In 1975, in an unidentified Indian city, Mrs Dina Dalal, a financially pressed Parsi widow in her early 40s sets up a sweatshop of sorts in her ramshackle apartment. Determined to remain financially independent and to avoid a second marriage, she takes in a boarder and two Hindu tailors to sew dresses for an export company. As the four share their stories, then meals, then living space, human kinship prevails and the four become a kind of family, despite the lines of caste, class and religion. When tragedy strikes, their cherished, newfound stability is threatened, and each character must face a difficult choice in trying to salvage their relationships.

Fabulous!, 20 Oct 2008
Excellent book. The best read I have had for many years - couldn't put it down.

My favourite book, 14 Oct 2008
This is the book I recommend to every one of my friends. It is utterly beautiful, tragic and yet hopeful. I grew to love the characters and found the way Mistry conveys the complexity of human relationships wonderfully satisfying.

What the Dickens, 15 Aug 2008
As another reviewer has already said, Rohinton Mistry has echoed Dickens in this book. It is a social commentary about how well-meaning political decisions have a huge impact on the ordinary people. I read this after being badgered to by my godmother, and I am really glad that she kept on at me until i did.
It is at times an uncomfortable read - it highlights caste violence, government-backed brutality and extreme poverty, without ever sensationalising any of it. It is also, believe it or not, humourous, gentle and touching at the same time as being absolutely tragic and harrowing. the characters are beautifully fleshed-out, and the sights, smells and tastes of India are there as you read. I was so engrossed in the characters that I desperately wanted a happy ending for them all.

Whilst reading, it was sometimes hard to believe that this book is set in relatively modern times - the 70s - so cruel and astonishing are some of the incidents it relates. When I finished, I looked around at my home and children and realised exactly how fortunate I am. Not life-changing perhaps, but profoundly moving and unforgettable.


Beautiful book, 12 Aug 2008
This book is really beautiful - and one of my all time favourite novels.

Whilst it is sad, the characters also have a good sense of humour and find comfort in their unlikely friendship with each other.

I think it is also an interesting exploration of how well-meaning political decisions can have a significant impact on the individual.


A work of art, 02 Aug 2008
This is an unbelievably fabulous book. I am not going to write a long review as I do not know how to find the words to do the book justice. I've passed it on to several friends and I can't wait for them to finish reading it so I can discuss it with them.
It is very rare to read a book when the characters come alive for you. I felt I knew these characters and I began dreaming about them and thinking about them during everyday life.
The themes and issues dealt with by Mistry have changed the way I view the world and have had a huge impact upon my outlook. I cried several times during my reading of the book and had to put it aside for some hours before I could continue reading.
The ending is shocking and will stay with me forever.
I highly recommend reading this book but please be prepared for the impact it will have upon you.
Rohinton Mistry, in my view, is one of the finest writers of our day.

Mistry does something that only the really natural writers can do: without apparent effort, manipulation or contrivance, he creates characters you like instantly and will gladly follow for as long as the novel leads. The book is about an Indian family during the years of Indira Ghandi's rule; it's also a study of the times, its politics and corruption, and was especially interesting for me, knowing so little about life in the rest of the world. It had to be a good book: after I read Such a Long Journey, I wanted to go right out and buy a plane ticket and see India for myself.

Fabulous!, 20 Oct 2008
Excellent book. The best read I have had for many years - couldn't put it down.

My favourite book, 14 Oct 2008
This is the book I recommend to every one of my friends. It is utterly beautiful, tragic and yet hopeful. I grew to love the characters and found the way Mistry conveys the complexity of human relationships wonderfully satisfying.

What the Dickens, 15 Aug 2008
As another reviewer has already said, Rohinton Mistry has echoed Dickens in this book. It is a social commentary about how well-meaning political decisions have a huge impact on the ordinary people. I read this after being badgered to by my godmother, and I am really glad that she kept on at me until i did.
It is at times an uncomfortable read - it highlights caste violence, government-backed brutality and extreme poverty, without ever sensationalising any of it. It is also, believe it or not, humourous, gentle and touching at the same time as being absolutely tragic and harrowing. the characters are beautifully fleshed-out, and the sights, smells and tastes of India are there as you read. I was so engrossed in the characters that I desperately wanted a happy ending for them all.

Whilst reading, it was sometimes hard to believe that this book is set in relatively modern times - the 70s - so cruel and astonishing are some of the incidents it relates. When I finished, I looked around at my home and children and realised exactly how fortunate I am. Not life-changing perhaps, but profoundly moving and unforgettable.


Beautiful book, 12 Aug 2008
This book is really beautiful - and one of my all time favourite novels.

Whilst it is sad, the characters also have a good sense of humour and find comfort in their unlikely friendship with each other.

I think it is also an interesting exploration of how well-meaning political decisions can have a significant impact on the individual.


A work of art, 02 Aug 2008
This is an unbelievably fabulous book. I am not going to write a long review as I do not know how to find the words to do the book justice. I've passed it on to several friends and I can't wait for them to finish reading it so I can discuss it with them.
It is very rare to read a book when the characters come alive for you. I felt I knew these characters and I began dreaming about them and thinking about them during everyday life.
The themes and issues dealt with by Mistry have changed the way I view the world and have had a huge impact upon my outlook. I cried several times during my reading of the book and had to put it aside for some hours before I could continue reading.
The ending is shocking and will stay with me forever.
I highly recommend reading this book but please be prepared for the impact it will have upon you.
Rohinton Mistry, in my view, is one of the finest writers of our day.



"Luck is the spit of gods and goddesses.", 02 Jan 2006
Sometimes compared to Dickens or Victor Hugo for the strength of his descriptions, Rohinton Mistry uses "ordinary" men and women as his protagonists and fills his novels with the sights, sounds, smells, and color of India. Depicting his characters as neither saints nor sinners, he involves the reader in their lives as they try to survive the complexities of their culture.

In this novel, Gustad Noble and his wife Dilnavaz, living in a congested apartment building in Bombay, try to lead good lives and inspire their children during Indira Gandhi's rule in the 1970s, with all its political, professional, and social upheaval. India is on the verge of war with the Muslims of Pakistan, and though Gustad, a Parsi, is aware of political chicanery, he is far more pre-occupied with having his son accepted at a school of technology, doing his job as a bank supervisor, and supporting his family. Constant blackouts and continually deteriorating conditions on the street add to the frustrations of Gustad's life.

Then Jimmy Bilimoria, an old friend, asks Gustad for help, claiming that he is training freedom fighters in Bangladesh to act on behalf of the Indian government against Pakistani "butchers." Gustad reluctantly agrees to use his position at the bank to deposit money to a secret account, but he soon finds himself enmeshed in a spiral from which he cannot break out, his life turned upside down.

Throughout the novel, the wall outside Gustad's apartment building symbolizes the larger world of Bombay and parallels some aspects of Gustad's own life. At the outset, it is used as a latrine, breeding illness in the neighborhood but keeping the noise and tumult of the street out of the apartment house. When Gustad persuades a sidewalk artist to paint it, he depicts scenes from all the religions of India, and the wall becomes a shrine--until the government decides to widen the road and tear it down. Gustad's personal crisis and the fate of the wall intersect in a conclusion both moving and profound.

Though this novel lacks the grand scale of A Fine Balance, it is a beautifully constructed and emotionally involving story of a small family trying to live meaningful lives against almost overwhelming odds. The characters are finely drawn, and the plot, though not "exciting," reflects the traumas of an ordinary man and his wife caught up in events and crises not of their own making. Wry and often humorous in its observations of people and circumstances, this early novel by Mistry has all the ingredients which make his later novels so memorable. Mary Whipple

Familiar human nature in an unfamiliar setting, 15 Apr 2005
This is the second Rohinton Mistry novel I have read ( also Family Matters) and I cannot recommend them too highly. In this novel ( which is about a bank clerk and his family; the doctor mentioned in the above synopsis is a minor character.)Mistry creates a group of characters and describes their interaction in an absorbing and convincing way. In some ways this is like a traditional 19th century English novel of family life, though set in India in the 1970s. When I read 'Family Matters', I had never been to India, but Mistry's descriptions enabled me to visualise it in a way few previous 'Indian' novels I had read had succeeded in doing. 'Such a long journey' I read during my first visit to India and I can now vouch for its authenticity and humour. The novel however is no travelogue; the characters are interesting because of their human nature. The ending was genuinely moving. A great writer.

A GREAT READ!!, 22 Apr 2004
Such a Long Journey is the first book I have had the pleasure of readingby Mistry and it has been a wonderful experience from start to finish! The culture and traditions are so alive in the book that they seem to jumpout at you and teach you something about life in India as a whole. A mostcaptivating book that I will definitely be reading again and again.

wonderfully human, 13 Nov 2002
Though lacking the dramatic power and the pessimistic philosophy of his later masterpiece 'A fine balance', 'Such a long journey' is a wonderful, extremely compassionate account of a family's struggle to maintain unity and moral integrity in the face of extraordinary circumstances: both external (the Emergency) and internal (father-son conflicts, disease etc.).
The political agenda in this novel is much reduced compared to Mistry's later work, and that perhaps renders 'Such a long journey' a less pressing and controversial book, removing some of the urgency and the vigour to concentrate instead on a very human (and universal) 'journey', which eventually leads to a very human (and universal) catharsis.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I rate it as highly as 'A fine balance' and perhaps higher that the latest, somewhat disappointing (to me!) 'Family matters'.

one of the best books in modern indian literature, 26 Feb 2002
I can't really say this is the best book in modern indian literature because my knowledge is not so deep, but you can trust me if I tell you to buy this book and throw yourself into it without esitation. You will cry ,you will smile, you will love the characters and, like me, you'll look forward for the next Mistry's novel.

