Rating: 
Summary: The most incredible 603 pages I've ever read!
Review: I finished it yesterday, and I'm still thinking about Ishvar and Omprakesh. I still find it hard to believe that what these two gentlemen went through could possibly have happened in 1975 India. I will cherish this book for a very long time!
Rating:
Summary: What An Incredible Book!
Review: What a great book! I could not believe how different and yet how similar India is to America. I especially liked the ending, not happy and not sad, just a mediocre ending. The two characters that I had such pity for were the two tailors. What incredible suffering these two went through in their lives. I highly recommend this one. The book goes quick (It took me 11 days, and I avg. about a book every two weeks).
Rating:
Summary: Really enjoyed this
Review: A great book, well written, heart breaking.
Rating: 
Summary: Will Churn up all kinds of negative emotions
Review: A well written book, the story flows well and the characters are interesting. Set in a peroid of turmoil in India the lives of the four main characters basically portray what a comman man went through during that time. This book is not for those in a depressed mood as one tragedy after another described in this book can certainly put one it a severe bout of depression. I had to read another book (lighter content)simultaneously to prevent that from happening. Those not familiar with rural India and it's immigrants to the big city might find some situations hard to believe but the book has been well researched and depicts reality. Not one of the best that I have read but deserves high marks.
Rating:
Summary: Sadly, could be set in any third world country
Review: I have never been to a third world country and I have no desire to go to one. Reading this novel has given me a glimpse into the lives of people living in a struggling democracy, and I think that is the genius of the novel. Yes, it is depressing and you feel like crying; yes, you retch at the descriptions of living in extreme poverty; but why these visceral reactions? Because it is extremely well written and you feel like you are right there struggling alongside these beautiful characters. I couldn't wait for my day to end so I could jump back into the book and see how MY Dina Aunty, MY tailors, and MY boarder were faring. Mistry wrote these characters so well that I absorbed them into my heart and I shared their hope and despair. I think he set it in an unnamed city so that we wouldn't say to ourselves, "Oh, this isn't real, this only happened in Bombay." Mistry's point is that this can happen anywhere where there is extreme poverty and a corrupt government. So choose your own third world country, find four people, and you might come up with something like this. I was incredibly moved by this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see how difficult it can be to keep the fine balance between hope and despair when you are not a member of the First World.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting contrast to other books on India
Review: The last book about India that I have was Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy. Ultimately, I think I enjoyed Seth's book better, although this book was an interesting contrast to that epic about life in post-partition India. While I enjoyed the characters in Minstry's book very much, I found that their various misfortuntes were almost too much to be believed. While I am confident Ministry's description of the types of human rights violations during that era is accurate, I am not sure that all these things happened to everyone. Because the book is centered on a few main characters, Ministry has multiple offenses befall the same characters, one right after the other, which ended up being a little hard to believe. But overall, it was an enjoyable book that kept me interested despite it's length.
Rating:
Summary: Must read!
Review: A Fine Balance is undoubtedly Mistry's best book so far. It triggered a myriad of emotions and is hard to put down. Almost a year after reading it, I am still pondering over the events that unfolded in this novel. It realistically portrays the lives of four people of diverse backgrounds and different lifestyles, who, at the same time, have a lot in common. I don't know of a single person who has read this book and hasn't enjoyed it.
Rating:
Summary: A stitch in time
Review: This story takes place in India in the mid-seventies. The poverty is overwhelming and the government is brutal, yet the characters face their trials and tribulations with strength, courage and a sense of humour. An unlikely friendship develops between two tailors, their employer and the employer's tenant. It is a story of true friendship and a reminder of how important it is to nurture this type of friendship. The prose is delightful and the story is woven (stitched?) in such a way that a reader will hardly be able to put the book down for the last 200 pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Well woven story
Review: Really enjoyed the way Mistry was able to bring to life each of the 4 protagonist's perspective to the story. It's sad and full of symbolism with the interconnection of various people's lives which cut across religious and caste lines. This was the first book I read by Mistry and I have been very impressed. Excellant flow and character building. One truly gets absorbed in each protagonist's perspective. Though I feel that Maneck's character was not built as strongly and real as the other ones. Gives a good feel for Indian politics in the 70s as well.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Finest
Review: One of the finest books I have ever read by one of the finest authours ever. Mistry is able to deeply, subtly, vividly portay many aspects of India often ignored, denied by bringing together a cast of characters that grow on you and haunt you much after you have finished the book. I reccomend this book to anyone and everyone. Its a brilliant portrayal of India, and I am glad that Mistry does not shy away from any themes, situations or emotions.
| 
