Search - A Fine Balance

I have to say, even as brutal as this book is it rarely leaves my mind. It is an amzing look at life in India and makes me so grateful for where I was born. It is a very descriptive and huanting story. One of the top 10 books I've read

Writing is clear, story flows well, carefully crafted dialog gives reader a wonderfully nuanced view of personal relationships between Indians from very different caste backgrounds. Mistry's prose certainly gives a sense of India as a struggling developing nation with lots of historical baggage. This vivid narrative transports us and we have an initial sense of wonder.

Mistry begins an intriguing story; however, for me the story drags, and then flounders under 600 plus pages. My general lack of interest in the characters fate made it hard to pull through the larger story. Oprah books seem to like the dark, struggling to overcome adversity themes which work best if you're invested in the main characters. A classic India story in the making.

Unlike Oprah, "A Fine Balance" did not strike the fine balance where I would generally recommend it for most readers. I would mainly recommend this story for the more patient reader of character driven novels, or someone with a clear interest in India, or in class division.

This book was very well written and extremely powerful. It was also very depressing and sad. It was about a time in India that I knew very little about. The characters and descriptions came to life for me and I was unable to forget them long after I finished the book. If you are looking for a "feel good" book with a happy ending look elsewhere. Our book club read this last year and we all agreed that it was an awesome book but certainly not "fun". It had an impact on us all.

Beutifully written. I was sad to finish this book.

This is as good as a book gets on India. It absolutely pegs the intricacies of the caste system and how it still plays a role in everyday life there.

Do not miss reading this book. I was completely immersed in the plot and characters of this book from the beginning. I rarely think that a book merits a five-star rating, but this is a true treasure. I learned a lot about India and its politics as an adjunct to the lives of the characters. There was no sermonizing, moralizing or self-pity; however, our limited understanding of the conditions under which they lived made their actions and reactions very real. I found the writing to be tight and exactly right for the tone of the book - no spare sentiments that weren't necessary to achieve the required insights. The ending is superlative - it is the way the book had to end in order to complete our knowledge of the lives that were lived. The utter despair is beyond comprehension for those of us who live with a sense of security. It will be difficult to find a worthy successor now that I have finished this remarkable book.