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dyno8426's review against another edition
5.0
The name of this book was the first thing to captivate my expectations and offer a profound promise as I began reading it. A Fine Balance of and for what? It satisfied my curiosity and prepared the foundation of what this book has to offer with this:
"'... You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair.’ He paused, considering what he had just said. ‘Yes,’ he repeated. ‘In the end, it’s all a question of balance.'"
As one reads the book, a picture develops of a liveliness, something like a vast tapestry which is observable through its intricacies and details, and continues to make sense despite the challenge that its immensity and complications pose to anyone who tries to comprehend it. This matrix of liveliness consists of all atomic human lives which are trying to survive, grow and propagate their existential footprint and like The Matrix are entangled in the very realities that it offers them. The story threads this tapestry through four related persons and progresses with the idea of how the fragments of their choices and their lives affect each other. This profound realisation is delivered without any need for abstraction except some very real and beautiful metaphors - something which makes sense to the characters in the story and thus, stays true and grounded to the very reality it symbolises.
"His whimsical thoughts about chess suddenly acquired a dark, depressing hue in the dusk. Everything was under threat, and so complicated. The game was pitiless. The carnage upon the chessboard of life left wounded human beings in its wake."
"‘If time were a bolt of cloth,’ said Om, ‘I would cut out all the bad parts. Snip out the scary nights and stitch together the good parts, to make time bearable. Then I could wear it like a coat, always live happily.’"
"‘God is dead,’ said Maneck. ‘That’s what a German philosopher wrote.’ She was shocked. ‘Trust the Germans to say such things,’ she frowned. ‘And do you believe it?’ ‘I used to. But now I prefer to think that God is a giant quiltmaker. With an infinite variety of designs. And the quilt is grown so big and confusing, the pattern is impossible to see, the squares and diamonds and triangles don’t fit well together anymore, it’s all become meaningless. So He has abandoned it.’"
"‘It will look beautiful,’ said Ishvar with authority. ‘Just keep connecting patiently, Dinabai – that’s the secret. Ji-hahn, it all seems meaningless bits and rags, till you piece it together.’"
The story then develops the idea of interconnectedness further and actualises it in the Indian context. For anyone living in India, coming across the extremities and spectrum of the "colourful" life renders the a more complex impression. With people from different backgrounds, experiences and strata of the society, most of the Indians are aware of the differences which create a chasm of misunderstanding between us. Our interdependence and symbiosis as individuals and groups has often resulted in becoming a zero-sum game of survival and progress. The book shows this as a story of the shared journey of these four individuals who get associated with the most impersonal of connections - financial/business dependence. A fine balance also emerges in this equilibrium of economic circulation that continues their lives. Disruptions of many kinds influence it but the summation of hopes and fears restores the equilibrium in some way or the other and the zero-sum game looks playable. Emptiness created by the cruelties is sometimes stuffed by kindnesses, usually never enough. Sacrifices compensate for certain desires, usually unfairly.
Still, the readers cannot detach from the fragility and vulnerabilities of this fine balance. Because every balancing act foreshadows the risk of imbalance - an irreversible disruption which usually ends up in destruction. Whatever choices the characters fork, readers witness the cost of those choices on others - and that too for the worse. By setting the historical backdrop of the infamous Emergency, the author accentuates the civilian regression and urgency of inhuman chaos in the ecosystem of human beings. Without the shield of financial security, we see how our characters and those related to them are trying to stay afloat. This social turbulence and chaos also breeds opportunity for many. One sees India in its populace fertility but with the awkwardness that comes from unprepared growth - like adolescence. Coupling that with a governance which represents inefficiency, distrust and hopelessness, the affair looks pity evoking. There is a shared feeling which we as Indians are aware of being ingrained in our mindset and attitude - of a competitiveness in life to survive. Regardless of whether one has personally experienced it or not, the awareness and preparedness is there. It more or less shapes our characters as well. The primitive battle to compete for power, money and sometimes even physical space renders its ugly face to those who see it from the luxury of fortune. For others, it seems normal and its disregard almost inhuman. The deprivation and cruelties of caste system is another dimension of the Indian history that the story brings forward. Its propagation and purpose in safeguarding the safety of one's position, resources and opportunities against the threats of change. The arbitrariness and whimsical nature of the "Jungle Raj" that the story's time period only aggravates the consuming and apathetic nature of the balancing act of life's equilibrium. Unfairness and despair are the remainders of the equation whose few terms accumulate from the subtraction of the many parts that need to compensate for them.
