondaires, Mistry brosse un portrait de l'Inde impitoyable des années 70. Disons qu'on est loin de l'Inde merveilleuse des fantasmes occidentaux. Guerres de religions, meurtres barbares, vasectomies forcées, violence entre les castes, propriétaires véreux, mendiants maltraités, politique malhonnête, tout y est. Certains passages font mal au coeur, d'autres vous enragent littéralement.
Les talents de conteur de Mistry sont impressionnants. Je n'ai pas senti passer les 896 pages. Il n'y a aucune lourdeur dans le style (d'ailleurs très accessible), aucune stagnation dans le récit. La relation particulière de ces quatre personnages issus de trois castes différentes est inspirante, mais l'auteur ne se gêne pas de montrer que l'Inde de l'époque ne pouvait longtemps la tolérer et que leurs destins étaient inévitablement tragiques.
Et c'est ici à mon sens que ressort le seul point négatif: Mistry en met peut-être juste un peu trop. Personne ne s'en sort, tout est au pire. On atteint un degré de tragédie qui paraît improbable, comme si l'auteur avait infligé à ses personnages tous les malheurs possibles pour présenter au lecteur le large éventail de calamités qui pouvaient s'abattre sur la population indienne de l'époque. Ishvar et Om en particulier n'ont jamais le temps de souffler!
C'est incroyable de penser que de telles atrocités ont pu être commises et cautionnées par un gouvernement hypocrite et sadique. J'ai cru comprendre que l'Inde d'aujourd'hui n'est plus du tout la même, que cette époque est révolue. Si l'on se fie au roman de Mistry, l'Inde des années 70 était invivable pour les castes du bas qui se trouvaient constamment menacées et ciblées par les autorités.
L'Équilibre du monde est un monument, rien de moins. Un livre qui marque profondément, qui nous hante longtemps après l'avoir refermé. Une histoire d'une grande beauté, tragique et oppressante mais qui inspire d'une étrange façon.
À travers un duo de tailleurs, une femme indépendante, un étudiant en réfrigération et une galerie de personnages secondaires, Mistry brosse un portrait de l'Inde impitoyable des années 70. Disons qu'on est loin de l'Inde merveilleuse des fantasmes occidentaux. Guerres de religions, meurtres barbares, vasectomies forcées, violence entre les castes, propriétaires véreux, mendiants maltraités, politique malhonnête, tout y est. Certains passages font mal au coeur, d'autres vous enragent littéralement.
Les talents de conteur de Mistry sont impressionnants. Je n'ai pas senti passer les 896 pages. Il n'y a aucune lourdeur dans le style (d'ailleurs très accessible), aucune stagnation dans le récit. La relation particulière de ces quatre personnages issus de trois castes différentes est inspirante, mais l'auteur ne se gêne pas de montrer que l'Inde de l'époque ne pouvait longtemps la tolérer et que leurs destins étaient inévitablement tragiques.
Et c'est ici à mon sens que ressort le seul point négatif: Mistry en met peut-être juste un peu trop. Personne ne s'en sort, tout est au pire. On atteint un degré de tragédie qui paraît improbable, comme si l'auteur avait infligé à ses personnages tous les malheurs possibles pour présenter au lecteur le large éventail de calamités qui pouvaient s'abattre sur la population indienne de l'époque. Ishvar et Om en particulier n'ont jamais le temps de souffler!
C'est incroyable de penser que de telles atrocités ont pu être commises et cautionnées par un gouvernement hypocrite et sadique. J'ai cru comprendre que l'Inde d'aujourd'hui n'est plus du tout la même, que cette époque est révolue. Si l'on se fie au roman de Mistry, l'Inde des années 70 était invivable pour les castes du bas qui se trouvaient constamment menacées et ciblées par les autorités.
L'Équilibre du monde est un monument, rien de moins. Un livre qui marque profondément, qui nous hante longtemps après l'avoir refermé. Une histoire d'une grande beauté, tragique et oppressante mais qui inspire d'une étrange façon.
shreyapandey13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
📚 Every once in a while you come across a book that reminds you why writing matters. When I was in the final year of pursuing my English Literature degree, a professor told us, 'The greatest, most powerful thing literature can do for you is open up your mind to alternate perspectives and generate empathy'. This book did exactly that.
🌼 If Charles Dickens wrote about India, he would have written this book. Set in the 1970s, this is a historical literary fiction that offers us a glimpse of life under the Emergency as well as the Partition. What is terrifying is that once you start reading this you'll realise, save for some details, everything else is exactly the same. Which is why this book paints a portrait of modern India itself.
🇮🇳 Modern India—rapidly growing, a chaotic giant that threatens to fall under its own weight. The book introduces us to a very colourful cast of characters from various walks of life: a Parsi widow struggling to make ends meet, two men of the cobbler caste, a beggar, a muslim tailor and his family, a poor hair collector, a lawyer turned political speech writer, a beggarmaster—and so many more. Like Dickensenian characters they have interesting stories firmly rooted in their time as they weave in and out of the story.
💛 This book made me feel so much. I rarely give out five stars, but this one truly deserved it. It's been a week since I read this book and I still can't stop thinking about it. It's one of those books where the characters become these very real people in your mind, like your friends, and suddenly when the book ends you feel like they've been ripped away from you. This also has one of my most favourite tropes of all time: 'found family'.
✨ This book is a wholesome, heart wrenching read that will make you a better, more empathetic human being. It's written with a unique literary mastery, rendering the ordinary and the mundane into something beautiful and whimsical. A must, MUST read
🌼 If Charles Dickens wrote about India, he would have written this book. Set in the 1970s, this is a historical literary fiction that offers us a glimpse of life under the Emergency as well as the Partition. What is terrifying is that once you start reading this you'll realise, save for some details, everything else is exactly the same. Which is why this book paints a portrait of modern India itself.
🇮🇳 Modern India—rapidly growing, a chaotic giant that threatens to fall under its own weight. The book introduces us to a very colourful cast of characters from various walks of life: a Parsi widow struggling to make ends meet, two men of the cobbler caste, a beggar, a muslim tailor and his family, a poor hair collector, a lawyer turned political speech writer, a beggarmaster—and so many more. Like Dickensenian characters they have interesting stories firmly rooted in their time as they weave in and out of the story.
💛 This book made me feel so much. I rarely give out five stars, but this one truly deserved it. It's been a week since I read this book and I still can't stop thinking about it. It's one of those books where the characters become these very real people in your mind, like your friends, and suddenly when the book ends you feel like they've been ripped away from you. This also has one of my most favourite tropes of all time: 'found family'.
✨ This book is a wholesome, heart wrenching read that will make you a better, more empathetic human being. It's written with a unique literary mastery, rendering the ordinary and the mundane into something beautiful and whimsical. A must, MUST read
mollyss's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book - rly interesting and perfectly paced. Quite bleak view of India and poverty and class in India but honestly such an amazing read. One of fave books I’ve read in the past year. Different stories felt so perfectly weaves together