by Rohinton Mistry
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Product Description
It is Bombay in 1971, the year India went to war over what was to become Bangladesh. A hard-working bank clerk, Gustad Noble is a devoted family man who gradually sees his modest life unravelling. His young daughter falls ill; his promising son defies his father’s ambitions for him. He is the one reasonable voice amidst the ongoing dramas of his neighbours. One day, he receives a letter from an old friend, asking him to help in what at first seems like an heroic mission. But he soon finds himself unwittingly drawn into a dangerous network of deception. Compassionate, and rich in details of character and place, this unforgettable novel charts the journey of a moral heart in a turbulent world of change.
Amazon.com Review
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 Ganhdi's rule; it's also a study of the times, its politics and corruption, and was especially interesting for me, who knows 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.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Mother India under the troubled rule of Mother Indira, 2008-07-18
Poor Gustad Noble, a Bombay bank clerk buffeted by mishap and miscreants. His son wants to major in the arts rather than attend tech school; his daughter, the family pet, is inexplicably ill; his neighbors range from hostile lunatics to superstitious crones; a bordering wall has become the local latrine; and the municipal government is threatening to reduce his apartment compound in order to widen a nearby road. And on top of all that, an old, close friend writes to him with a secretive and strange and (it turns out) dangerous mission that jeopardizes the relative tranquility of Gustad's soap-opera life.
But Gustad is, basically, a decent and well-meaning man, both boorishly stubborn and fussily honest--qualities that make him an easy mark and an unlikely leader. Caught up in a plot not of his own devising, he just wants what's best for his family--and, during his long journey he is helped by a mentally handicapped young man who falls in love with an oversized doll, a scandalously boisterous coworker whose loyalty and libido know no bounds, a painter with a penchant for religious iconography, and a patient wife who alternates between roles as the family referee and moral compass.
The novel, in short, is comic, melodramatic, and heartwarming, yet its sentimental trappings disguise an unexpected cynicism. Although Mistry's fictions does not overtly deal with the political scene, both this novel and "A Fine Balance" acidly satirize the corruption, policies, and legacy of Indira Gandhi's government (the two novels are set in the years between the 1971 state of war with Pakistan and the 1975 state of emergency called by Gandhi to quell internal dissent). All citizens are expected to make sacrifices for Mother India, although "some newspapers reported it as Mother Indira, which did not really matter--the line between the two was fast being blurred by the Prime Minister's far-sighted propagandists." The ever-present threats of war and emergency lead Gustad to leave his windows taped up with blackout paper for nearly a decade, the dust and insects accumulating on top of his wife's nerves and the nation's fears. Living in the dark, the Nobles and their friends are nothing less than India writ small, a microcosmic reflection of its squabbles and reconciliations, vices and values, calamities and hopes.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Such A Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry, 2008-03-12
This novel was given to me by my mom, who loved loved loved his novel "A Fine Balance," which I insisted she read. So taken was she that she bought three copies of "Such A Long Journey" in support of this great author. It took me longer to get into this book, Mistry's first novel, but it was very good. Mistry takes us to a middle class household in India during the days of Indira Ghandi's rule, and the climax of the book coincides with the war between India and Pakistan. I have to confess, I know very little about the history of these regions. I am learning more and more because I'm seeming to find myself lost within the pages of novels of India of late. Even the late Bhutto makes an appearance, through the news media, in this book.
Primarily, "Such A Long Journey" is the story of a family, and the community of friends that makes up the larger family of society. Through the eyes of the narrator, Gustad, we see an India of hope and prosperity -- the India in which he grew up -- and the India of the novel's time, when hope begins to waver and acceptance of the life that is takes root. I think, having now read two of Mistry's novels, his gift is showing us the joy that can be found in the small things, such as friendships, and understanding. I look forward to reading other of his books, as well.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
A Well Crafted Read!, 2007-09-17
I very much enjoyed this novel set in India during the Indira Ghandi days. It primarily regards a family and their struggles and interactions with others and truly gives an illuminating picture of how things were then in India. Mistry crafts the characters extremely well. Albeit they may be flawed in ways, they are most interesting and one senses their humanity and understands their motivations. A very interesting story that I would very much recommend. I looked forward to reading it each day as it would draw me in and is a fascinating read.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Much finer than "A Fine Balance", 2006-10-24
Unlike many of the other reviewers, I was disappointed with "A Fine Balance," which I read after this book. I thought it was trite, melodramatic and, in the end, depressing -- all of which, of course, made it a prime book to be chosen for "Oprah," though I admit it was a fast read. But to what avail, if you don't like the book? I got rid of my copy as soon as I could.
By contrast, I've read "Such a Long Journey" three times and still love it. I'd agree that plot here is far subjugated to character. But the nuanced, subtle portraits of the family members, the description of their community and building, and the depiction of life in India at that time all make this a beautiful, well-written book. It steps back from the frequent depictions of Indian misery that crop up so frequently they're becoming a cliche, and by focusing on one normal, struggling family, really show a much more vivid and enduring picture of life.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
VIVID...INTRICATE PORTRAIT..AMAZINGLY TRUE TO ITS FORM.., 2006-05-09
THE AUTHOR IS QUITE TALENTED. WEAVES A SUPREME BLEND OF STORYTELLING AND INTRICATE WEB OF UNDERSTANDING. PAINTS THE PERIOD QUIET WELL. HE DESERVED THE BOOKER FOR HIS WRITINGS. HE IS STILL UNDERAPPRECIATED AND IS RELATIIVELY UNKNOWN. I RECOMMEND HIS NEXT NOVEL : A FINE BALANCE, WHICH IS WRITTEN ON AN EPIC SCALE AND DWARFS THE LENGTH AND BREADH OF THIS BOOK. ROHINTON MISTRY IS A GREAT AUTHOR AND SHOULD BE GIVEN HIS DUE.
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