Such a Long Journey - Softcover

Mistry, Rohinton

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0679738711 ISBN 13: 9780679738718

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1992

Synopsis

It is Bombay in 1971, the year India went to war over what was to become Bangladesh. A hard-working bank clerk, Gustad Noble is a devoted family man who gradually sees his modest life unravelling. His young daughter falls ill; his promising son defies his father’s ambitions for him. He is the one reasonable voice amidst the ongoing dramas of his neighbours. One day, he receives a letter from an old friend, asking him to help in what at first seems like an heroic mission. But he soon finds himself unwittingly drawn into a dangerous network of deception. Compassionate, and rich in details of character and place, this unforgettable novel charts the journey of a moral heart in a turbulent world of change.

About this title

Review

Mistry does something that only the really natural writers can do: without apparent effort, manipulation or contrivance, he creates characters you like instantly and will gladly follow for as long as the novel leads. The book is about an Indian family during the years of Indira Ganhdi's rule; it's also a study of the times, its politics and corruption, and was especially interesting for me, who knows so little about life in the rest of the world. It had to be a good book: after I read Such a Long Journey, I wanted to go right out and buy a plane ticket and see India for myself.

From the Back Cover

“Mistry is a writer of considerable achievement.…Patiently and with loving humour, [he] develops a portrait and draws his people with such care and understanding that their trials become our tragedies.”
– Time

“A seamless, gracefully written trek through a rocky period in one man’s life.…A rewarding literary excursion.”
– Maclean’s

“This fine first novel demonstrates the bright-hard reality of India’s middle class.…Mistry is a singular pleasure to read, and his description of India is a lucid, living account.”
– San Francisco Chronicle

“A passionate embracing of life in all its manifestations.”
– Books in Canada

“A rich, humane work, undoubtedly one of the best novels about India in recent years.”
– The Spectator (U.K.)

“The world of Such a Long Journey is vivid, lively, and comic – a rich and richly recreated setting.”
– Winnipeg Free Press

“Fascinating.…Mistry manages to convey a vivid picture of India through sharp affectionate sketches of Indian family life and a gift for erotic satire.”
– New York Times Book Review

“A highly poised and accomplished work.”
– The Observer (U.K.)

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0679738711
• ISBN 13: 9780679738718
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 339