Legions of gastrophilic blurb writers drown South Asian lit in a very nice béarnaise sauce with a hint of tarragon:
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Choli ke peechhe kya hai? (What’s behind the choli?) |
ALSO BY ROHINTON MISTRY: … Mistry charts the intersecting lives of Firozsha Baag, yielding a delightful portrait of a middle-class Indian community poised between the old ways and the new. Swimming Lessons is an intoxicating literary experience, as elegantly composed as a classic raga and as intensely flavored as a lamb korma.
Yes, and it’s as exciting as baseball and as delicious as a BLT. Pardon me while I light a few sticks of air freshener, put on some Christian rock and bask in exawtique, mystical Occidentalism.
Guess what borders the Vintage Books softcover edition of Mistry’s Family Matters:
Photograph… from Traditional Indian Textiles…
A Rajasthani choli. Sit down, the shock could kill you.
you should’ve left it at Stryper
too funny..just as a side note, mistry’s a fine balance is a much better book by far..
Well, I would not judge a boob-book by it’s choli-cover. I found ‘Swimming Lessons’ to be better than ‘A Fine Balance’. This book is like the Pestonji of Indian writing in English — a definitive portrayal of middle-class Parsi families in contemporary Bombay.
Or might Arzan do better?
Hey Manish, I love how this exotic-Orient is your pet peeve! 🙂
I have already explained how I’m an ignorant fool when it comes to all books fiction. But I’ve decided I shall read a book by Rohinton Mistry, as he almost, ALMOST has a fantastic first name. So which do you suggest erudite (and thoroughly well-read) mutineers? A Fine Balance?
Bong- I never got through the entirety of Family Matters, but really enjoyed Fine Balance (although it was sad).
Bongsy- Fine Balance, hands down. It will entice you so, and one fine day you’ll find that you crave to read everything else the man has ever written. I’m a loss for words, as to how great this book is… and you know, for me, that says a lot 🙂
Bongo – I concur; this is by far the best novel by RM yet and truly unforgettable!
a fine balance is one of the best books ever written.. read that thing in one night, since i couldn’t put it down… so damn moving.. unreal.. highly recommended…
BWAHAHAHAHA! Love it.
i vote for “fine balance” as well.
peace
Too late to the party. Just got Fine Balance from the library and am already at 450 pages… can’t put it down. Is Mistry Canadian? The 4 main characters are just starting to “sail under one flag” (don’t want to spoil the plot for you fine balance virgins). I’m loving it though my stomach is queasy from nervousness… I’m worried about what’s gonna happen next! I think I will be done by tomorrow night for sure, so what do you fine folks recommend for my next Mistry obsession??
i am so impressed ang – your pace is pretty crazy – yup mistry is canadian – he worked for royal bank in toronto i believe before picking up a pen – there is a ‘tale from ferozeshah baag’ with a toronto setting as well – my fav has been family matters…
tellingly… I think the cover manish posted is the american version … the cover we get here has the protagonist looking over the mumbai seawall and he is wearing a homburg and a coat and i think he has an umbrella slung over an arm – speaking from memory… do try out family matters
right… thought i’d look up the cover online… yup… the marketing is different…
Well Dhaavak, if it wasn’t for your introduction, I wouldn’t have known what an amazing writer he is.
You’d be even more impressed if you knew about how busy my day was – clients interrupting my reading and then a dog rescue effort which went awry – and then further remorse over my failed effort after reading about poor Tikka – what a bizarro day! And then Manish’s photo of the sleeping dog – don’t get me started.
You know, I can’t say I can relate to the characters immense suffering, but even today, as I went for a walk, I was more sensitive to the inequality in my own surreal neighbourhood. On my block alone, there’s a group home, upscale condos, my nice apartment building (mine), a nicer apartment bldg, a really scary slum apartment, a student apartment and a few houses. And don’t even let me start with all the characters actually living in these buildings! It’s quite polarized like nowhere else I’ve lived before. I know, I know, I’m getting mushy – all I’m saying is that fine writing such as this gives you a heightened awareness sometimes. Okay, off to finish the book! 🙂