Fabulous!, 20 Oct 2008
Excellent book. The best read I have had for many years - couldn't put it down.

My favourite book, 14 Oct 2008
This is the book I recommend to every one of my friends. It is utterly beautiful, tragic and yet hopeful. I grew to love the characters and found the way Mistry conveys the complexity of human relationships wonderfully satisfying.

What the Dickens, 15 Aug 2008
As another reviewer has already said, Rohinton Mistry has echoed Dickens in this book. It is a social commentary about how well-meaning political decisions have a huge impact on the ordinary people. I read this after being badgered to by my godmother, and I am really glad that she kept on at me until i did.
It is at times an uncomfortable read - it highlights caste violence, government-backed brutality and extreme poverty, without ever sensationalising any of it. It is also, believe it or not, humourous, gentle and touching at the same time as being absolutely tragic and harrowing. the characters are beautifully fleshed-out, and the sights, smells and tastes of India are there as you read. I was so engrossed in the characters that I desperately wanted a happy ending for them all.

Whilst reading, it was sometimes hard to believe that this book is set in relatively modern times - the 70s - so cruel and astonishing are some of the incidents it relates. When I finished, I looked around at my home and children and realised exactly how fortunate I am. Not life-changing perhaps, but profoundly moving and unforgettable.


Beautiful book, 12 Aug 2008
This book is really beautiful - and one of my all time favourite novels.

Whilst it is sad, the characters also have a good sense of humour and find comfort in their unlikely friendship with each other.

I think it is also an interesting exploration of how well-meaning political decisions can have a significant impact on the individual.


A work of art, 02 Aug 2008
This is an unbelievably fabulous book. I am not going to write a long review as I do not know how to find the words to do the book justice. I've passed it on to several friends and I can't wait for them to finish reading it so I can discuss it with them.
It is very rare to read a book when the characters come alive for you. I felt I knew these characters and I began dreaming about them and thinking about them during everyday life.
The themes and issues dealt with by Mistry have changed the way I view the world and have had a huge impact upon my outlook. I cried several times during my reading of the book and had to put it aside for some hours before I could continue reading.
The ending is shocking and will stay with me forever.
I highly recommend reading this book but please be prepared for the impact it will have upon you.
Rohinton Mistry, in my view, is one of the finest writers of our day.



"Luck is the spit of gods and goddesses.", 02 Jan 2006
Sometimes compared to Dickens or Victor Hugo for the strength of his descriptions, Rohinton Mistry uses "ordinary" men and women as his protagonists and fills his novels with the sights, sounds, smells, and color of India. Depicting his characters as neither saints nor sinners, he involves the reader in their lives as they try to survive the complexities of their culture.

In this novel, Gustad Noble and his wife Dilnavaz, living in a congested apartment building in Bombay, try to lead good lives and inspire their children during Indira Gandhi's rule in the 1970s, with all its political, professional, and social upheaval. India is on the verge of war with the Muslims of Pakistan, and though Gustad, a Parsi, is aware of political chicanery, he is far more pre-occupied with having his son accepted at a school of technology, doing his job as a bank supervisor, and supporting his family. Constant blackouts and continually deteriorating conditions on the street add to the frustrations of Gustad's life.

Then Jimmy Bilimoria, an old friend, asks Gustad for help, claiming that he is training freedom fighters in Bangladesh to act on behalf of the Indian government against Pakistani "butchers." Gustad reluctantly agrees to use his position at the bank to deposit money to a secret account, but he soon finds himself enmeshed in a spiral from which he cannot break out, his life turned upside down.

Throughout the novel, the wall outside Gustad's apartment building symbolizes the larger world of Bombay and parallels some aspects of Gustad's own life. At the outset, it is used as a latrine, breeding illness in the neighborhood but keeping the noise and tumult of the street out of the apartment house. When Gustad persuades a sidewalk artist to paint it, he depicts scenes from all the religions of India, and the wall becomes a shrine--until the government decides to widen the road and tear it down. Gustad's personal crisis and the fate of the wall intersect in a conclusion both moving and profound.

Though this novel lacks the grand scale of A Fine Balance, it is a beautifully constructed and emotionally involving story of a small family trying to live meaningful lives against almost overwhelming odds. The characters are finely drawn, and the plot, though not "exciting," reflects the traumas of an ordinary man and his wife caught up in events and crises not of their own making. Wry and often humorous in its observations of people and circumstances, this early novel by Mistry has all the ingredients which make his later novels so memorable. Mary Whipple

Familiar human nature in an unfamiliar setting, 15 Apr 2005
This is the second Rohinton Mistry novel I have read ( also Family Matters) and I cannot recommend them too highly. In this novel ( which is about a bank clerk and his family; the doctor mentioned in the above synopsis is a minor character.)Mistry creates a group of characters and describes their interaction in an absorbing and convincing way. In some ways this is like a traditional 19th century English novel of family life, though set in India in the 1970s. When I read 'Family Matters', I had never been to India, but Mistry's descriptions enabled me to visualise it in a way few previous 'Indian' novels I had read had succeeded in doing. 'Such a long journey' I read during my first visit to India and I can now vouch for its authenticity and humour. The novel however is no travelogue; the characters are interesting because of their human nature. The ending was genuinely moving. A great writer.

A GREAT READ!!, 22 Apr 2004
Such a Long Journey is the first book I have had the pleasure of readingby Mistry and it has been a wonderful experience from start to finish! The culture and traditions are so alive in the book that they seem to jumpout at you and teach you something about life in India as a whole. A mostcaptivating book that I will definitely be reading again and again.

wonderfully human, 13 Nov 2002
Though lacking the dramatic power and the pessimistic philosophy of his later masterpiece 'A fine balance', 'Such a long journey' is a wonderful, extremely compassionate account of a family's struggle to maintain unity and moral integrity in the face of extraordinary circumstances: both external (the Emergency) and internal (father-son conflicts, disease etc.).
The political agenda in this novel is much reduced compared to Mistry's later work, and that perhaps renders 'Such a long journey' a less pressing and controversial book, removing some of the urgency and the vigour to concentrate instead on a very human (and universal) 'journey', which eventually leads to a very human (and universal) catharsis.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I rate it as highly as 'A fine balance' and perhaps higher that the latest, somewhat disappointing (to me!) 'Family matters'.

one of the best books in modern indian literature, 26 Feb 2002
I can't really say this is the best book in modern indian literature because my knowledge is not so deep, but you can trust me if I tell you to buy this book and throw yourself into it without esitation. You will cry ,you will smile, you will love the characters and, like me, you'll look forward for the next Mistry's novel.

Excellent book club read!, 10 Jan 2006
Firozsha Baag is a block of flats in Bombay and these linked stories, eleven of them, tell the tales of its tenants. They are seen through the eyes of Kersi, first as a boy living with his parents and brother in the flats, and finally as a writer who has emigrated to Canada. These stories are so intimate, I sometimes felt uncomfortable, as if I were seeing things I shouldn't see, laughing at things I shouldn't laugh at. The writing is wonderful and cannot be skipped over. Every word counts. That and the writer's humanity made me keep reading to the end and then start at the beginning again - and order more of his books.

Wonderful! Must must read this book!, 06 Jul 2001
Mistry has sucessfully captured the imagination of a child, who lives in an apartment building, and subsequently has adventures. This book is not just a collection of short stories, but an entire saga of the building and its inhabitants seen through the eyes of this young boy who we see growing up and, eventually, moving to Canada. A mixture of traditions, not just Parsi but a mash of all Indian cultures, this is a book which certainly has spice; the humour will sting you, and you won't be able to put this book down till it has finished!

As an epigraph to his humane and generous novel Family Matters, Rohinton Mistry uses a reverse version of Tolstoy's words from Anna Karenina--"Each happy family is happy in its own way, but all unhappy families resemble one another". The unhappy family in this book belongs to Nariman Vakeel, an elderly, retired English teacher in Bombay. His stepson Jal and stepdaughter Coomy look after the old man, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, but a street accident renders him even more in need of help. Resentfully Jal and Coomy provide it but, when opportunity offers, they deliver Nariman into the care (and flat) of his daughter Roxana, the much-loved offspring of what was an otherwise loveless marriage. Roxana is married with two children and lives in cramped conditions that the arrival of the now bed-ridden old man makes worse. The tensions of the present and rankling discontents from the past collide as Mistry's narrative unfolds. At the heart of the story is the literal claustrophobia of the flat and the metaphorical claustrophobia of a family bound tightly together by the deeply ambivalent emotions of its members but Family Matters is not a limited or restricted novel.

Through the stories of Roxana's husband Yezad and her sons Murad and Jehangir, Mistry opens the book to lives outside the family. Characters like Yezad's ebullient employer Mr Kapur, the eager but incompetent handyman Edul Munshi, the violinist Daisy Ichhaporia and others provide a keen sense of the wider world of Bombay in which the family dramas are secretively played out. What best emerges from the novel is Mistry's compassionate sense of the frustrations, temptations and everyday sufferings life imposes on all his characters. All, in the end, resemble one another in the accommodations and compromises they are obliged to make. --Nick Rennison

Fabulous!, 20 Oct 2008
Excellent book. The best read I have had for many years - couldn't put it down.

