👶👶👶👶👶 A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry

What a rich tapestry of unforgettable characters... Initially, I was frustrated that I had picked such a long novel, but I was not disappointed. Each individual was so well-depicted, so flawlessly described, that I felt as though I was living their unfortunate reality right along with them. I must admit that this is not an uplifting story by any stretch of the imagination. However, despite my aversion to joyless novels, I found myself captivated by this tale. I hesitate to admit that one reason I may have been so engrossed in the storyline was that this "Audible" narrator was absolutely exquisite; another reason was perhaps that I was continuously expecting things to turn out alright for at least one of the poor, ill-fated souls. Honestly, I'm just a sucker for stories with a sprinkle of victories for the protagonists and a happy ending to wrap it all up. Instead I was invited along for a journey through a less-than-ideal situation for a myriad of doomed characters, and treated to a coup de grâce instead of a joyous finis. However, because Mistry is such an artist with words and a master storyteller, I was pleasantly surprised. I took the journey willingly, even with its harsh realities and enlightening truths. As FDR once said, “Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment,” and for so long, I have been just that: a foolish optimist. It is books like these that offer a paradigm shift for people like me. I felt almost ashamed to have grown up so ignorant, in a country where our abundance is expected, where most of us have never witnessed, nor care to understand, the adversity and hardship that so many around the world are so familiar with. We are unable to grasp the magnitude of our good fortune. Well, grasp it I did, and I was pleased to have learned some of the appalling history of India along the way. The author did a fine job of weaving these characters together in a web of fate, which, when coupled with suspension of reality, allowed for an unpredictable mélange of experiences, much like Dina Dalal's quilt.

Read 8/28/13