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A Fine Balance

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A Fine Balance

By: Rohinton Mistry
Narrated by: Vikas Adam
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About this listen

With a compassionate realism and narrative sweep that recall the work of Charles Dickens, this magnificent novel captures all the cruelty and corruption, dignity and heroism, of India. The time is 1975. The place is an unnamed city by the sea. The government has just declared a State of Emergency, in whose upheavals four strangers - a spirited widow, a young student uprooted from his idyllic hill station, and two tailors who have fled the caste violence of their native village - will be thrust together, forced to share one cramped apartment and an uncertain future.

As the characters move from distrust to friendship and from friendship to love, A Fine Balance creates an enduring panorama of the human spirit in an inhuman state.

©1995 Rohinton Mistry (P)2018 Audible, Inc. Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Inspiring Tear-jerking Thought-Provoking Friendship

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This is not the type of thing I usually listen to and at over 20 hours I wondered how this book got into my library. However, I gave it a chance and it drew me in with its warmth and its depiction of callous corruption and cruelty.

Just Great and Well Narrated

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A well written story, characters full and rich. An epic! covering the Partition of India

A fantastic story covering a very important period

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The narration was just fabulous. One of my favourite books brought to life superbly by the narrator.

Brilliant audio adaptation of this book

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A wonderfully performed moving story of a reality, a country and a place in time both currantly unfolding and long gone. I leant so much and was so touched by the characters. This is an excellent audiobook to which i lookwd forward to return to until it finished.

A book that transports you

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I loved this book. The stories told by each character shone a light on life in India. Their stories are told with tenderness and even some humour in spite of the devastating outcomes.

Engrossing listen

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I won’t forget this book! Utterly absorbing and shocking. Beautifully written.
Best narration I’ve ever heard.
I can’t recommend this book enough.

Outstanding!

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Story telling at its best, epic in scale, historic detail and characters you really care about. I didn't want it to end. One of the best books ever.

Wonderful story telling

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This book is quite a listen! First off, the narration is superb. Vikas Adam has a clear voice for each character and he paces the unfolding story wonderfully.
As for the story itself, it is an emotional roller coaster of a listen. At times laugh out loud funny - with sometimes a wince at the same time, like when the huge picture of Mrs Ghandi finally fell over, which was hilarious, but the next sentence talked of people being stretchered off.... But after the laughter comes tragedy, often jaw dropping tragedy. I was listening to this as Covid 19 was gathering pace. This virus is just dreadful for us Western Countries, but for countries like India?? Where the poor really are the bottom of the pit and at the pitiless mercy of the wealthy - or higher castes.
That apart, the other thing that has struck me about the book is how well each character is drawn. Too often characters are goodies or baddies. Here, with one notable exception, everyone has both good sides and bad sides. The book is full of humanity, usually at its best. This book has really stuck with me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

A roller coaster read.

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In over 10 years of listening to audiobooks, I have not been so affected!
One needs to be prepared for the brutal misery involved in this story.
It is though, a must listen and a brilliant work.
The narration by Vikas Adam was absolutely flawless. If only more books could be handled with such care and perfection.
This was completely and utterly First Class!

A heart wrenching story told to perfection!

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This is one of those books that will leave you bereft when you've finished. The characters are so vividly drawn that they become part of your daily life whilst you are in their story and their departure leaves a real hole. The only reason I have referred to A Fine Balance as 'almost' perfect is as an acknowledgement to the sadness and corruption that unfolds within its pages. It's fairly harrowing at times, comedic at others and heartwarming throughout. The story of the four main protagonists, set against the backdrop of India during the 'troubles' is one I will never forget. This is one of those books that I will return to and I know will stay with me for life - certainly in my top five.

I have to give full credit to the narrator, Vikas Adam, who did an extraordinary job of reading this. The best audiobook I have ever listened to due to the perfect combination of literary brilliance and narrative perfection.

Perfect Narration of an Almost Perfect Novel

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