My favourite book, 14 Oct 2008
This is the book I recommend to every one of my friends. It is utterly beautiful, tragic and yet hopeful. I grew to love the characters and found the way Mistry conveys the complexity of human relationships wonderfully satisfying.

What the Dickens, 15 Aug 2008
As another reviewer has already said, Rohinton Mistry has echoed Dickens in this book. It is a social commentary about how well-meaning political decisions have a huge impact on the ordinary people. I read this after being badgered to by my godmother, and I am really glad that she kept on at me until i did.
It is at times an uncomfortable read - it highlights caste violence, government-backed brutality and extreme poverty, without ever sensationalising any of it. It is also, believe it or not, humourous, gentle and touching at the same time as being absolutely tragic and harrowing. the characters are beautifully fleshed-out, and the sights, smells and tastes of India are there as you read. I was so engrossed in the characters that I desperately wanted a happy ending for them all.

Whilst reading, it was sometimes hard to believe that this book is set in relatively modern times - the 70s - so cruel and astonishing are some of the incidents it relates. When I finished, I looked around at my home and children and realised exactly how fortunate I am. Not life-changing perhaps, but profoundly moving and unforgettable.


Beautiful book, 12 Aug 2008
This book is really beautiful - and one of my all time favourite novels.

Whilst it is sad, the characters also have a good sense of humour and find comfort in their unlikely friendship with each other.

I think it is also an interesting exploration of how well-meaning political decisions can have a significant impact on the individual.


A work of art, 02 Aug 2008
This is an unbelievably fabulous book. I am not going to write a long review as I do not know how to find the words to do the book justice. I've passed it on to several friends and I can't wait for them to finish reading it so I can discuss it with them.
It is very rare to read a book when the characters come alive for you. I felt I knew these characters and I began dreaming about them and thinking about them during everyday life.
The themes and issues dealt with by Mistry have changed the way I view the world and have had a huge impact upon my outlook. I cried several times during my reading of the book and had to put it aside for some hours before I could continue reading.
The ending is shocking and will stay with me forever.
I highly recommend reading this book but please be prepared for the impact it will have upon you.
Rohinton Mistry, in my view, is one of the finest writers of our day.



"Luck is the spit of gods and goddesses.", 02 Jan 2006
Sometimes compared to Dickens or Victor Hugo for the strength of his descriptions, Rohinton Mistry uses "ordinary" men and women as his protagonists and fills his novels with the sights, sounds, smells, and color of India. Depicting his characters as neither saints nor sinners, he involves the reader in their lives as they try to survive the complexities of their culture.

In this novel, Gustad Noble and his wife Dilnavaz, living in a congested apartment building in Bombay, try to lead good lives and inspire their children during Indira Gandhi's rule in the 1970s, with all its political, professional, and social upheaval. India is on the verge of war with the Muslims of Pakistan, and though Gustad, a Parsi, is aware of political chicanery, he is far more pre-occupied with having his son accepted at a school of technology, doing his job as a bank supervisor, and supporting his family. Constant blackouts and continually deteriorating conditions on the street add to the frustrations of Gustad's life.

Then Jimmy Bilimoria, an old friend, asks Gustad for help, claiming that he is training freedom fighters in Bangladesh to act on behalf of the Indian government against Pakistani "butchers." Gustad reluctantly agrees to use his position at the bank to deposit money to a secret account, but he soon finds himself enmeshed in a spiral from which he cannot break out, his life turned upside down.

Throughout the novel, the wall outside Gustad's apartment building symbolizes the larger world of Bombay and parallels some aspects of Gustad's own life. At the outset, it is used as a latrine, breeding illness in the neighborhood but keeping the noise and tumult of the street out of the apartment house. When Gustad persuades a sidewalk artist to paint it, he depicts scenes from all the religions of India, and the wall becomes a shrine--until the government decides to widen the road and tear it down. Gustad's personal crisis and the fate of the wall intersect in a conclusion both moving and profound.

Though this novel lacks the grand scale of A Fine Balance, it is a beautifully constructed and emotionally involving story of a small family trying to live meaningful lives against almost overwhelming odds. The characters are finely drawn, and the plot, though not "exciting," reflects the traumas of an ordinary man and his wife caught up in events and crises not of their own making. Wry and often humorous in its observations of people and circumstances, this early novel by Mistry has all the ingredients which make his later novels so memorable. Mary Whipple

Familiar human nature in an unfamiliar setting, 15 Apr 2005
This is the second Rohinton Mistry novel I have read ( also Family Matters) and I cannot recommend them too highly. In this novel ( which is about a bank clerk and his family; the doctor mentioned in the above synopsis is a minor character.)Mistry creates a group of characters and describes their interaction in an absorbing and convincing way. In some ways this is like a traditional 19th century English novel of family life, though set in India in the 1970s. When I read 'Family Matters', I had never been to India, but Mistry's descriptions enabled me to visualise it in a way few previous 'Indian' novels I had read had succeeded in doing. 'Such a long journey' I read during my first visit to India and I can now vouch for its authenticity and humour. The novel however is no travelogue; the characters are interesting because of their human nature. The ending was genuinely moving. A great writer.

A GREAT READ!!, 22 Apr 2004
Such a Long Journey is the first book I have had the pleasure of readingby Mistry and it has been a wonderful experience from start to finish! The culture and traditions are so alive in the book that they seem to jumpout at you and teach you something about life in India as a whole. A mostcaptivating book that I will definitely be reading again and again.

wonderfully human, 13 Nov 2002
Though lacking the dramatic power and the pessimistic philosophy of his later masterpiece 'A fine balance', 'Such a long journey' is a wonderful, extremely compassionate account of a family's struggle to maintain unity and moral integrity in the face of extraordinary circumstances: both external (the Emergency) and internal (father-son conflicts, disease etc.).
The political agenda in this novel is much reduced compared to Mistry's later work, and that perhaps renders 'Such a long journey' a less pressing and controversial book, removing some of the urgency and the vigour to concentrate instead on a very human (and universal) 'journey', which eventually leads to a very human (and universal) catharsis.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I rate it as highly as 'A fine balance' and perhaps higher that the latest, somewhat disappointing (to me!) 'Family matters'.

one of the best books in modern indian literature, 26 Feb 2002
I can't really say this is the best book in modern indian literature because my knowledge is not so deep, but you can trust me if I tell you to buy this book and throw yourself into it without esitation. You will cry ,you will smile, you will love the characters and, like me, you'll look forward for the next Mistry's novel.

Excellent book club read!, 10 Jan 2006
Firozsha Baag is a block of flats in Bombay and these linked stories, eleven of them, tell the tales of its tenants. They are seen through the eyes of Kersi, first as a boy living with his parents and brother in the flats, and finally as a writer who has emigrated to Canada. These stories are so intimate, I sometimes felt uncomfortable, as if I were seeing things I shouldn't see, laughing at things I shouldn't laugh at. The writing is wonderful and cannot be skipped over. Every word counts. That and the writer's humanity made me keep reading to the end and then start at the beginning again - and order more of his books.

Wonderful! Must must read this book!, 06 Jul 2001
Mistry has sucessfully captured the imagination of a child, who lives in an apartment building, and subsequently has adventures. This book is not just a collection of short stories, but an entire saga of the building and its inhabitants seen through the eyes of this young boy who we see growing up and, eventually, moving to Canada. A mixture of traditions, not just Parsi but a mash of all Indian cultures, this is a book which certainly has spice; the humour will sting you, and you won't be able to put this book down till it has finished!

Brilliant characterisation, 15 Nov 2008
A really fabulous book, with characters you can really care about and a plot that is always interesting and well paced. It will strike a chord with anyone who has been affected by the issues around caring for an eldery and/or ill relative. The characters are all very believable and their behaviour - good and bad - is always plausible.

The story centres around the family of Nariman Vakeel, an elderly man with Parkinson's disease, who are obliged to care for him following an accident. The presence of the bed-ridden widower in his daughter's tiny flat puts a strain on her young family, particularly when finances become tight. It's one of those stories where you feel sympathy for all of the characters, even when they are in conflict with each other. Throughout, the characters want to do what's 'right' but their human fallability means they don't always achieve it.

Although it is set in India, this is a story which transcends race or religion. People everywhere in the world will identify with the humanity of the characters, giving it truly international appeal. A great read, which I highly recommend.

A wonderful book, 20 Feb 2008
This book still resonates many years after first reading it. The charachters are three dimensional and they grow in maturity and humanity as the book progresses. A wonderful read.

"No matter where you go, there is only one important story.", 12 Jan 2006
As Mistry makes clear in this novel, the "one important story [is] of youth, and loss, and yearning for redemption...Just the details are different." With these themes as the bedrock of his story, he depicts the world of a multigenerational Parsi family in Bombay, their world changed forever when Nariman Vakeel, a 79-year-old former professor and sufferer from Parkinson's disease, falls and breaks his leg, effectively ending any possibility of an independent life. His stepchildren, Coomy and Jal, quickly dump Nariman in the two-room apartment of their younger half-sister, Roxana Chenoy, her husband Yezad, and two sons, supposedly for only three weeks, while his leg heals. Beset with financial problems, lack of space, and resentment of Coomy and Jal, who remain in their father's 7-room apartment, the family does its best, but tensions rise and slowly erode their relationships, precipitating intense personal crises for each family member.

