886. A Fine Balance

A Fine Balance
Rohinton Mistry
1995
Around 605 pages

I fully intended to read the print version of this novel from my library, but it was missing from the shelves, although the catalog claimed that it was available. So I guess that book has gone to wherever misfiled library books go, those poor souls. And I was stuck reading the free online version. What a shame.

This book was selected for the Oprah Book Club, which is a dubious honor, and pretty much guarantees there is going to be a miserable novel with at least one graphic rape scene. This is a relentlessly depressing novel that features four main characters that go through it, against the backdrop of India's State of Emergency, which at least was interesting to learn about.

An early sexual assault scene really lost me. I get that he was showing how commonplace rape was, and how there were no resources or safety for women, but it felt entirely glossed over and put a bad taste in my mouth. If the point of this novel is that you have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair, well, where was the hope? 

We have a lot of emotionally draining tomes on this List, but I find they are most effective when they show the joys of life as well. When you portray life as bleakly as Mistry does, death seems like the much better option.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Won the 1995 Giller Prize.

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