Books 2014 : A Fine Balance

A Fine Balance is about the four people ordinary people, their past and the things that happen in their life during period of the Emergency rule in India.

Ishvar Darji ,his nephew Omprakash Darji belong a very low caste in the northern part of India. It was a time when we still had some parts of the sections untouchable. The two leave to Mumbai for a better future .They find  a job with Dina Dalal, a widow ,working hard to meet her ends meet in Mumbai. Maneck Kohlah is a young student who stays at Dina's house as a paying guest.

You may find the characters and the events pretty ordinary and boring .But the writing makes this book a memorable read.  The book has done a good job in capturing the life of people at the lowermost ranks of society in India.
The author explores themes like the life of an untouchable , what would be a night of homelessness , an old mans view of a  world that is changing fast in his eyes to name a few. 
Even the back story of all the four characters are written well.

Calling this book a tragedy would be an understatement. Through the book, the characters endure so much hardship and you would really wish or pray that all of this ends for the better. I was hoping ther would be a silver lining or a 'happily ever after ending'.
But Mistry makes it clear that for the poor and the underprivileged,  there are no happy endings.The coda of this masterpiece makes the heart melt (if you read this book until that :) ).

Some of the best quotes and in the book are about hope and the human capacity to find happiness in our tragedies.

"Sometimes you have to use your failures as stepping stones to success. You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair.In the end it is all a question of balance" - pg 229

'the human face has limited space', my mother used to say. 'If you fill your face with laughing, there will be no room for crying.'- pg 433.

In the heart, there is limitless room- happiness, kindness, sorrw, anger, friendship ,everything fits in there .

There is always hope- hope enough to balance our despair.Or we would all be lost - pg 553.

what an unreliable thing is time. When I want it to fly, the hours stick to me like glue .

One day you must tell me your full ad complete story. Unabridged and unexpurgated..It is extremely important because it helps to remind yourself
who you are. Then you van go forward without losing yourself in this ever changing world. - pg 594.

Very often there was sadness in their laughter, for these memories were of their youth..

'what chance do we have ,when our beginnings and endings are so freaking ? Birth and death- what could be more monstrous from that ? We live to decieve ourselves and call it wondrous and beautiful and majestic., but it is freakish , lets face it - Manekh Kohlah.

Rating : * * * * .  'A Fine Balance' is one of the best books I have read by an Indian author .