Concentrating more on the world writ small than on the broader, more expansive views of A Fine Balance, Mistry creates a number of vibrant and fully drawn characters. Nariman Vakeel, recalling his dreams and disappointments, his 11-year love for Lucy Braganza, and his disastrous arranged marriage, is touching in his neediness and in his apologetic helplessness. His grandchildren delight in his stories and seek ways to help out; Roxana makes do in every way possible, tending to Nariman's most personal needs; and Yezad, frustrated by the lack of financial support from Coomy and Jal and a job in which he is underpaid, feels jealous of the old man's claims on Roxana. Mistry's dialogue, the subtle and not-so-subtle undercurrents it reflects, the often humorous interactions, the honest but naïve motivations of some of the characters, and the meticulously depicted and subtle decline of the family are the work of a master.

The one jarring note for me was the use of Shiv Sena, a fanatic political/religious group, as a motif thoughout the novel, their threats, extortion, violence, and fundamentalist rhetoric intruding periodically (and often dramatically) on the lives of the characters. While this obviously broadens the scope of the novel and offers a context in which to evaluate Coomy's religiosity, the fears of small businessmen like Yezad and his boss, and Yezad's eventual conflicts with one of his sons, it felt contrived to me, too strong and too obvious in what is otherwise a novel of more subtle interactions. Mary Whipple

A clever title, 10 Mar 2005
Painted on a much smaller canvas than his earlier novels (Such a Long Journey; A Fine Balance; Tales from the Firozshah Baag), it is a wonderful as the others. It focuses on one family and revolves round the care of the 79 year old patriarch who is crippled and afflicted with progressive Parkinsonism. Though there are some mean-spirited characters in the novel, the affection of others is very touching. The love of the nine year old boy for his grandfather is especially heart-warming. Mistry has the gift of bringing sheer unforced goodness to life like no other writer.

A wonderful book!, 13 Jan 2005
I adored this book about an Indian family, with a sad past, living in Bombay (Mumbai). Roxana's ageing father, Nariman, comes to live with the family in their tiny flat. He has Parkinsons, has broken his leg and is unable to move and requires full caring which Roxana is happy to provide. However, her husband Yezad resents his presence in the flat. He also has money worries which later lead him to folly.

The book deals with the caste system, as well as getting old in a really touching way. There is a wonderful passage which moved me to tears when Yezad sets aside his mixed feelings of resentment and respect, and cuts Narimans fingernails, toenails and shaves him. How very true when Yezad is pondering sickness in old age "....But in the end all human beings became candidates for compassion, all of us, without exeption..... and if we could recognise this from the start what a saving in pain and grief and misery."

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is written really tenderly but there is also humour and you cannot help but feel anguish for the characters, who, with Mistry's beautiful writing, are real and touchable.

Fabulous!, 20 Oct 2008
Excellent book. The best read I have had for many years - couldn't put it down.

My favourite book, 14 Oct 2008
This is the book I recommend to every one of my friends. It is utterly beautiful, tragic and yet hopeful. I grew to love the characters and found the way Mistry conveys the complexity of human relationships wonderfully satisfying.

What the Dickens, 15 Aug 2008
As another reviewer has already said, Rohinton Mistry has echoed Dickens in this book. It is a social commentary about how well-meaning political decisions have a huge impact on the ordinary people. I read this after being badgered to by my godmother, and I am really glad that she kept on at me until i did.
It is at times an uncomfortable read - it highlights caste violence, government-backed brutality and extreme poverty, without ever sensationalising any of it. It is also, believe it or not, humourous, gentle and touching at the same time as being absolutely tragic and harrowing. the characters are beautifully fleshed-out, and the sights, smells and tastes of India are there as you read. I was so engrossed in the characters that I desperately wanted a happy ending for them all.

Whilst reading, it was sometimes hard to believe that this book is set in relatively modern times - the 70s - so cruel and astonishing are some of the incidents it relates. When I finished, I looked around at my home and children and realised exactly how fortunate I am. Not life-changing perhaps, but profoundly moving and unforgettable.


Beautiful book, 12 Aug 2008
This book is really beautiful - and one of my all time favourite novels.

Whilst it is sad, the characters also have a good sense of humour and find comfort in their unlikely friendship with each other.

I think it is also an interesting exploration of how well-meaning political decisions can have a significant impact on the individual.


A work of art, 02 Aug 2008
This is an unbelievably fabulous book. I am not going to write a long review as I do not know how to find the words to do the book justice. I've passed it on to several friends and I can't wait for them to finish reading it so I can discuss it with them.
It is very rare to read a book when the characters come alive for you. I felt I knew these characters and I began dreaming about them and thinking about them during everyday life.
The themes and issues dealt with by Mistry have changed the way I view the world and have had a huge impact upon my outlook. I cried several times during my reading of the book and had to put it aside for some hours before I could continue reading.
The ending is shocking and will stay with me forever.
I highly recommend reading this book but please be prepared for the impact it will have upon you.
Rohinton Mistry, in my view, is one of the finest writers of our day.



"Luck is the spit of gods and goddesses.", 02 Jan 2006
Sometimes compared to Dickens or Victor Hugo for the strength of his descriptions, Rohinton Mistry uses "ordinary" men and women as his protagonists and fills his novels with the sights, sounds, smells, and color of India. Depicting his characters as neither saints nor sinners, he involves the reader in their lives as they try to survive the complexities of their culture.

In this novel, Gustad Noble and his wife Dilnavaz, living in a congested apartment building in Bombay, try to lead good lives and inspire their children during Indira Gandhi's rule in the 1970s, with all its political, professional, and social upheaval. India is on the verge of war with the Muslims of Pakistan, and though Gustad, a Parsi, is aware of political chicanery, he is far more pre-occupied with having his son accepted at a school of technology, doing his job as a bank supervisor, and supporting his family. Constant blackouts and continually deteriorating conditions on the street add to the frustrations of Gustad's life.

Then Jimmy Bilimoria, an old friend, asks Gustad for help, claiming that he is training freedom fighters in Bangladesh to act on behalf of the Indian government against Pakistani "butchers." Gustad reluctantly agrees to use his position at the bank to deposit money to a secret account, but he soon finds himself enmeshed in a spiral from which he cannot break out, his life turned upside down.

Throughout the novel, the wall outside Gustad's apartment building symbolizes the larger world of Bombay and parallels some aspects of Gustad's own life. At the outset, it is used as a latrine, breeding illness in the neighborhood but keeping the noise and tumult of the street out of the apartment house. When Gustad persuades a sidewalk artist to paint it, he depicts scenes from all the religions of India, and the wall becomes a shrine--until the government decides to widen the road and tear it down. Gustad's personal crisis and the fate of the wall intersect in a conclusion both moving and profound.

Though this novel lacks the grand scale of A Fine Balance, it is a beautifully constructed and emotionally involving story of a small family trying to live meaningful lives against almost overwhelming odds. The characters are finely drawn, and the plot, though not "exciting," reflects the traumas of an ordinary man and his wife caught up in events and crises not of their own making. Wry and often humorous in its observations of people and circumstances, this early novel by Mistry has all the ingredients which make his later novels so memorable. Mary Whipple

Familiar human nature in an unfamiliar setting, 15 Apr 2005
This is the second Rohinton Mistry novel I have read ( also Family Matters) and I cannot recommend them too highly. In this novel ( which is about a bank clerk and his family; the doctor mentioned in the above synopsis is a minor character.)Mistry creates a group of characters and describes their interaction in an absorbing and convincing way. In some ways this is like a traditional 19th century English novel of family life, though set in India in the 1970s. When I read 'Family Matters', I had never been to India, but Mistry's descriptions enabled me to visualise it in a way few previous 'Indian' novels I had read had succeeded in doing. 'Such a long journey' I read during my first visit to India and I can now vouch for its authenticity and humour. The novel however is no travelogue; the characters are interesting because of their human nature. The ending was genuinely moving. A great writer.

A GREAT READ!!, 22 Apr 2004
Such a Long Journey is the first book I have had the pleasure of readingby Mistry and it has been a wonderful experience from start to finish! The culture and traditions are so alive in the book that they seem to jumpout at you and teach you something about life in India as a whole. A mostcaptivating book that I will definitely be reading again and again.

wonderfully human, 13 Nov 2002
Though lacking the dramatic power and the pessimistic philosophy of his later masterpiece 'A fine balance', 'Such a long journey' is a wonderful, extremely compassionate account of a family's struggle to maintain unity and moral integrity in the face of extraordinary circumstances: both external (the Emergency) and internal (father-son conflicts, disease etc.).
The political agenda in this novel is much reduced compared to Mistry's later work, and that perhaps renders 'Such a long journey' a less pressing and controversial book, removing some of the urgency and the vigour to concentrate instead on a very human (and universal) 'journey', which eventually leads to a very human (and universal) catharsis.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I rate it as highly as 'A fine balance' and perhaps higher that the latest, somewhat disappointing (to me!) 'Family matters'.

one of the best books in modern indian literature, 26 Feb 2002
I can't really say this is the best book in modern indian literature because my knowledge is not so deep, but you can trust me if I tell you to buy this book and throw yourself into it without esitation. You will cry ,you will smile, you will love the characters and, like me, you'll look forward for the next Mistry's novel.

Excellent book club read!, 10 Jan 2006
Firozsha Baag is a block of flats in Bombay and these linked stories, eleven of them, tell the tales of its tenants. They are seen through the eyes of Kersi, first as a boy living with his parents and brother in the flats, and finally as a writer who has emigrated to Canada. These stories are so intimate, I sometimes felt uncomfortable, as if I were seeing things I shouldn't see, laughing at things I shouldn't laugh at. The writing is wonderful and cannot be skipped over. Every word counts. That and the writer's humanity made me keep reading to the end and then start at the beginning again - and order more of his books.

