Such a Long Journey

By Rohinton Mistry

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 3, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307773012

Reviews for Such a Long Journey

[nmele_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A complex, fascinating family story with layered examinations of political corruption, violence, betrayals, scapegoating and more. I particularly enjoyed learning a bit more about life for India's Parsi minority, and thought this novel, written in the early 1990s about the early 1970s, was somewhat prescient in referencing the rise of Hindu nationalism in India. I intend to read all of Mistry's novels.

[kidzdoc_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel about family relationships, friendship, and the benefits and dangers of loyalty is set in 1971 Bombay, during the brutal Bangladeshi Liberation War and President Indira Gandhi's increasingly corrupt and repressive rule. The central character is Gustad Noble, a proud and respected middle aged bank clerk, who lives with his wife and three children in an apartment complex in a crumbling middle class neighborhood. Despite an outward appearance of stability, the Noble's domestic calm has been disrupted by the decision of Sohrab, the eldest child, to forego a scholarship to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, which would likely ensure his and the family's financial stability, and a serious illness that has afflicted Roshan, the youngest child and only daughter of the family. Gustad also remains hurt by the decision of his best friend and beloved neighbor, Major Jimmy Bilimoria, to leave the Khodadad Building where they lived suddenly and without warning one year earlier. Jimmy's absence has left a large void in Gustad's life, particularly at a time when he faces trouble within and outside of home.One day Gustad receives a mysterious letter from Jimmy. The Major has joined the Indian Secret Service, and he asks Gustad to grant him a very important favor. After he deliberates on it and consults his family, Gustad agrees to help Jimmy. However, once he realizes what Jimmy has asked him to do he soon realizes that his friend has put him, his family and his career in danger. He is caught between a rock and a hard place, as Jimmy's colleagues make it clear that he may suffer repercussions from them if he doesn't fulfill Jimmy's request, which adds more stress and uncertainty to his already troubled life.Although I found Such a Long Journey to be a well written novel, filled with interesting characters, I didn't enjoy it nearly as well as I did his two other novels, A Fine Balance and Family Matters. Several key characters, particularly Sohrab and Dilnavaz, Gustad's wife, were thinly portrayed, Sohrab's decision to forgo his scholarship to IIT remained a mysterious one, given the lack of opportunities for young men with BA degrees in India, and the story ended in an abrupt and unsatisfying manner. I'm still glad that I read it, and I would recommend it, but mainly to those who have already read his previous books.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Superior novel. We forget in the English-speaking world that there's a lot of people in India who can read what we write. Mr. Mistry is a good stylist, and his picture of not only Indian life, but that of the Parsis, a Zoroastrian community, is fascinating for me. But in India, even a man seeking only to lead a quiet life, can be drawn into intrigues and some danger. A highly recommended novel!

[eyejaybee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another beautiful novel from Rohinton Mistry."Such a Long Journey" does not quite match the sheer scale and awesome majesty of his subsequent novel "A Fine Balance", but that is the only even vaguely negative comment that I can bring myself to offer about it.The main protagonist is Gustad Noble, a devout Parsi living in early 1970s Bombay (long before the West had learned to call it Mumbai) with his wife Dilnavaz, his two sons Sohrab and Darius, and his nine year old daughter Roshan. Gustad work as a senior clerk in a large bank where he is respected for his piety and application. As the novel opens Gustad is delighted to learn that Sohrab has earned a place at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), and he and his wife almost literally can't stop talking about it, blissfully telling all of their friends and neighbours. Meanwhile Gustad receives a letter from Major Bilimoria, until recently a neighbour and very close friend, who had suddenly moved away to live in Dehli. This letter asks Gustad for a favour. Gustad, initially angry that his friend could leave without a word and then, out of the blue, ask him to undertake strange errands on his behalf. After some deliberation Gustad decides to help, and complies with the Major's requests. At this point Gustad's hitherto ordered and fairly comfortable life starts to fall apart. Sohrab, grappling with customary teenage angst, becomes annoyed with all of the fuss and starts to argue, interminably, and increasingly bitterly with Gustad. This culminates with him foreswearing his place at ITT and then moving out of the family home, much to his parents' distress (though Gustad is too stubborn to admit this, even to himself).Even more distressingly, Roshan falls prey to a mysterious illness, leading Gustad to try a variety of medical treatments while Dilnavaz resorts to more mystical remedies.The novel is set in the early 1970s against the backdrop of Mrs Indira Gandhi's premiership as India inches towards war with Pakistan. Bombay is in a constant state of unrest, with police brutality, rampant political corruption and religious tensions evident all around. Mistry weaves a vivid tapestry, merging numerous threads to deliver a pellucid account of how all these worries combine to beset a good man, and how he battles to overcome them.Gustad is a heroic figure - he has moments of doubt and weakness, but he remains true to his family and friends, and struggles always to do the right thing. Despite the multiplicity of plots and sub-plots, Mistry never loses track of them, and never relaxes his control. In addition to a marvellous plot peopled by colourful and extremely credible characters, Mistry gives a fascinating insight into this period of Indian history. He also sprinkles the book with scenes of complete humour that enliven, but never compromise the novel.Read it!

