A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (Review)

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

Format: Audiobook

Source: Audible

Publisher: Faber & Faber/Audible Studios

Genres: Indian Literature, Historical Fiction,

Narrator: Vikas Adam

Length: 25 Hours 49 Minutes

Publication Date: 19th June 2018

Synopsis/Blurb (Taken from Goodreads):

“Set in mid-1970s India, A Fine Balance is a subtle and compelling narrative about four unlikely characters who come together in circumstances no one could have foreseen soon after the government declares a ‘State of Internal Emergency’. It is a breathtaking achievement: panoramic yet humane, intensely political yet rich with local delight; and, above all, compulsively readable.“

My Thoughts & Review

This book wasn’t even on my radar until a couple of friends dropped their copy off. I was told it was a n interesting read and one that I should enjoy. I started reading the physical copy but had to swap over to the audiobook as I was struggling to focus the small font, but once I started the audiobook I made much steadier progress and finished it faster than I was expecting to.

A Fine Balance is a very well written book and although it was an interesting read the actual storyline itself felt depressing. However, saying that the characters themselves are the ones that made this book so interesting. The part I enjoyed the most was discovering who the different characters stories end up linking together, and how the relationships between them develops.

I can definitely see why so many people have loved this book so much, but I couldn’t quite give it that 5 star rating and the main reasons for that was the pacing. It was quite slow most of the way through and also I felt the ending was a little disappointing, it dragged on and then it just suddenly stopped. It felt like the author either ran out of time or he just didn’t know how to finish the book.

Personally, the book could have been a little shorter, but overall it was a good book. I’m glad I didn’t give up on it and went with the audiobook. The narrator Vikas Adam has done a wonderful job with his narration. I did have to slow down my play back speed a little for this one due to the strong Indian accents used, but I have problems with understanding people with strong accents anyway.

My Rating