Wonderful! Must must read this book!, 06 Jul 2001
Mistry has sucessfully captured the imagination of a child, who lives in an apartment building, and subsequently has adventures. This book is not just a collection of short stories, but an entire saga of the building and its inhabitants seen through the eyes of this young boy who we see growing up and, eventually, moving to Canada. A mixture of traditions, not just Parsi but a mash of all Indian cultures, this is a book which certainly has spice; the humour will sting you, and you won't be able to put this book down till it has finished!

Brilliant characterisation, 15 Nov 2008
A really fabulous book, with characters you can really care about and a plot that is always interesting and well paced. It will strike a chord with anyone who has been affected by the issues around caring for an eldery and/or ill relative. The characters are all very believable and their behaviour - good and bad - is always plausible.

The story centres around the family of Nariman Vakeel, an elderly man with Parkinson's disease, who are obliged to care for him following an accident. The presence of the bed-ridden widower in his daughter's tiny flat puts a strain on her young family, particularly when finances become tight. It's one of those stories where you feel sympathy for all of the characters, even when they are in conflict with each other. Throughout, the characters want to do what's 'right' but their human fallability means they don't always achieve it.

Although it is set in India, this is a story which transcends race or religion. People everywhere in the world will identify with the humanity of the characters, giving it truly international appeal. A great read, which I highly recommend.

A wonderful book, 20 Feb 2008
This book still resonates many years after first reading it. The charachters are three dimensional and they grow in maturity and humanity as the book progresses. A wonderful read.

"No matter where you go, there is only one important story.", 12 Jan 2006
As Mistry makes clear in this novel, the "one important story [is] of youth, and loss, and yearning for redemption...Just the details are different." With these themes as the bedrock of his story, he depicts the world of a multigenerational Parsi family in Bombay, their world changed forever when Nariman Vakeel, a 79-year-old former professor and sufferer from Parkinson's disease, falls and breaks his leg, effectively ending any possibility of an independent life. His stepchildren, Coomy and Jal, quickly dump Nariman in the two-room apartment of their younger half-sister, Roxana Chenoy, her husband Yezad, and two sons, supposedly for only three weeks, while his leg heals. Beset with financial problems, lack of space, and resentment of Coomy and Jal, who remain in their father's 7-room apartment, the family does its best, but tensions rise and slowly erode their relationships, precipitating intense personal crises for each family member.

Concentrating more on the world writ small than on the broader, more expansive views of A Fine Balance, Mistry creates a number of vibrant and fully drawn characters. Nariman Vakeel, recalling his dreams and disappointments, his 11-year love for Lucy Braganza, and his disastrous arranged marriage, is touching in his neediness and in his apologetic helplessness. His grandchildren delight in his stories and seek ways to help out; Roxana makes do in every way possible, tending to Nariman's most personal needs; and Yezad, frustrated by the lack of financial support from Coomy and Jal and a job in which he is underpaid, feels jealous of the old man's claims on Roxana. Mistry's dialogue, the subtle and not-so-subtle undercurrents it reflects, the often humorous interactions, the honest but naïve motivations of some of the characters, and the meticulously depicted and subtle decline of the family are the work of a master.

The one jarring note for me was the use of Shiv Sena, a fanatic political/religious group, as a motif thoughout the novel, their threats, extortion, violence, and fundamentalist rhetoric intruding periodically (and often dramatically) on the lives of the characters. While this obviously broadens the scope of the novel and offers a context in which to evaluate Coomy's religiosity, the fears of small businessmen like Yezad and his boss, and Yezad's eventual conflicts with one of his sons, it felt contrived to me, too strong and too obvious in what is otherwise a novel of more subtle interactions. Mary Whipple

A clever title, 10 Mar 2005
Painted on a much smaller canvas than his earlier novels (Such a Long Journey; A Fine Balance; Tales from the Firozshah Baag), it is a wonderful as the others. It focuses on one family and revolves round the care of the 79 year old patriarch who is crippled and afflicted with progressive Parkinsonism. Though there are some mean-spirited characters in the novel, the affection of others is very touching. The love of the nine year old boy for his grandfather is especially heart-warming. Mistry has the gift of bringing sheer unforced goodness to life like no other writer.

A wonderful book!, 13 Jan 2005
I adored this book about an Indian family, with a sad past, living in Bombay (Mumbai). Roxana's ageing father, Nariman, comes to live with the family in their tiny flat. He has Parkinsons, has broken his leg and is unable to move and requires full caring which Roxana is happy to provide. However, her husband Yezad resents his presence in the flat. He also has money worries which later lead him to folly.

The book deals with the caste system, as well as getting old in a really touching way. There is a wonderful passage which moved me to tears when Yezad sets aside his mixed feelings of resentment and respect, and cuts Narimans fingernails, toenails and shaves him. How very true when Yezad is pondering sickness in old age "....But in the end all human beings became candidates for compassion, all of us, without exeption..... and if we could recognise this from the start what a saving in pain and grief and misery."

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is written really tenderly but there is also humour and you cannot help but feel anguish for the characters, who, with Mistry's beautiful writing, are real and touchable.

Tales of life, 24 Apr 1999
Misty shows his brilliance in revealing the engaging lives of fascinating characters. His stories hint at the larger world of responsibility, family bonds and self-discovery, while his characters push ahead in their quirky everyday lives in Firozsha Baag. And Mistry's narrating character of Kersi, an immigrant Parsi like himself, reflecting on the extraordinary lives of ordinary people in his native Bombay, allows the reader to reflect upon his own relationships with friends, neighbors and family with more sympathy and caring. Mistry fans will enjoy this book as well as his two novels and the film version of Such A Long Journey.

Mistry is a brilliant writer, 02 May 1998
I picked up this book because I really enjoyed A Fine Balance. This book shows the same quality of writing. Mistry fits the lives of the Firozsha Baag residents together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I highly recommend this book.

As an epigraph to his humane and generous novel Family Matters, Rohinton Mistry uses a reverse version of Tolstoy's words from Anna Karenina--"Each happy family is happy in its own way, but all unhappy families resemble one another". The unhappy family in this book belongs to Nariman Vakeel, an elderly, retired English teacher in Bombay. His stepson Jal and stepdaughter Coomy look after the old man, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, but a street accident renders him even more in need of help. Resentfully Jal and Coomy provide it but, when opportunity offers, they deliver Nariman into the care (and flat) of his daughter Roxana, the much-loved offspring of what was an otherwise loveless marriage. Roxana is married with two children and lives in cramped conditions that the arrival of the now bed-ridden old man makes worse. The tensions of the present and rankling discontents from the past collide as Mistry's narrative unfolds. At the heart of the story is the literal claustrophobia of the flat and the metaphorical claustrophobia of a family bound tightly together by the deeply ambivalent emotions of its members but Family Matters is not a limited or restricted novel.

Through the stories of Roxana's husband Yezad and her sons Murad and Jehangir, Mistry opens the book to lives outside the family. Characters like Yezad's ebullient employer Mr Kapur, the eager but incompetent handyman Edul Munshi, the violinist Daisy Ichhaporia and others provide a keen sense of the wider world of Bombay in which the family dramas are secretively played out. What best emerges from the novel is Mistry's compassionate sense of the frustrations, temptations and everyday sufferings life imposes on all his characters. All, in the end, resemble one another in the accommodations and compromises they are obliged to make. --Nick Rennison

Fabulous!, 20 Oct 2008
Excellent book. The best read I have had for many years - couldn't put it down.

My favourite book, 14 Oct 2008
This is the book I recommend to every one of my friends. It is utterly beautiful, tragic and yet hopeful. I grew to love the characters and found the way Mistry conveys the complexity of human relationships wonderfully satisfying.

What the Dickens, 15 Aug 2008
As another reviewer has already said, Rohinton Mistry has echoed Dickens in this book. It is a social commentary about how well-meaning political decisions have a huge impact on the ordinary people. I read this after being badgered to by my godmother, and I am really glad that she kept on at me until i did.
It is at times an uncomfortable read - it highlights caste violence, government-backed brutality and extreme poverty, without ever sensationalising any of it. It is also, believe it or not, humourous, gentle and touching at the same time as being absolutely tragic and harrowing. the characters are beautifully fleshed-out, and the sights, smells and tastes of India are there as you read. I was so engrossed in the characters that I desperately wanted a happy ending for them all.

Whilst reading, it was sometimes hard to believe that this book is set in relatively modern times - the 70s - so cruel and astonishing are some of the incidents it relates. When I finished, I looked around at my home and children and realised exactly how fortunate I am. Not life-changing perhaps, but profoundly moving and unforgettable.


Beautiful book, 12 Aug 2008
This book is really beautiful - and one of my all time favourite novels.

Whilst it is sad, the characters also have a good sense of humour and find comfort in their unlikely friendship with each other.

I think it is also an interesting exploration of how well-meaning political decisions can have a significant impact on the individual.


A work of art, 02 Aug 2008
This is an unbelievably fabulous book. I am not going to write a long review as I do not know how to find the words to do the book justice. I've passed it on to several friends and I can't wait for them to finish reading it so I can discuss it with them.
It is very rare to read a book when the characters come alive for you. I felt I knew these characters and I began dreaming about them and thinking about them during everyday life.
The themes and issues dealt with by Mistry have changed the way I view the world and have had a huge impact upon my outlook. I cried several times during my reading of the book and had to put it aside for some hours before I could continue reading.
The ending is shocking and will stay with me forever.
I highly recommend reading this book but please be prepared for the impact it will have upon you.
Rohinton Mistry, in my view, is one of the finest writers of our day.



