Original language:
English Translated from: English
Authors: Mistry, Rohinton
Translated by: Žalytė, Danguolė
ISBN: 978-609-466-100-6
Published in: Vilnius
Published on: 2015
Publisher: Tyto alba
Mumbai India 1975, a country declared a State of Emergency. A country surrounded by such circumstances lead four different peoples destinies to collide. A middle aged widow , two tailors and a student from Himalayas. All of them have experienced cruelty and injustice of this world, however by trying to create brighter and independent future for themselves, they all ended up under one roof of a small flat. This coincidence became the biggest happiness for all four souls, however the fate …which brought them together will also separate them.
This novel is unique because it lets readers to experience India of that time from the inside. We get a chance to see what kind of injustice and difficulties were on peoples shoulders when a country was in political instability and full of sudden changes. Laws and police are on the money side. Poor people who live in slums are not people. They can be sold, used in any possible way, and their houses (slums) can be destroyed in the middle of the night with all properties remaining inside. This book is confronted with an even more absurd events that shatter every reader. Thanks to tailors we find ourselves in the crue life of slums. Following the life of Dyna (the widow) we bring ourselves to one of India‘s big cities, however its life is not as smooth as we expect. And lastly thanks to the student we get a glance of India‘s education system.
Despite its shocking plot this book is also interesting because it presents prevailing cast system in India. Introduce us to resident‘s approach to religion, marriage and woman status in society. This book is a mini “encyclopedia“ of India written through the eyes of its people.