A sad saga of a parsi family. Review on Family Matters - Rohinton Mistry

I loved Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance very much. That particular book, I consider to be a masterpiece and it is sad that he did not win the Booker for it. It had a very sad ending and it was one of the reason why I hesitated to pick up his latest book. The preview on the backpage did not do any good as it made it apparent this was another sob story...

I started reading it on a long train journey and I was once again fascinated by Mistry's narrative. The story of three generations of a family is full of ups and downs. The title of the book can be interpreted in two different ways - family matters, matters of family... Both are equally correct as Mistry's story deals with the matters of one family and the message of the novel is that family matters in the real world.

What makes Mistry so great is the beautiful characters sketches that he presents in his novels. A Fine Balance is perhaps the best example of this ability of his. Family Matters is also filled with some of the most memorable characters I have ever read. His realistic characters with all shades of goodness and vices represent the everyday man. The problems that the common man faces and how he reacts to them are beautifully portrayed in the book. Each character is unique in his/her own respect and the book contrasts the characters with each other.

The ending of the novel is sad but is not as depressing as that of A Fine Balance. I would say that Mistry's novels actually do not focus on the happiness of the ending but rather give stress on the fact the there are happy moments and sad moments in our lives. We tend to amplify our griefs and remember happy times in nostalgia.

Mistry's straightforward linear narrative seems misplaced in the post-colonialist world of today, though it is actually a post-colonialist text in its own way.

Finally, I sign off by saying that the novel is a great read though I would suggest that the reader not to concentrate on the ending but to enjoy the novel as a whole.