"But how firm to stand, how much to bend? Where was the line between compassion and foolishness, kindness and weakness? And that was from her position. From theirs, it might be a line between mercy and cruelty, consideration and callousness. She could draw it on this side, but they might see it on that side."
Despite this, we witness tiny wisps of unexpected shining moments which also balance out the overall bleakness of environment. We are shown instances where the characters walk the grey tight-rope between philanthropy and self-preservation. Even then, we see the real relatable moral tension that helping others in situations of desperation can bring. The flimsiness of fate and calamitous possibilities - when the pins of fate are in the air - challenge the jugglers (i.e. our characters) in this balance. The intertwined fates becomes entangled and inseparable with time. So does their happiness which becomes shared. They try to hold onto each other while the people around them fall or rise in the flux of life's force. The complexity resonates with our perception of complexity which defines life outside us and alternating emotions that preserve impressions of life inside us. Rohinton Mistry offers all this with a captivating story, imageries on every turning page that are relatable to me as an Indian, and metaphors that are beautiful in their simplicity and humility. And now, a metaphor from me - It rents out a room we all share for accommodating the exasperation of everything wrong around us and for the hopes of everything that can be made right even in the tiniest bit - we only pay with time. Saying that this book talks about life is as true as it is cliched about good books.
"Time is the twine to tie our lives into parcels of years and months. Or a rubber band stretched to suit our fancy. Time can be the pretty ribbon in a little girl’s hair. Or the lines in your face, stealing your youthful colour and your hair.’ He sighed and smiled sadly. ‘But in the end, time is a noose around the neck, strangling slowly.’"
"Disappointment, betrayal, joy, heartache, hope – they all entered her life through the same door, she thought."
And probably, the most poignant excerpt for me...
"Memories were permanent. Sorrowful ones remained sad even with the passing of time, yet happy ones could never be recreated – not with the same joy. Remembering bred its own peculiar sorrow. It seemed so unfair: that time should render both sadness and happiness into a source of pain."
"'... You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair.’ He paused, considering what he had just said. ‘Yes,’ he repeated. ‘In the end, it’s all a question of balance.'"
As one reads the book, a picture develops of a liveliness, something like a vast tapestry which is observable through its intricacies and details, and continues to make sense despite the challenge that its immensity and complications pose to anyone who tries to comprehend it. This matrix of liveliness consists of all atomic human lives which are trying to survive, grow and propagate their existential footprint and like The Matrix are entangled in the very realities that it offers them. The story threads this tapestry through four related persons and progresses with the idea of how the fragments of their choices and their lives affect each other. This profound realisation is delivered without any need for abstraction except some very real and beautiful metaphors - something which makes sense to the characters in the story and thus, stays true and grounded to the very reality it symbolises.
"His whimsical thoughts about chess suddenly acquired a dark, depressing hue in the dusk. Everything was under threat, and so complicated. The game was pitiless. The carnage upon the chessboard of life left wounded human beings in its wake."
"‘If time were a bolt of cloth,’ said Om, ‘I would cut out all the bad parts. Snip out the scary nights and stitch together the good parts, to make time bearable. Then I could wear it like a coat, always live happily.’"
"‘God is dead,’ said Maneck. ‘That’s what a German philosopher wrote.’ She was shocked. ‘Trust the Germans to say such things,’ she frowned. ‘And do you believe it?’ ‘I used to. But now I prefer to think that God is a giant quiltmaker. With an infinite variety of designs. And the quilt is grown so big and confusing, the pattern is impossible to see, the squares and diamonds and triangles don’t fit well together anymore, it’s all become meaningless. So He has abandoned it.’"
"‘It will look beautiful,’ said Ishvar with authority. ‘Just keep connecting patiently, Dinabai – that’s the secret. Ji-hahn, it all seems meaningless bits and rags, till you piece it together.’"