"Luck is the spit of gods and goddesses.", 02 Jan 2006
Sometimes compared to Dickens or Victor Hugo for the strength of his descriptions, Rohinton Mistry uses "ordinary" men and women as his protagonists and fills his novels with the sights, sounds, smells, and color of India. Depicting his characters as neither saints nor sinners, he involves the reader in their lives as they try to survive the complexities of their culture.

In this novel, Gustad Noble and his wife Dilnavaz, living in a congested apartment building in Bombay, try to lead good lives and inspire their children during Indira Gandhi's rule in the 1970s, with all its political, professional, and social upheaval. India is on the verge of war with the Muslims of Pakistan, and though Gustad, a Parsi, is aware of political chicanery, he is far more pre-occupied with having his son accepted at a school of technology, doing his job as a bank supervisor, and supporting his family. Constant blackouts and continually deteriorating conditions on the street add to the frustrations of Gustad's life.

Then Jimmy Bilimoria, an old friend, asks Gustad for help, claiming that he is training freedom fighters in Bangladesh to act on behalf of the Indian government against Pakistani "butchers." Gustad reluctantly agrees to use his position at the bank to deposit money to a secret account, but he soon finds himself enmeshed in a spiral from which he cannot break out, his life turned upside down.

Throughout the novel, the wall outside Gustad's apartment building symbolizes the larger world of Bombay and parallels some aspects of Gustad's own life. At the outset, it is used as a latrine, breeding illness in the neighborhood but keeping the noise and tumult of the street out of the apartment house. When Gustad persuades a sidewalk artist to paint it, he depicts scenes from all the religions of India, and the wall becomes a shrine--until the government decides to widen the road and tear it down. Gustad's personal crisis and the fate of the wall intersect in a conclusion both moving and profound.

Though this novel lacks the grand scale of A Fine Balance, it is a beautifully constructed and emotionally involving story of a small family trying to live meaningful lives against almost overwhelming odds. The characters are finely drawn, and the plot, though not "exciting," reflects the traumas of an ordinary man and his wife caught up in events and crises not of their own making. Wry and often humorous in its observations of people and circumstances, this early novel by Mistry has all the ingredients which make his later novels so memorable. Mary Whipple

Familiar human nature in an unfamiliar setting, 15 Apr 2005
This is the second Rohinton Mistry novel I have read ( also Family Matters) and I cannot recommend them too highly. In this novel ( which is about a bank clerk and his family; the doctor mentioned in the above synopsis is a minor character.)Mistry creates a group of characters and describes their interaction in an absorbing and convincing way. In some ways this is like a traditional 19th century English novel of family life, though set in India in the 1970s. When I read 'Family Matters', I had never been to India, but Mistry's descriptions enabled me to visualise it in a way few previous 'Indian' novels I had read had succeeded in doing. 'Such a long journey' I read during my first visit to India and I can now vouch for its authenticity and humour. The novel however is no travelogue; the characters are interesting because of their human nature. The ending was genuinely moving. A great writer.

A GREAT READ!!, 22 Apr 2004
Such a Long Journey is the first book I have had the pleasure of readingby Mistry and it has been a wonderful experience from start to finish! The culture and traditions are so alive in the book that they seem to jumpout at you and teach you something about life in India as a whole. A mostcaptivating book that I will definitely be reading again and again.

wonderfully human, 13 Nov 2002
Though lacking the dramatic power and the pessimistic philosophy of his later masterpiece 'A fine balance', 'Such a long journey' is a wonderful, extremely compassionate account of a family's struggle to maintain unity and moral integrity in the face of extraordinary circumstances: both external (the Emergency) and internal (father-son conflicts, disease etc.).
The political agenda in this novel is much reduced compared to Mistry's later work, and that perhaps renders 'Such a long journey' a less pressing and controversial book, removing some of the urgency and the vigour to concentrate instead on a very human (and universal) 'journey', which eventually leads to a very human (and universal) catharsis.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I rate it as highly as 'A fine balance' and perhaps higher that the latest, somewhat disappointing (to me!) 'Family matters'.

one of the best books in modern indian literature, 26 Feb 2002
I can't really say this is the best book in modern indian literature because my knowledge is not so deep, but you can trust me if I tell you to buy this book and throw yourself into it without esitation. You will cry ,you will smile, you will love the characters and, like me, you'll look forward for the next Mistry's novel.

Excellent book club read!, 10 Jan 2006
Firozsha Baag is a block of flats in Bombay and these linked stories, eleven of them, tell the tales of its tenants. They are seen through the eyes of Kersi, first as a boy living with his parents and brother in the flats, and finally as a writer who has emigrated to Canada. These stories are so intimate, I sometimes felt uncomfortable, as if I were seeing things I shouldn't see, laughing at things I shouldn't laugh at. The writing is wonderful and cannot be skipped over. Every word counts. That and the writer's humanity made me keep reading to the end and then start at the beginning again - and order more of his books.

Wonderful! Must must read this book!, 06 Jul 2001
Mistry has sucessfully captured the imagination of a child, who lives in an apartment building, and subsequently has adventures. This book is not just a collection of short stories, but an entire saga of the building and its inhabitants seen through the eyes of this young boy who we see growing up and, eventually, moving to Canada. A mixture of traditions, not just Parsi but a mash of all Indian cultures, this is a book which certainly has spice; the humour will sting you, and you won't be able to put this book down till it has finished!

Brilliant characterisation, 15 Nov 2008
A really fabulous book, with characters you can really care about and a plot that is always interesting and well paced. It will strike a chord with anyone who has been affected by the issues around caring for an eldery and/or ill relative. The characters are all very believable and their behaviour - good and bad - is always plausible.

The story centres around the family of Nariman Vakeel, an elderly man with Parkinson's disease, who are obliged to care for him following an accident. The presence of the bed-ridden widower in his daughter's tiny flat puts a strain on her young family, particularly when finances become tight. It's one of those stories where you feel sympathy for all of the characters, even when they are in conflict with each other. Throughout, the characters want to do what's 'right' but their human fallability means they don't always achieve it.

Although it is set in India, this is a story which transcends race or religion. People everywhere in the world will identify with the humanity of the characters, giving it truly international appeal. A great read, which I highly recommend.

A wonderful book, 20 Feb 2008
This book still resonates many years after first reading it. The charachters are three dimensional and they grow in maturity and humanity as the book progresses. A wonderful read.

"No matter where you go, there is only one important story.", 12 Jan 2006
As Mistry makes clear in this novel, the "one important story [is] of youth, and loss, and yearning for redemption...Just the details are different." With these themes as the bedrock of his story, he depicts the world of a multigenerational Parsi family in Bombay, their world changed forever when Nariman Vakeel, a 79-year-old former professor and sufferer from Parkinson's disease, falls and breaks his leg, effectively ending any possibility of an independent life. His stepchildren, Coomy and Jal, quickly dump Nariman in the two-room apartment of their younger half-sister, Roxana Chenoy, her husband Yezad, and two sons, supposedly for only three weeks, while his leg heals. Beset with financial problems, lack of space, and resentment of Coomy and Jal, who remain in their father's 7-room apartment, the family does its best, but tensions rise and slowly erode their relationships, precipitating intense personal crises for each family member.

Concentrating more on the world writ small than on the broader, more expansive views of A Fine Balance, Mistry creates a number of vibrant and fully drawn characters. Nariman Vakeel, recalling his dreams and disappointments, his 11-year love for Lucy Braganza, and his disastrous arranged marriage, is touching in his neediness and in his apologetic helplessness. His grandchildren delight in his stories and seek ways to help out; Roxana makes do in every way possible, tending to Nariman's most personal needs; and Yezad, frustrated by the lack of financial support from Coomy and Jal and a job in which he is underpaid, feels jealous of the old man's claims on Roxana. Mistry's dialogue, the subtle and not-so-subtle undercurrents it reflects, the often humorous interactions, the honest but naïve motivations of some of the characters, and the meticulously depicted and subtle decline of the family are the work of a master.

The one jarring note for me was the use of Shiv Sena, a fanatic political/religious group, as a motif thoughout the novel, their threats, extortion, violence, and fundamentalist rhetoric intruding periodically (and often dramatically) on the lives of the characters. While this obviously broadens the scope of the novel and offers a context in which to evaluate Coomy's religiosity, the fears of small businessmen like Yezad and his boss, and Yezad's eventual conflicts with one of his sons, it felt contrived to me, too strong and too obvious in what is otherwise a novel of more subtle interactions. Mary Whipple

A clever title, 10 Mar 2005
Painted on a much smaller canvas than his earlier novels (Such a Long Journey; A Fine Balance; Tales from the Firozshah Baag), it is a wonderful as the others. It focuses on one family and revolves round the care of the 79 year old patriarch who is crippled and afflicted with progressive Parkinsonism. Though there are some mean-spirited characters in the novel, the affection of others is very touching. The love of the nine year old boy for his grandfather is especially heart-warming. Mistry has the gift of bringing sheer unforced goodness to life like no other writer.

A wonderful book!, 13 Jan 2005
I adored this book about an Indian family, with a sad past, living in Bombay (Mumbai). Roxana's ageing father, Nariman, comes to live with the family in their tiny flat. He has Parkinsons, has broken his leg and is unable to move and requires full caring which Roxana is happy to provide. However, her husband Yezad resents his presence in the flat. He also has money worries which later lead him to folly.

