You have found that people you barely know, from all around the country, are great sources of career advice. It tells the story of four unlikely people whose lives come together during a time of political turmoil soon after the government declares a state of internal emergency. A boy grows up in the northern mountains of india, well cared for. The questions, discussion topics, and suggested reading list. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. It is a great book, and one that will stay with you. Its the story of a group of very different folks from various walks. Though mistry is too fine a writer to indulge in polemics, this second novel is also. The phrase a fine balance reminds me of a fine line where there is barely a thread between one extreme and the other. A fine balance is, in many ways, a total mess of a novel.
A fine balance is the second novel by rohinton mistry. Together, we choose a new book to read and discuss each month. This 43page guide for a fine balance by rohinton mistry includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 16 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. A fine balance by rohinton mistry book club discussion. Worklife balance focus group guide in this guide, we have presented some recommendations for running a focus group conversation about issues of worklife balance. A fine balance, rohinton mistrys stunning internationally acclaimed bestseller. Thats interesting, but whats more interesting is how the author chose to present the murder, or the authors attitude toward the murderer and victim. The narrative structure for the first half is awkward and unsatisfying. The pace is steady, perhaps a bit pedantic at times but definitely worth the time it takes to read. I stayed up all night to finish this book, because the climax is simply unputdownable. Events cause him to be sent to the city to become schooled. Study questions, project ideas and discussion topics based on important themes running throughout a fine balance by rohinton mistry. The disease is caused by an oral imbalance between risk factors for the disease and protective factors keeping patients healthy.
Part of the story concerns the uneasy relations between these four people, from different castes and with differing religious perspectives and aspirations, and the background stories of their past lives and families. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Through days of bleakness and hope, their circumstances and their fates become inextricably linked in. The author uses so many literary devices, its hard to. As the characters move from distrust to friendship and from friendship to love, a fine balance creates an enduring panorama of the human spirit in an inhuman state. I loaned out my first copy and never got it back so i have gotten a second copy and am reading the book again.
Rohinton mistry is the author of a collection of short stories, tale from firozsha baag 1987, and two internationally acclaimed novels. A fine balance rohinton mistry this book is a long read, and we read this early on in our book club, before we made the rule of no books over 400 pages. A fine balance like pax said, the suicide hit me hard, but didnt disappoint me. It was a quiet space, which provided the opportunity to delve into a book that left us so heavyhearted. Hence started my journey of a fine book, a fine balance. The questions, discussion topics, and suggested reading list that follow are intended to enhance your groups experience of reading rohinton mistrys a fine balance. A fine balance book report sundance bauman iaff 100 book. Written with compassion, humor, and insight, a fine balance is a vivid, richly textured, and powerful novel written by one of the most gifted writers of our time. Study 25 terms ph 4360 final quiz questions flashcards. Dina also raises money by boarding the son of a friend, maneck, who is from the mountain country up north and attending school in the city. What effect is achieved by the novels mildly comic ending, with om and ishvar clowning around at dinas door.
View notes a fine balance book report from iaff 100 at university of nevada, reno. Moreover, although most of the events in the novel take place in the mid1970s. The image of the children on the pole immediately comes to mind. A fine balance reading group guide knopf doubleday. Maneck, devastated by the murder of an activist classmate, goes abroad.
A fine balance v a fine balance displays a compassionate realism and narrative sweep that recall the work of charles dickens. The questions, discussion topics, and suggested reading list that follow are intended to enhance your group s experience of reading rohinton mistrys a fine balance. The setting of mistrys quietly magnificent second novel after the acclaimed such a long journey is india in 197576, when prime minister indira gandhi, defying a court order calling for her resignation, declares a state of emergency and imprisons the parliamentary opposition as well as thousands of students, teachers, trade unionists and. About the author, rohinton mistry highlights from oprahs book club group discussion of a fine balance. I just didnt have a single clue about him or his achievements. But with your help we can continue to put it center stage. Balance book a guide for managing dental caries for. Through the dramatic and often shocking turns their lives take, we get an intimate view not only of their world but of india itself. You recently joined an online discussion group for nursing students. A fine balance by rohinton mistry announced november 30, 2001 discussion questions 1. In mistrys a fine balance, indira gandhis emergency era is the backdrop of tragic events befalling the four protagonists, who, despite the utter hopelessness and anxiety surrounding them, find comfort in each others company. This discussion companion for a fine balance has been prepared and written. Containing case histories, scientific studies, excellent charts and illustrations, it not only outlines a system to manage caries, it in simple terms explains the balance that defines the caries process, and. Firstly, the extreme misery content makes it close to being farcical.
Topics about this book topics that mention this book. A fine balance rohinton mistry fab book club recommendations. We tried lots of traditional curries and all were superb. Meet the group members the discussion particpants give their own last word on a fine balance. Nov 30, 2001 i would definitely recommend the book to others and i hope they can all look beyond the corruption, filth and adversity and see that the book is more about the human spirit and its struggle to prevail under any circumstances. Mistrys prose is alive with enduring images and a cast of unforgettable characters. Vintage books list of the best reading group books. Reading guide for a fine balance by rohinton mistry. People outside our regular social network are described as. It tells the story of four unlikely people whose lives come together during a time of political turmoil soon after the government declares a. A good bookdiscussion book often stays in the readers mind long after the book is finished and the discussion is over. I doubt the book can be understood as a whole if you cant understand the ending.