The story then develops the idea of interconnectedness further and actualises it in the Indian context. For anyone living in India, coming across the extremities and spectrum of the "colourful" life renders the a more complex impression. With people from different backgrounds, experiences and strata of the society, most of the Indians are aware of the differences which create a chasm of misunderstanding between us. Our interdependence and symbiosis as individuals and groups has often resulted in becoming a zero-sum game of survival and progress. The book shows this as a story of the shared journey of these four individuals who get associated with the most impersonal of connections - financial/business dependence. A fine balance also emerges in this equilibrium of economic circulation that continues their lives. Disruptions of many kinds influence it but the summation of hopes and fears restores the equilibrium in some way or the other and the zero-sum game looks playable. Emptiness created by the cruelties is sometimes stuffed by kindnesses, usually never enough. Sacrifices compensate for certain desires, usually unfairly.
Still, the readers cannot detach from the fragility and vulnerabilities of this fine balance. Because every balancing act foreshadows the risk of imbalance - an irreversible disruption which usually ends up in destruction. Whatever choices the characters fork, readers witness the cost of those choices on others - and that too for the worse. By setting the historical backdrop of the infamous Emergency, the author accentuates the civilian regression and urgency of inhuman chaos in the ecosystem of human beings. Without the shield of financial security, we see how our characters and those related to them are trying to stay afloat. This social turbulence and chaos also breeds opportunity for many. One sees India in its populace fertility but with the awkwardness that comes from unprepared growth - like adolescence. Coupling that with a governance which represents inefficiency, distrust and hopelessness, the affair looks pity evoking. There is a shared feeling which we as Indians are aware of being ingrained in our mindset and attitude - of a competitiveness in life to survive. Regardless of whether one has personally experienced it or not, the awareness and preparedness is there. It more or less shapes our characters as well. The primitive battle to compete for power, money and sometimes even physical space renders its ugly face to those who see it from the luxury of fortune. For others, it seems normal and its disregard almost inhuman. The deprivation and cruelties of caste system is another dimension of the Indian history that the story brings forward. Its propagation and purpose in safeguarding the safety of one's position, resources and opportunities against the threats of change. The arbitrariness and whimsical nature of the "Jungle Raj" that the story's time period only aggravates the consuming and apathetic nature of the balancing act of life's equilibrium. Unfairness and despair are the remainders of the equation whose few terms accumulate from the subtraction of the many parts that need to compensate for them.
"But how firm to stand, how much to bend? Where was the line between compassion and foolishness, kindness and weakness? And that was from her position. From theirs, it might be a line between mercy and cruelty, consideration and callousness. She could draw it on this side, but they might see it on that side."
Despite this, we witness tiny wisps of unexpected shining moments which also balance out the overall bleakness of environment. We are shown instances where the characters walk the grey tight-rope between philanthropy and self-preservation. Even then, we see the real relatable moral tension that helping others in situations of desperation can bring. The flimsiness of fate and calamitous possibilities - when the pins of fate are in the air - challenge the jugglers (i.e. our characters) in this balance. The intertwined fates becomes entangled and inseparable with time. So does their happiness which becomes shared. They try to hold onto each other while the people around them fall or rise in the flux of life's force. The complexity resonates with our perception of complexity which defines life outside us and alternating emotions that preserve impressions of life inside us. Rohinton Mistry offers all this with a captivating story, imageries on every turning page that are relatable to me as an Indian, and metaphors that are beautiful in their simplicity and humility. And now, a metaphor from me - It rents out a room we all share for accommodating the exasperation of everything wrong around us and for the hopes of everything that can be made right even in the tiniest bit - we only pay with time. Saying that this book talks about life is as true as it is cliched about good books.
"Time is the twine to tie our lives into parcels of years and months. Or a rubber band stretched to suit our fancy. Time can be the pretty ribbon in a little girl’s hair. Or the lines in your face, stealing your youthful colour and your hair.’ He sighed and smiled sadly. ‘But in the end, time is a noose around the neck, strangling slowly.’"
"Disappointment, betrayal, joy, heartache, hope – they all entered her life through the same door, she thought."
And probably, the most poignant excerpt for me...