The book deals with the caste system, as well as getting old in a really touching way. There is a wonderful passage which moved me to tears when Yezad sets aside his mixed feelings of resentment and respect, and cuts Narimans fingernails, toenails and shaves him. How very true when Yezad is pondering sickness in old age "....But in the end all human beings became candidates for compassion, all of us, without exeption..... and if we could recognise this from the start what a saving in pain and grief and misery."

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is written really tenderly but there is also humour and you cannot help but feel anguish for the characters, who, with Mistry's beautiful writing, are real and touchable.

Tales of life, 24 Apr 1999
Misty shows his brilliance in revealing the engaging lives of fascinating characters. His stories hint at the larger world of responsibility, family bonds and self-discovery, while his characters push ahead in their quirky everyday lives in Firozsha Baag. And Mistry's narrating character of Kersi, an immigrant Parsi like himself, reflecting on the extraordinary lives of ordinary people in his native Bombay, allows the reader to reflect upon his own relationships with friends, neighbors and family with more sympathy and caring. Mistry fans will enjoy this book as well as his two novels and the film version of Such A Long Journey.

Mistry is a brilliant writer, 02 May 1998
I picked up this book because I really enjoyed A Fine Balance. This book shows the same quality of writing. Mistry fits the lives of the Firozsha Baag residents together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I highly recommend this book.

Brilliant characterisation, 15 Nov 2008
A really fabulous book, with characters you can really care about and a plot that is always interesting and well paced. It will strike a chord with anyone who has been affected by the issues around caring for an eldery and/or ill relative. The characters are all very believable and their behaviour - good and bad - is always plausible.

The story centres around the family of Nariman Vakeel, an elderly man with Parkinson's disease, who are obliged to care for him following an accident. The presence of the bed-ridden widower in his daughter's tiny flat puts a strain on her young family, particularly when finances become tight. It's one of those stories where you feel sympathy for all of the characters, even when they are in conflict with each other. Throughout, the characters want to do what's 'right' but their human fallability means they don't always achieve it.

Although it is set in India, this is a story which transcends race or religion. People everywhere in the world will identify with the humanity of the characters, giving it truly international appeal. A great read, which I highly recommend.

A wonderful book, 20 Feb 2008
This book still resonates many years after first reading it. The charachters are three dimensional and they grow in maturity and humanity as the book progresses. A wonderful read.

"No matter where you go, there is only one important story.", 12 Jan 2006
As Mistry makes clear in this novel, the "one important story [is] of youth, and loss, and yearning for redemption...Just the details are different." With these themes as the bedrock of his story, he depicts the world of a multigenerational Parsi family in Bombay, their world changed forever when Nariman Vakeel, a 79-year-old former professor and sufferer from Parkinson's disease, falls and breaks his leg, effectively ending any possibility of an independent life. His stepchildren, Coomy and Jal, quickly dump Nariman in the two-room apartment of their younger half-sister, Roxana Chenoy, her husband Yezad, and two sons, supposedly for only three weeks, while his leg heals. Beset with financial problems, lack of space, and resentment of Coomy and Jal, who remain in their father's 7-room apartment, the family does its best, but tensions rise and slowly erode their relationships, precipitating intense personal crises for each family member.

Concentrating more on the world writ small than on the broader, more expansive views of A Fine Balance, Mistry creates a number of vibrant and fully drawn characters. Nariman Vakeel, recalling his dreams and disappointments, his 11-year love for Lucy Braganza, and his disastrous arranged marriage, is touching in his neediness and in his apologetic helplessness. His grandchildren delight in his stories and seek ways to help out; Roxana makes do in every way possible, tending to Nariman's most personal needs; and Yezad, frustrated by the lack of financial support from Coomy and Jal and a job in which he is underpaid, feels jealous of the old man's claims on Roxana. Mistry's dialogue, the subtle and not-so-subtle undercurrents it reflects, the often humorous interactions, the honest but naïve motivations of some of the characters, and the meticulously depicted and subtle decline of the family are the work of a master.

The one jarring note for me was the use of Shiv Sena, a fanatic political/religious group, as a motif thoughout the novel, their threats, extortion, violence, and fundamentalist rhetoric intruding periodically (and often dramatically) on the lives of the characters. While this obviously broadens the scope of the novel and offers a context in which to evaluate Coomy's religiosity, the fears of small businessmen like Yezad and his boss, and Yezad's eventual conflicts with one of his sons, it felt contrived to me, too strong and too obvious in what is otherwise a novel of more subtle interactions. Mary Whipple

A clever title, 10 Mar 2005
Painted on a much smaller canvas than his earlier novels (Such a Long Journey; A Fine Balance; Tales from the Firozshah Baag), it is a wonderful as the others. It focuses on one family and revolves round the care of the 79 year old patriarch who is crippled and afflicted with progressive Parkinsonism. Though there are some mean-spirited characters in the novel, the affection of others is very touching. The love of the nine year old boy for his grandfather is especially heart-warming. Mistry has the gift of bringing sheer unforced goodness to life like no other writer.

A wonderful book!, 13 Jan 2005
I adored this book about an Indian family, with a sad past, living in Bombay (Mumbai). Roxana's ageing father, Nariman, comes to live with the family in their tiny flat. He has Parkinsons, has broken his leg and is unable to move and requires full caring which Roxana is happy to provide. However, her husband Yezad resents his presence in the flat. He also has money worries which later lead him to folly.

The book deals with the caste system, as well as getting old in a really touching way. There is a wonderful passage which moved me to tears when Yezad sets aside his mixed feelings of resentment and respect, and cuts Narimans fingernails, toenails and shaves him. How very true when Yezad is pondering sickness in old age "....But in the end all human beings became candidates for compassion, all of us, without exeption..... and if we could recognise this from the start what a saving in pain and grief and misery."

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is written really tenderly but there is also humour and you cannot help but feel anguish for the characters, who, with Mistry's beautiful writing, are real and touchable.

Mistry does something that only the really natural writers can do: without apparent effort, manipulation or contrivance, he creates characters you like instantly and will gladly follow for as long as the novel leads. The book is about an Indian family during the years of Indira Ghandi's rule; it's also a study of the times, its politics and corruption, and was especially interesting for me, knowing so little about life in the rest of the world. It had to be a good book: after I read Such a Long Journey, I wanted to go right out and buy a plane ticket and see India for myself.

Fabulous!, 20 Oct 2008
Excellent book. The best read I have had for many years - couldn't put it down.

My favourite book, 14 Oct 2008
This is the book I recommend to every one of my friends. It is utterly beautiful, tragic and yet hopeful. I grew to love the characters and found the way Mistry conveys the complexity of human relationships wonderfully satisfying.

What the Dickens, 15 Aug 2008
As another reviewer has already said, Rohinton Mistry has echoed Dickens in this book. It is a social commentary about how well-meaning political decisions have a huge impact on the ordinary people. I read this after being badgered to by my godmother, and I am really glad that she kept on at me until i did.
It is at times an uncomfortable read - it highlights caste violence, government-backed brutality and extreme poverty, without ever sensationalising any of it. It is also, believe it or not, humourous, gentle and touching at the same time as being absolutely tragic and harrowing. the characters are beautifully fleshed-out, and the sights, smells and tastes of India are there as you read. I was so engrossed in the characters that I desperately wanted a happy ending for them all.

Whilst reading, it was sometimes hard to believe that this book is set in relatively modern times - the 70s - so cruel and astonishing are some of the incidents it relates. When I finished, I looked around at my home and children and realised exactly how fortunate I am. Not life-changing perhaps, but profoundly moving and unforgettable.


Beautiful book, 12 Aug 2008
This book is really beautiful - and one of my all time favourite novels.

Whilst it is sad, the characters also have a good sense of humour and find comfort in their unlikely friendship with each other.

I think it is also an interesting exploration of how well-meaning political decisions can have a significant impact on the individual.


A work of art, 02 Aug 2008
This is an unbelievably fabulous book. I am not going to write a long review as I do not know how to find the words to do the book justice. I've passed it on to several friends and I can't wait for them to finish reading it so I can discuss it with them.
It is very rare to read a book when the characters come alive for you. I felt I knew these characters and I began dreaming about them and thinking about them during everyday life.
The themes and issues dealt with by Mistry have changed the way I view the world and have had a huge impact upon my outlook. I cried several times during my reading of the book and had to put it aside for some hours before I could continue reading.
The ending is shocking and will stay with me forever.
I highly recommend reading this book but please be prepared for the impact it will have upon you.
Rohinton Mistry, in my view, is one of the finest writers of our day.



"Luck is the spit of gods and goddesses.", 02 Jan 2006
Sometimes compared to Dickens or Victor Hugo for the strength of his descriptions, Rohinton Mistry uses "ordinary" men and women as his protagonists and fills his novels with the sights, sounds, smells, and color of India. Depicting his characters as neither saints nor sinners, he involves the reader in their lives as they try to survive the complexities of their culture.

In this novel, Gustad Noble and his wife Dilnavaz, living in a congested apartment building in Bombay, try to lead good lives and inspire their children during Indira Gandhi's rule in the 1970s, with all its political, professional, and social upheaval. India is on the verge of war with the Muslims of Pakistan, and though Gustad, a Parsi, is aware of political chicanery, he is far more pre-occupied with having his son accepted at a school of technology, doing his job as a bank supervisor, and supporting his family. Constant blackouts and continually deteriorating conditions on the street add to the frustrations of Gustad's life.

