Reviews tagging 'Violence'

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

18 reviews

wilde_read's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

A slow plodding read where I kept expecting something to happen. Eventually things happen, but it was an uphill climb to get there. The blurb compares it to a Dickens novel. That's really over-selling it! The ending seemed very rushed, compare to the build-up of the beginning. I listened to an audio version read by John Lee. He is incredibly talented in portraying the Indian accent. I would rather listen to a long book read by his voice, and have many more lined up for later.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Violence, Death, Hate crime, and Police brutality

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

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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

dua_liepard's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Classism

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Gore, Child death, Slavery, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Islamophobia, Medical content, and Suicide

Minor: Colonisation, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, Sexism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

adam0k's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Physical abuse, Rape, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence

theolivetree's review

dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Colonisation, Hate crime, Infertility, Medical trauma, and Sexual violence

Moderate: War, Violence, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape

shreyabaldwa's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Set during the Emergency period, A Fine Balance looks at the social and political issues in India during the 1970s, through the stories and interactions of four main characters who become an accidental family as their lives are mutually dependant on each other. 

While it talks about the politics of the country during that time, at heart, Mistry's A Fine Balance is not a political book. The four main characters are in a way, apolitical, but the situation in the country threatens the life they are trying to build for themselves. Dina, Ishvar, Om, and Maneck are all flawed and vulnerable, but they are also resilient and determined in the face of adversity. Mistry also does not shy away from depicting the harsh realities of life in India, and the novel is a searing indictment of the corruption and injustice that prevailed at the time. It talks of caste exploitation, a woman's urge to self-independence, eviction, oppression, amputation, castration, forced sterilisation, ghastly deaths among other things. 

The writing is both vivid and precise, and Mistry pays close attention to sensory details, making the sights, sounds, and smells of India come beautifully alive on the page. Heartbreaking and masterfully written, this will stay with you long after you are done reading it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

melissahawco's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Suicide, Violence, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Classism, Death, Murder, Hate crime, Torture, and Medical content

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Cancer, Excrement, and Vomit

margaretrose's review

dark hopeful reflective sad slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Suicide, Excrement, Police brutality, Child death, Classism, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Murder, Islamophobia, and Gore

dashes101's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A book I'm glad I read but would never recommend without many, many warnings. It's set during the Emergency in India and discusses major themes -- the role of capitalism, fate, trauma and trauma responses, history, Indira Ghandi and her effects on India, nationhood, femininity, masculinity, nihilism to name a few. The characters seem real and you will scream, cry, shake, or whatever you do when you read something horrifically shocking. Mistry really crafts his writing to pack a punch. If you want to learn more about Indian history without picking up a textbook, definitely read the warnings and then pick this one up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Gore, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Animal death, Ableism, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Death, Suicide, Violence, Sexism, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, and Colonisation

izzyknight's review

inspiring 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

One of the most beautiful books I have ever read. So totally devastating and gorgeously crafted I was transported into the harsh world created in the pages. The moments of joy filled me with hope that maybe this time things would get better for the characters only for despair to follow in such unimaginable amounts I actually gasped aloud reading the suffering they had to endure. One of my new favourite books ever.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, Classism, Gore, Islamophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Suicide