"Memories were permanent. Sorrowful ones remained sad even with the passing of time, yet happy ones could never be recreated – not with the same joy. Remembering bred its own peculiar sorrow. It seemed so unfair: that time should render both sadness and happiness into a source of pain."
zaspandiar's review against another edition
4.0
This book does not strike the fine balance between hope and despair. Its beauty lies in its honest portrayal of the misfortunes common to Indian people. It offers little relief.
karen59_nz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Deeply moving. Evocative descriptions of life in India, mainly focusing on the poor. Extremely well written. An unforgettable book.
the_tilly0405's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
angielina's review against another edition
5.0
so sad yet so enlightening, the ending was so tragic i wish it ended differently :( but that is the point... this novel isn't meant to have a happy ending, it's meant to showcase more heavy themes which i appreciated
lean_bean's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tamracielle's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the saddest books I have ever read. And yet, it ends exactly as it must according to Mistry’s views on life and humankind. Our circumstances do not define us; it is our resiliency and attitude that matter. This is a must read.
al_sharnaqi's review against another edition
5.0
أنا متوتر بينما أحاول كتابة مراجعة تقترب ولو بقدر ضئيل عما أشعر به، بعدما فرغتُ من اختتام قراءة الرواية؛ ولا أفهم سبب حدوث ذلك.
في حقيقة الأمر لا أدري ماذا أقول وما الذي عليَّ كتابته في مقام مراجعة لروايةٍ كهذه حملت بين طياتها كل أصناف الحياة، بين فرح وحزن، بين أمل ويأس، وبين سقوط ونهوض، وغير ذلك. ولا أظن بأن شيئًا أكتبه كمراجعة سيُضيف على هذا الرواية إضافة ما مَهما صغُر قدره، أمام أي قارئ أيًا كانت درجته، ولا حتى أمام نفسي في المقام الأول. ولهذا، أجد بأن الصمتْ هو الشيء الوحيد الذي أستطيع أن أقدمه لهذه الرواية، باستثناء النجمات الخمس طبعًا، تقديرًا، وشكر أيضًا. لا شيء سوى الصمت فعلًا تعبيرًا عن احترامي وامتناني الكبيرين لها.
في حقيقة الأمر لا أدري ماذا أقول وما الذي عليَّ كتابته في مقام مراجعة لروايةٍ كهذه حملت بين طياتها كل أصناف الحياة، بين فرح وحزن، بين أمل ويأس، وبين سقوط ونهوض، وغير ذلك. ولا أظن بأن شيئًا أكتبه كمراجعة سيُضيف على هذا الرواية إضافة ما مَهما صغُر قدره، أمام أي قارئ أيًا كانت درجته، ولا حتى أمام نفسي في المقام الأول. ولهذا، أجد بأن الصمتْ هو الشيء الوحيد الذي أستطيع أن أقدمه لهذه الرواية، باستثناء النجمات الخمس طبعًا، تقديرًا، وشكر أيضًا. لا شيء سوى الصمت فعلًا تعبيرًا عن احترامي وامتناني الكبيرين لها.
nithreasaigh's review against another edition
5.0
The most masterful work of fiction I've read in a long time. "The secret of survival,” muses more than one character, is “to balance hope and despair, to embrace change," to adapt. Mistry's narrative propels the reader through the highs and lows of these very emotions as his myriad compellingly fleshed-out & memorable characters strive to adapt as life relentlessly delivers one heart-breaking change after another. Part study in human cruelty, my heart was ripped out with each successive wave of tragedy incomprehensibly worse than the last, even as the seemingly boundless resilience of the characters kept me buoyantly turning the pages hoping that happiness would find them on the next one. Set against the backdrop of tumultuous times in India’s history, from Partition to “the Emergency”, this book should be on every Post-Colonial reading list!
lauracooleyjohnson's review against another edition
5.0
This is an extraordinary novel, and one that I guarantee my review won’t do justice to. It takes place in 1975 India, during the time when the Prime Minister had declared a state of “Emergency,” which gave the government license to commit all sorts of human rights atrocities. Forced castrations, labor camps, demolition of slums without warning.... The main characters are two men from the lower caste, a student and a widow. Their stories weave together like the quilt that Dina ends up sewing. The language of this book is silky, and the story unhurried and beautiful, despite the ugly history and awful conditions our main characters endure. The grit, poverty, and inequality of India come alive here, and this book is by no means an easy read. But I highly recommend it. To turn away from ugly realities doesn’t make them any less real.