Then Jimmy Bilimoria, an old friend, asks Gustad for help, claiming that he is training freedom fighters in Bangladesh to act on behalf of the Indian government against Pakistani "butchers." Gustad reluctantly agrees to use his position at the bank to deposit money to a secret account, but he soon finds himself enmeshed in a spiral from which he cannot break out, his life turned upside down.

Throughout the novel, the wall outside Gustad's apartment building symbolizes the larger world of Bombay and parallels some aspects of Gustad's own life. At the outset, it is used as a latrine, breeding illness in the neighborhood but keeping the noise and tumult of the street out of the apartment house. When Gustad persuades a sidewalk artist to paint it, he depicts scenes from all the religions of India, and the wall becomes a shrine--until the government decides to widen the road and tear it down. Gustad's personal crisis and the fate of the wall intersect in a conclusion both moving and profound.

Though this novel lacks the grand scale of A Fine Balance, it is a beautifully constructed and emotionally involving story of a small family trying to live meaningful lives against almost overwhelming odds. The characters are finely drawn, and the plot, though not "exciting," reflects the traumas of an ordinary man and his wife caught up in events and crises not of their own making. Wry and often humorous in its observations of people and circumstances, this early novel by Mistry has all the ingredients which make his later novels so memorable. Mary Whipple

Familiar human nature in an unfamiliar setting, 15 Apr 2005
This is the second Rohinton Mistry novel I have read ( also Family Matters) and I cannot recommend them too highly. In this novel ( which is about a bank clerk and his family; the doctor mentioned in the above synopsis is a minor character.)Mistry creates a group of characters and describes their interaction in an absorbing and convincing way. In some ways this is like a traditional 19th century English novel of family life, though set in India in the 1970s. When I read 'Family Matters', I had never been to India, but Mistry's descriptions enabled me to visualise it in a way few previous 'Indian' novels I had read had succeeded in doing. 'Such a long journey' I read during my first visit to India and I can now vouch for its authenticity and humour. The novel however is no travelogue; the characters are interesting because of their human nature. The ending was genuinely moving. A great writer.

A GREAT READ!!, 22 Apr 2004
Such a Long Journey is the first book I have had the pleasure of readingby Mistry and it has been a wonderful experience from start to finish! The culture and traditions are so alive in the book that they seem to jumpout at you and teach you something about life in India as a whole. A mostcaptivating book that I will definitely be reading again and again.

wonderfully human, 13 Nov 2002
Though lacking the dramatic power and the pessimistic philosophy of his later masterpiece 'A fine balance', 'Such a long journey' is a wonderful, extremely compassionate account of a family's struggle to maintain unity and moral integrity in the face of extraordinary circumstances: both external (the Emergency) and internal (father-son conflicts, disease etc.).
The political agenda in this novel is much reduced compared to Mistry's later work, and that perhaps renders 'Such a long journey' a less pressing and controversial book, removing some of the urgency and the vigour to concentrate instead on a very human (and universal) 'journey', which eventually leads to a very human (and universal) catharsis.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I rate it as highly as 'A fine balance' and perhaps higher that the latest, somewhat disappointing (to me!) 'Family matters'.

one of the best books in modern indian literature, 26 Feb 2002
I can't really say this is the best book in modern indian literature because my knowledge is not so deep, but you can trust me if I tell you to buy this book and throw yourself into it without esitation. You will cry ,you will smile, you will love the characters and, like me, you'll look forward for the next Mistry's novel.

Excellent book club read!, 10 Jan 2006
Firozsha Baag is a block of flats in Bombay and these linked stories, eleven of them, tell the tales of its tenants. They are seen through the eyes of Kersi, first as a boy living with his parents and brother in the flats, and finally as a writer who has emigrated to Canada. These stories are so intimate, I sometimes felt uncomfortable, as if I were seeing things I shouldn't see, laughing at things I shouldn't laugh at. The writing is wonderful and cannot be skipped over. Every word counts. That and the writer's humanity made me keep reading to the end and then start at the beginning again - and order more of his books.

Wonderful! Must must read this book!, 06 Jul 2001
Mistry has sucessfully captured the imagination of a child, who lives in an apartment building, and subsequently has adventures. This book is not just a collection of short stories, but an entire saga of the building and its inhabitants seen through the eyes of this young boy who we see growing up and, eventually, moving to Canada. A mixture of traditions, not just Parsi but a mash of all Indian cultures, this is a book which certainly has spice; the humour will sting you, and you won't be able to put this book down till it has finished!

Brilliant characterisation, 15 Nov 2008
A really fabulous book, with characters you can really care about and a plot that is always interesting and well paced. It will strike a chord with anyone who has been affected by the issues around caring for an eldery and/or ill relative. The characters are all very believable and their behaviour - good and bad - is always plausible.

The story centres around the family of Nariman Vakeel, an elderly man with Parkinson's disease, who are obliged to care for him following an accident. The presence of the bed-ridden widower in his daughter's tiny flat puts a strain on her young family, particularly when finances become tight. It's one of those stories where you feel sympathy for all of the characters, even when they are in conflict with each other. Throughout, the characters want to do what's 'right' but their human fallability means they don't always achieve it.

Although it is set in India, this is a story which transcends race or religion. People everywhere in the world will identify with the humanity of the characters, giving it truly international appeal. A great read, which I highly recommend.

A wonderful book, 20 Feb 2008
This book still resonates many years after first reading it. The charachters are three dimensional and they grow in maturity and humanity as the book progresses. A wonderful read.

"No matter where you go, there is only one important story.", 12 Jan 2006
As Mistry makes clear in this novel, the "one important story [is] of youth, and loss, and yearning for redemption...Just the details are different." With these themes as the bedrock of his story, he depicts the world of a multigenerational Parsi family in Bombay, their world changed forever when Nariman Vakeel, a 79-year-old former professor and sufferer from Parkinson's disease, falls and breaks his leg, effectively ending any possibility of an independent life. His stepchildren, Coomy and Jal, quickly dump Nariman in the two-room apartment of their younger half-sister, Roxana Chenoy, her husband Yezad, and two sons, supposedly for only three weeks, while his leg heals. Beset with financial problems, lack of space, and resentment of Coomy and Jal, who remain in their father's 7-room apartment, the family does its best, but tensions rise and slowly erode their relationships, precipitating intense personal crises for each family member.

Concentrating more on the world writ small than on the broader, more expansive views of A Fine Balance, Mistry creates a number of vibrant and fully drawn characters. Nariman Vakeel, recalling his dreams and disappointments, his 11-year love for Lucy Braganza, and his disastrous arranged marriage, is touching in his neediness and in his apologetic helplessness. His grandchildren delight in his stories and seek ways to help out; Roxana makes do in every way possible, tending to Nariman's most personal needs; and Yezad, frustrated by the lack of financial support from Coomy and Jal and a job in which he is underpaid, feels jealous of the old man's claims on Roxana. Mistry's dialogue, the subtle and not-so-subtle undercurrents it reflects, the often humorous interactions, the honest but naïve motivations of some of the characters, and the meticulously depicted and subtle decline of the family are the work of a master.

The one jarring note for me was the use of Shiv Sena, a fanatic political/religious group, as a motif thoughout the novel, their threats, extortion, violence, and fundamentalist rhetoric intruding periodically (and often dramatically) on the lives of the characters. While this obviously broadens the scope of the novel and offers a context in which to evaluate Coomy's religiosity, the fears of small businessmen like Yezad and his boss, and Yezad's eventual conflicts with one of his sons, it felt contrived to me, too strong and too obvious in what is otherwise a novel of more subtle interactions. Mary Whipple

A clever title, 10 Mar 2005
Painted on a much smaller canvas than his earlier novels (Such a Long Journey; A Fine Balance; Tales from the Firozshah Baag), it is a wonderful as the others. It focuses on one family and revolves round the care of the 79 year old patriarch who is crippled and afflicted with progressive Parkinsonism. Though there are some mean-spirited characters in the novel, the affection of others is very touching. The love of the nine year old boy for his grandfather is especially heart-warming. Mistry has the gift of bringing sheer unforced goodness to life like no other writer.

A wonderful book!, 13 Jan 2005
I adored this book about an Indian family, with a sad past, living in Bombay (Mumbai). Roxana's ageing father, Nariman, comes to live with the family in their tiny flat. He has Parkinsons, has broken his leg and is unable to move and requires full caring which Roxana is happy to provide. However, her husband Yezad resents his presence in the flat. He also has money worries which later lead him to folly.

The book deals with the caste system, as well as getting old in a really touching way. There is a wonderful passage which moved me to tears when Yezad sets aside his mixed feelings of resentment and respect, and cuts Narimans fingernails, toenails and shaves him. How very true when Yezad is pondering sickness in old age "....But in the end all human beings became candidates for compassion, all of us, without exeption..... and if we could recognise this from the start what a saving in pain and grief and misery."

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is written really tenderly but there is also humour and you cannot help but feel anguish for the characters, who, with Mistry's beautiful writing, are real and touchable.

Tales of life, 24 Apr 1999
Misty shows his brilliance in revealing the engaging lives of fascinating characters. His stories hint at the larger world of responsibility, family bonds and self-discovery, while his characters push ahead in their quirky everyday lives in Firozsha Baag. And Mistry's narrating character of Kersi, an immigrant Parsi like himself, reflecting on the extraordinary lives of ordinary people in his native Bombay, allows the reader to reflect upon his own relationships with friends, neighbors and family with more sympathy and caring. Mistry fans will enjoy this book as well as his two novels and the film version of Such A Long Journey.

Mistry is a brilliant writer, 02 May 1998
I picked up this b