Family Matters

Rohinton Mistry's FAMILY MATTERS is the story of differing attitudes toward caring for the grandfather of the family. The more affluent household is repelled by the everyday requirements of taking care of an entirely bedbound elder. The less affluent household is more flexible and creative, and winds up helping grandfather through the rest of his life.

Work and young children are important parts of the family equation. The struggle to get more money in an established clerk's job winds up indirectly causing the death of his long-standing employer. There is a lot of amibiguity in the circumstances surrounding the death of the sporting shop owner at the hands of a militant Hindu association.

A fatal accident kills grandfather's stepdaughter, thereby freeing the other members of the family to combine resources and residences. A happy ending is the result.

Having read Fine Balance, I was looking forward to reading Family Matters. However, my expectations were short lived.
After reading the book I was left wondering what was the point of the entire book ! (apart from being a waste of time)
The main characters were not developed thoroughly..they were far from realistic. The less sad the better about the numerous side characters! The manner in which Yezad set up his boss was ridiculous, Coomy and Jal destroying their own apartment was even worse, and I did not know whether to laugh, cry or throw the book out whenever I read about the "handyman". The cause of Coomys death was again ridiculous. The author has delved into too many details about parsis and zorastrism which made the book even more boring.

Am glad I read this book after Fine Balance! Wonder if I should bother reading "Such a long journey"

The only conclusion I have reached is... just because you liked one book by an author, do not have the same expectations as you will definitely be disappointed.

I LOVE Rohinton Mistry, ever since picking up A Fine Balance on an overseas trip. That novel, along with this one, gave me an insightful glimpse into the everyday workings of Indian people, families, and culture. Having spent two months in India, I was even more intrigued and enchanted.

Mistry writes with an eloquence that's unrivaled by most authors today. His prose is simple yet powerful in its delivery, and I find his character development to be among the best out there.

When I read this book, I was completely swept up into the lives of the people about whom he writes. Forget that there's hardly any action going on; I was completely enthralled and felt like these families were part of my own.

I didn't want this book to end, and wish there were more modern-day writers attempting to do what Mistry has accomplished.

interesting issues are dealt with in this book. The process of aging, the hints of Alzheimers, the relationship between all family members when an elder becomes ill. The family dynamics on both sides of the grandfather's family are full of emotion, anger, even betrayal i would say. I was expecting it to be on the same level as A Fine Balance but it is slightly less. However, i would still recommend it as Mistry is one of my top 10 authors.

Rohinton Mistry's "A Fine Balance" was a majesterial novel, sublime in epic and subtle in emotion. His follow-up "Family Matters" by comparison is an exhausted novel, never really starting, and moving by the sheer force of its own inertia. The writing is hackneyed, the plot simple, the conflict nonexistent, and the resolution contrived. Unfortunately, it seems that the fame and success of "A Fine Balance" has simply exhausted a once thrilling young writer.

Once again, Rohinton Mistry turns his keen analytical eye on modern India. Nariman Vakeel, a seventy-nine year old man who suffers from Parkinson's disease, breaks his ankle. As the members of his family shift to cope with his incapacitation, their interrelationships and balance of power teeter, totter and threaten to collapse. The challenges mount and each family member must face his or her own demons. As in A Fine Balance, government and societal corruption play a large role in the progression of the story. But this is not another A Fine Balance. Mistry has introduced a whole new cast of characters and array of issues for thought. In short, Mistry has crafted another story and more characters that grab you and refuse to let you go.

The narrator, Martin Jarvis, is unfamiliar with Indian names and Hindi words. He mispronounces them horribly. He reads all minor characters' dialogue with an atrocious and offensive Hollywood caricature of an Indian accent.

Why do audio book producers insist on getting only white western people to read even nonwhite nonwestern books? It's racist as all get out.

Beautifully written. Intimate story of a difficult, but not uncommon family situation. Wisdom shines through even the minor characters. Learned something of Bombay, but mostly from insights into human dynamics gently and lovingly developed.

Like many of his works, Mistry paints a picture of an "ordinary" Parsi character, interacting with the diversity of people that is Bombay, dealing with aging and Parkinson's, and his own personal history. The photo on the cover is especially poignant. Ironically, it's a photo by acclaimed screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala; the same photo used on her beautiful coffee table book on Parsi Zoroastrians, PARSIS: THE ZOROASTRIANS OF INDIA- A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY. Clearly, Mistry was onto something when he used this photo for his book (he's said to have personally picked it) to create a visual image of his story inside.

Mistry not only helps you understand Indian culture and sub-cultures, but allows you to feel the culture as well by creating a bond with his characters.
Reading this book was like eating a really well prepared Indian meal.

Family matters is a wonderful book - from insight into India culture to the trials of growing older. The portrayal of a family and the manner in which they handle (or midhandle) family obligations, gives us an intimate connection to all that happens in this book. Mistry's prose draws us in and holds us in fascination as he takes us through the simpilicty and intricacies of the three generations of a family. A masterpiece on the human condition, a must read for anyone interested in deepening their understanding of the "human condition".

This is an awesome book,written with great flair and passion.It paints a beautiful picture of bombay and it gave me many insightful viewpoints.However,as much as I liked the book,the ending was very disappointing.What was Rohinton trying to tell us?That the events that had happened triggered Yezda to become an obsessive prayer?That it's all family matters?I think it makes no sense.I finished the book with many unanswered questions.A great plot,but a very disappointing ending.

I was very disappointed in this book. One the one hand, it did give me a peek behind the curtain into Zoroastrian society in Mumbai, which was interesting. On the other hand, all of the characters had a fatalistic attitude about everything and be determined to find a way to make a complete mess of their lives no matter what.

It reminded me of an Indian version of Coronation Street.

Very well written in simple language. Having read Fine Balance I was searching for resemblances, can't find any. Even though set in the midst of a political turmoil, I think the novel is more about the people. This I think is not a story about the Hindu Muslim riots or about the Shivsainiks. This is about average people who are trying to make a living and their ambitions. The characters are aIl someone I can relate to. I was agonizing and depressed as I read through this.

I was very disappointed in this book. One the one hand, it did give me a peek behind the curtain into Zoroastrian society in Mumbai, which was interesting. On the other hand, all of the characters had a fatalistic attitude about everything and be determined to find a way to make a complete mess of their lives no matter what.

It reminded me of an Indian version of Coronation Street.

Very well written in simple language. Having read Fine Balance I was searching for resemblances, can't find any. Even though set in the midst of a political turmoil, I think the novel is more about the people. This I think is not a story about the Hindu Muslim riots or about the Shivsainiks. This is about average people who are trying to make a living and their ambitions. The characters are aIl someone I can relate to. I was agonizing and depressed as I read through this.

A touching look at family relations and the effect of our choices on the ones closest to us. Straddling cultural boundries the author makes us realize that parents and children have the same motivations and heartbreaks the world over.