[wbwilburn5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great reread. I live my Indian life through these books.

[fiverivers_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rohinton Mistry’s Such a Long Journey is one of those remarkable confluences of astonishingly beautiful writing, tightly crafted plot, and fully-developed characterization. The work is neither pretentious nor formulaic. And although there is no major crisis that takes place, no earth-shattering destruction of place or person, there is a sustained tension throughout the novel that keeps you reading, that draws you into the life of the main protagonist, Gustad Noble.The novel is set during the rule of Indira Gandhi, and is a damning indictment of both her government and American foreign policy of the time. The journey is both a physical and metaphorical one, of Gustad’s bedside visitation of a friend he thought had betrayed him, and of Gustad’s eventual realization that there are few absolutes in life beyond that of death, that for every face there are a myriad of facets. There are several subtle but poignant metaphors woven throughout this narrative, the most memorable being the character of Tehmul, who is a physically and mentally disabled man with the character of a boy, and it is this pull of the innocent versus the carnal that mirrors much of the political and social turmoil of the novel.Although short-listed for the 1991 Booker Prize, Such a Long Journey was pulled from the University of Mumbai’s English curriculum because of protests from the family of Hindu nationalist, Bal Thackeray – yet one more example in the world of unenlightened people nurturing fear-mongering.I’d urge you to read Such a Long Journey. It is a story that will nestle in your psyche and remain.

[clara53_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is human drama of the most poignant variety. It starts as a family drama but then gradually encompasses the neighborhood and, you can say, the whole country. As a family drama, it is sure to resonate with any family in any country, one could relate to it on a very personal level. As a sociopolitical drama, it brings to harsh light the inadequacies and faults of Indian politics and society. When I was in India in 1970s (the time described in the book) I saw things from a very different perspective - politically and socially, plus I was too young to understand anything in a proper way. So this novel opened my eyes on a lot of things. The story begins with the protagonist Gustad Noble, a Parsi (a minority in India), finding himself in such emotional turmoil that the saying "When it rains in pours" would be perfect to describe the situation. The turmoil escalates with every page and reaches a powerful denouement at the end of the book - a climax that is not just a family drama any more but something much, much larger. Rohinton Mistry is a very talented writer whose other novel, "A Fine Balance" made an great impression on me. "Such a Long Journey" may not be of the same caliber, but it's still a very worthy read.

[donna828 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gustad Noble lives with his wife of 21 years and his three children in Khodadad Building in Bombay. Mistry describes the sights, sounds and smells of city life with exquisite detail. 1971 is a tumultuous time in India's history and even a middle class bank employee can play a small role in the rampant political corruption.The main story, however, is about the small miracles and large misfortunes of an ordinary man with a superstitious wife, a rebellious son, and a sick daughter. Gustad makes his noble journey through life with the help of his many friends who help him discover the value of loyalty. Recommended.

[siafl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

With nice narratives and superb touches, and very often humourous anecdotes, the book has a lot of merits. However, something happened - I don't quite know what - towards the end that caused the book to lose its grip on my attention. I merely skimmed through to the end the final chapters, and when done, thought that it had left me wishing for, perhaps, a little more depth. Maybe it was because of the filthy images it created in my mind that I wished to be done with this book sooner, which I suppose would be the very thing driving me out of India if I do have the misfortune to end up stuck in that place one day. Shudder.

