From the Bookshelf of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge…

A Fine Balance

Rohinton Mistry

Start date: July 17, 2015

Finish date: July 30, 2015

Why we're reading this: Set in Asia, best book I've read in a long time!…more
[close] Set in Asia, best book I've read in a long time!

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What Members Thought

Mar 17, 2009 Kecia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: oprah, booker-shortlist, 1001-books, india

If you want to get lost in a good book, try this one! It is long, 600 pages, but it is an easy quick read.

The characters literally live in a fine balance between hope and depair. Just when you think everything is going well...the unhappy side of life happens. By the end of the 600 pages I felt like I knew these people. In fact the night after finishing there was a television program on and the story was taking place in India. I found myself searching the street scenes for a glimpse of Om or Ish ...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Susanne Clower rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, asia, india

This was a good book but it really, really depressed me. It just felt like no matter what these characters did they weren't going to win. The brutality they encountered was stunning. And the moments of joy were beautiful. This is what I love about Indian literature, is it's deep humanity. ...more

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Aug 22, 2008 lori light rated it it was amazing

Shelves: myfavorites

I cannot say anything that would do it's beauty justice.

"If time were a bolt of cloth," said Om, "I would cut out all the bad parts. Snip out the scary nights and stitch together the good parts, to make time bearable. Then I would wear it like a coat, always live happily."

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