A fine balance not only are its characters subjected to like, the bleakest set of circumstances ever, but then those circumstances are presented to the reader with such an alarming degree of authorial detachment that you almost have to wonder whether mistry himselffed up with the unending series of hardships his characters are required to. We hope they will provide many interesting angles from which to approach this sweeping and magnificent novel by one of the most powerful of contemporary. Good bookdiscussion books present the authors view of an important truth and sometimes send a message to the reader. Suggestions for larger organization of the meeting. It is set in india in the mid1970 and shows how the lives of four ordinary people are overturned by the emergency, a period of political turmoil and violence. The story starts in the same year the emergency was declared, 1975. A fine balance, rohinton mistrys stunning internationally acclaimed bestseller, is set in mid1970s india. Jul, 2016 the dining room is quite polished, with big tables and comfy leather chairs perfect for our book group discussion. It is a book to savour rather than to gallop through.
The corrupt and brutal government has just declared a state of emergency, and the country is on the edge of chaos. The a fine balance study guide contains a comprehensive summary and analysis of a fine balance by rohinton mistry. This study guide consists of approximately 86 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of a fine balance. I bought maggie ofarrells after youd gone, and rohinton mistrys a fine balance. A fine balance is a book that will stay in my memory forever. A fine balance rohinton mistry and other kinds of academic papers in our essays database at many essays. The novel gives us a vivid picture of life for members of the untouchable caste in remote villages. Understanding the roles educators and children play as intentional teachers and intentional learners within the early years learning framework. Such a long journey 1991 was shortlisted for the booker prize and won the governor generals award, the com.
Set in mid1970s india, 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. This magnificent novel captures all the cruelty and corruption, dignity and heroism, of india. We hope they will provide many interesting angles from which to approach this sweeping and magnificent novel by one of the most powerful of contemporary writers. I wonder if any school systems are using this for a novel study in high school english. Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers. Set in an unidentified city in india, initially in 1975 and later in 1984 during the turmoil of the emergency, the book concerns four characters from varied backgrounds dina dalal, ishvar darji, his nephew omprakash darji and the young student maneck kohlah who come together and develop a bond. A literary criticism to books by rohinton mistry such a long journey and a fine balance, is presented. How did oprahs discussion group feel about a fine balance.
It was shortlisted for the international impac dublin literary award, the irish times international fiction prize, and the prix femina. A fine balance amnesty international book club canada. The writing is excellent and the storytelling is perfect. We invite you to share your groups alternative findings and experi ences with.
A fine balance between hope and despair through a long. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. But these are not the reasons i love the book so much. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading a fine balance vintage international. On a visit back home, om and ishvar are forcibly sterilized. Meet the group members the discussion particpants give their own.
Is nusswan presented entirely as a villain, or does he have redeeming features. What do indians think of the book a fine balance by. But a fine balance reminded me of the value of family and friendship. Why has mistry chosen not to name the prime minister or the city by the sea, when they are easily identifiable. Ive spent a long time trying to figure it out since i finished reading, because i think that it has to be central to mistrys goals in the book. A fine balance by rohinton mistry goodreads share book. A fine balance by rohinton mistry oprahs book club. The death count includes cows and street dogs, in ad. A fine balance discussion oprah sat down with author rohinton mistry and others for a conversation about the novel. I have no sane excuse for my ignorance about rohinton mistry novels.
Great supplemental information for school essays and projects. A fine balance by rohinton mistry with sara, candi and lori. Balance a guide for managing dental caries for patients and practitioners. Balance is, as it claims on the cover, a guide for managing dental caries and it is an excellent one. A fine balance vintage international kindle edition by. Although it is bleak, i found it hopeful, too, and it sent me home considerably lighter than when i arrived. In these precarious circumstances, four characters form an unlikely alliance. The author uses so many literary devices, its hard to keep track of what they all are. Its often too easy to let a group drown in reminiscences if thats what the whole group wants to do, thats fine, but keep in mind that its not a book discussion. Nov 30, 2001 a fine balance discussion oprah sat down with author rohinton mistry and others for a conversation about the novel. Mistry notes in his first book the likeliness of political disturbances to affect the smooth functioning of an ordinary mans routine life. The dining room is quite polished, with big tables and comfy leather chairs perfect for our book group discussion. These books can be read more than once, and each time the reader learns something new.
Does a fine balance show peoples vulnerability, or their fortitude. I have one copy on my bookcase at home but am yet to get round to it. Rohinton mistry booklist rohinton mistry message board. This work falls very short of its acclamation as a classic for lots of reasons. A fine balance vintage international kindle edition by mistry, rohinton. Please make sure that you inform everyone you invite to the discussion that the. A fine balance culture vultures lonely planet forum. Times book award for fiction, the commonwealth writers prize, canadas prestigious giller prize and was a 1996 booker prize finalist. Mistrys second novel, a fine balance, is a long, complex work, with four protagonists and a variety of settings. Rohinton mistry has not lived in his native india for many years. Please make sure that you inform everyone you invite to.
1434 85 728 280 1340 1186 940 112 586 1161 691 229 268 280 331 618 1230 1223 750 365 131 1272 1292 1019 821 842 587 15 550 565 302 747 862 1172 549 184 1380 787 669 383 618