Cursing Oprah.

I finished this book last night, or more correctly, this morning.  It was approximately 1 a.m. when I read the last of the 624 pages. I felt disgusted and sick and terrible.  I soon remembered another of Oprah's books that made me feel this way. The House of Sand and Fog also left me feeling so pukey that I refused to watch the movie when it was made.  (I think I actually threw that book out, rather than try to sell it on a rummage sale.)

So, A Fine Balance, was difficult to get into, and then I got hooked (just like I assumed that I would).  I started to like Dina, Om, Ishvar, Manek, and heck, I even liked Shankar the Beggar even though there was brief talk of his exposed testicles. And then, when we found out that Beggarmaster was Shankar's long lost half brother!! Oh the drama!!

And then all hell broke loose. The tailors went back to their village to get married and disgusting things happened.  Maneck went to Dubai basically never to return again. Dina got evicted after Shankar and Beggarmaster were killed.

YUCK.

And then the book fast-forwarded 8 years (a la Will & Grace finale style, which I HATED) and we get to learn that everything is terrible. Everybody is unhappy and poor and deflated.

So, conclusion, I hate this book.

My caveat is this: I know nothing of Indian history.  This book took place during a time period in India known as "The Emergency" -- where there was much corruptness in the government, and intense differences existed amongst the different castes.  So, in that regard, I definitely learned about a period in history that was never taught to me in school, and I'm quite sure that all the events that occurred in the book did indeed happen to actual people trying to survive during this period -- which only leads to me feeling even sicker.  I keep comparing it to the Holocaust -- and I woudn't caution anybody against learning about that.... I just wasn't prepared for this book, or the ending.

So, if you read this book -- let's talk afterwards so we can process it together, eh?