[baswood · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is Rohinton Mistry's first novel published in 1991 and shortlisted for the Booker prize of that year. It is the story of a community living in and around an old block of flats in Bombay(Mumbai). Gustad Noble and his family struggle to keep pace with the rising cost of living brought about by the corrupt government of Indira Gandhi and the war with Pakistan in 1971. Tensions within his family combine with illness and a corrosion of the society around him to test his strength and humanity.Gustad gets involved in a plot to fund freedom fighters in East Pakistan, through his friendship with a member of the Indian secret service. While this storyline places Gustad at risk and adds tension to the story I found it the least successful part of the novel. It is the characters in and around Khodadad Building that bring this novel to life. There are some marvellous portraits drawn by Mistry; Tehmal the mentally impaired youth that only Gustade can understand, Dinshawji, Gustads work colleague fighting a terminal illness with humour and high spirits, Peerbhoy the Paanwalla dispensing paan and tall stories outside the local brothel, Miss Kalpitia a Miss Haversham like figure who casts spells for and on the inhabitants of the Building. Many more characters provide a rich tapestry of Indian urban life and are expertly woven into the plot.Gustad's family are Zoroastrians and Mistry gives us a peek into the religious life of the family: the funerals and the towers of silence, the prayers and the ritual of kusti and how they fit into a society where they are in a minority. This is such a well written book full of atmosphere and character development. Mistry brilliantly shows us the proud Gustad bearing up to the challenges that threaten to tear him apart and becoming more human in the process. Through all the adversity Mistry gives his characters dignity and hope. There is an optimism that despite all of the things happening to them, which are beyond their control and which show no sign of changing for the better, the characters in the story will get through it all and India will endure.This excellent novel with its superb characters and descriptions of Indian urban life deserves to be read especially if you have enjoyed A fine balance This is every bit as good

[robindawson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rohinton is an outstanding storyteller and writer. His characters are so vivid and human. He cherishes each one and their story stays with me for such a long time.

[janetinlondon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such a Long Journey is the story of a decent middle aged man, Gustad Noble (I don’t think the surname is an accident), and the everyday pressures on his life in 1971 Mumbai. Things are getting worse in India – everyday goods are harder to find, higher cost and lower quality, the government seems to be getting more distant and corrupt, and now it looks like there will be war with Pakistan (the war which led to the creation of Bangladesh), only a few years after a war with China. On top of that, Gustav’s son, Sohrab, has refused to take up the place he has earned at a presitgious technical college, his daughter, Roshan, is ill, his best friend has mysteriously disappeared and may be in serious danger, his favorite workmate is dying, his flat is in desperate need of repairs, the local government wants to expand the road alongside his block of flats, eating into their small yard, and his relations with his neighbors are not all as positive as they might be. Yet through all this, Gustad maintains his dignity, stays true to his family and friends, practices his religion faithfully and carries out his job conscientiously. He also has to make a critical decision whether or not to help his friend, which could have some serious consequences, but again, his basic principles and goodness stand him in good stead, as they do in the many minor interactions throughout the book.Although I really wanted life to get better for Gustad, materially, I felt uplifted by his perseverance and sheer endurance. I was also fascinated by all the details of daily life – the early morning prayers in the courtyard, the women queuing to buy adulterated milk, the artist who paints a different religious scene, from a different tradition, on the pavement each day, and many more. I don’t know anything about 1970’s Mumbai, so I can’t say how true to life the book was, or how well it has aged. But it was interesting and heartwarming to read, and I recommend it for anyone.

[michiy_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A lovely book. A lovely story. It has the makings of a classic. Simply told, fragrant without being frilly.

[thejohnsmith · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story of a family in 1970's India - a mother and father with their three children, their neighbours, their work, their hopes and beliefs, their friendships and losses and the trials of life in general. The novel provides insight to their world and, I found, engendered a feeling of empathy for them - especially for Gustad the father. Its a good read.

[mtranter_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gustav Noble - problems with his son, his friend dies, daughter sick, implication of friend in a secret plot. Insight into India's history. Impact of corruption on common people.

[oddvark59 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very well written. Very interesting story by one of the greatest living writers of fiction.