Book Review: Oops I Did It Again

I read another Oprah Book Club book! (Looks like Brit did it again to and popped out another baby.)

I recently finished reading a A Fine Balance by Rohin Mistry. In fact for some bizarre reason I felt compelled to read the book (over 500pgs) in one day. Making it through class the next day was horrid. And the worst part is that I am still not sure whether or not I like the book. I liked it enough to finish it in one day. But it is still an Oprah Book Club book. A well written Oprah book, but between her branding and the bleakness of the story itself, it can be difficult to enjoy. Mistry has been compared to Dickens, however, I never felt such an overwhelming sense of injustice at the end of his books. (Well technically, I felt kind of bad for Fagin at the end of Oliver Twist. He did seem to get a raw deal.)

A Fine Balance is set in 1970s Bombay (my guess based on the significant Parsi population referred to in the book) amidst Indira & Sanjay Gandhi's Emergency. Essentially, from what I gather, Indira concerned about the withering influence of her Congress Party usurped powers belonging to states. States ruled by opposition parties were placed under federal administrative authority. When the masses rose up against her, and it was an eclectic group (e.g., students, unions workers, former freedom fighters, etc.) that did, she claimed that India was being threatened from within and declared an Emergency Proclamation. This allowed her to push through Constitutional amendments, detain individuals without cause (e.g., under suspicion of sympathizing with the opposition), censor the press, etc. Potentially, one of the most disturbing aspects of the Emergency was the forced movement and abuse of the poor as the government flattened slums and embarked on a population control policy involving "voluntary" sterilization. A quick search on the Internet popped up a link showing that Indira Gandhi won the Lenin Peace Prize. It seems like some sort of sick joke. See here for more.

A Fine Balance focuses on four main characters. Dina Dalal is a relatively young, and still beautiful Parsi widow. Like all of Mistry's characters Dina struggles to earn the money she needs to survive. For her survival means retaining her Independence from her domineering older brother who would like nothing better for her to return to her "home" and share in the household duties (i.e. become a servant). Ishvar and Om Darji are members of the Chamaar caste (leather workers). But when Ishvar's father apprentices his sons to a tailor he upsets the balance of power within the caste system of his village leading to tragic results. Ishvar and Om now homeless and destitute try to rebuild their lives with optimism (Ishvar) and opportunism (Om). Maneck Kohlah is a young, Parsi student forced by his parents, fading aristocrats who lost everything during Partition, to attend college in the city. His struggle never seemed clear to me. He comes off as a petulant boy who has lived a relatively charmed life.

Although parts of the book dwell on the tragedies each character suffered (honestly, Maneck has very few in my opinion), there is considerable hope and light. However, at some point, I can't pin-point where, you know it will not end well. There are no happy endings for anyone in this novel with perhaps the exception of the murderous hair-collector. The punishment meted out to Ishvar and Om is especially tragic in light of what they have already faced. Dina's fate while sad and not unexpected seemed typical for someone of her means and status. What was most surprising was how the story of Maneck ended. Of all the characters he had the most advantages, but he was in my opinion disgustingly self-absorbed through the entirety of the book(the exception being when he helped Dina sew the dresses) and worst of all a coward, something Ishvar, Om, and Dina never were.

This book was hard to put down, and despite the Oprah appellation I do recommend it. The characters were well developed and compelling. I really felt for them, especially Ishvar. His story is heartbreaking. However, I would take the book's overwhelming darkness with a grain of salt. The Emergency was a terrible time especially for those who did not have the means (money or brute force) to protect themselves. That being said, I find it difficult to believe that so many misfortunes could visit the same small group of people.