This was my first introduction to an author who made it to the elite club of NRI writers in the 80s--- all of whom made a definite impression in the world of literature and gave Indian Writing In English the prestige it enjoys today.Rohinton Mistry is primarily known for two of his works, Such a Long Journey and Family Matters. Yet, I'm glad I was introduced to his writing with Tales From Firozsha Baag - a book of short stories where Mistry recounts life in a Parsi colony in Bombay in the 80s. Reading it makes you believe many of these experiences are the author's own childhood memories, as many of the stories relate to young boys and their growing up days. The author describes inhabitants of Firozsha Baag in splendid details, letting us into their various quirks and living patterns.There are eleven stories in the book, each one highlights one character or a family in the colony, but essentially all the stories are intertwined. So most of them making a passing appearance in every story. This is precisely what lends a lot of charm and uniqueness to the book. You get a complete sense of what these Parsi families are all about and there is instantly a feeling of connect established with the characters and their situation. There is such a lived-in feeling about the setting that you almost get the wafting smell the fish fry that is cooked in these homes.The author does not spend too much time with any character or any one particular story, so as a reader you are not really invested in any one person. In that sense, the book offers a slice of life, more like glimpses. In this Bombay apartment, there are several colourful characters – and many of the anecdotes and incidents that the author narrates would be familiar to anyone who has lived in a co-operative society.So in the first chapter, 'Auspicious Occasion', you are acquainted with the cranky, supercilious Rustamji, who won’t relent to contribute for the painting of the building. The chairman Nariman Hansotia decides to teach him a lesson by getting the workers to paint the rest of the building, leaving out the exterior or Rustamji’s flat alone.'One Sunday' introduces you to other occupants of the colony. One of it is Najamai, who is the only proud owner of a refrigerator in the colony. Another fine story is 'The Collectors', that describes the reclusive, shy Jahangir who would rather sit alone with his books on the steps than join the colony’s rowdy boys gang headed by the notorious Pesi. Mistry describes Pesi’s character with great flair and irony.Another very interesting story is 'Squatter' that talks about a boy from the colony, who goes to Canada and dreams of becoming a foreign citizen in every sense. Except that there is one small problem. He finds it impossible to perform his ablutions in the western manner in a commode. He has to squat on it, treating it like an Indian toilet, which frustrates him no end. It’s funny yet a poignant story of a man who cannot leave behind the baggage of who he really is – literally! The author does not hesitate from sharing extremely intimate details or habits of his characters. And he has a definite penchant for scatological humour, as can be observed from many of the stories.read the rest of the stories here: http://sandyi.blogspot.com/2009/10/ro...
It is said that when the British left India, they gifted their mannerism to the Parsis. I do not know the authenticity of such whimsical statements, although I have never seen any community with such great degree of clear-cut decorum. Parsi is a Persian Zoroastrian ethnic community; a minority in the Indian sub-continent. In a religion conscious environment Parsis are the most –mild-mannered and according to my adolescent psyche aromatic individuals. As a child my pleasant memories of experiencing Parsi culture were those pleasant Sundays spent with an elderly neighbor. Dhun Aunty, as we would address her, would serve our hungry mouths with the most delectable savory dishes of meat and eggs. The spicy curries and rice with caramelized onions were devoured amid the lingering aroma of sandalwood and eau de cologne. Bowls of warm bread pudding with afternoon tea while laughing your guts outs to the antics of Laurel and Hardy would see an end to a wonderful soiree. It is where I learned to differentiate between Mozart’s Symphony. 40 and ‘The Blue Danube’ (although I’m still a novice to ‘C’ major or ‘G Minor identification) and browsed Wren & Martin before it became mandatory in school. Things have drastically changed now with increase in western urbanization and vast immigration to foreign lands, yet the authenticity of the culture can be experienced in certain residential colonies strictly built for the respected community.Firoza Baag is one such residential colony adorned by a three apartment buildings and filled with the quirkiest and amusing occupants one can come across. The 11 short stories brim with incidents that flatter the humdrum lives of its occupants or events taking place at a lazy hour that either might be life-changing or may just fade away into a speck of wistfulness. The stories trickle from hilarity to seriousness of bigotry and communalism that become a major part of a sub-culture. Subtle racism, cultural labeling and the insecurities prevailing over other influential communities can be seen throughout the book. This is quite a norm here in India where preference for “fair” skin tones and understated prejudices seep into daily life. The multifarious patterns of Bombay and its people through the lives of one community are comparable to listening to ‘Moonlight Sonata’ at a crowded train station. The concluding story “Swimming Lessons” sums up the entirety of this book as it juxtaposes facts and fictions and illuminates the brilliance of a writer called Rohinton Mistry. Words fail me when it comes to Mistry’s scintillating mosaic of inconsequential lives that seem to get lost in the crowd. He captures the nitty-gritty of one of the strictest religious community in Bombay through an array of lucid emotions and gentle compassion. Through his books I breathe the sweet air of my nostalgia and observe the frowning faces of strangers wondering the tale behind the wrinkle of their middling life. Rohinton Mistry, which is why I love your words so very much.
A collection of interconnected stories about the tenants of an apartment block. The first story features a couple who have some maintenance issues in their apartment that result in physical discomfort and logistical inconvenience, and then the story winds out into a public humiliation, a frustrated attempt to celebrate a religious occasion, and a murder. Most of the events are never returned to in the remainder of the book, and although I thought this was the weakest story in the collection, it may also have been the most thought provoking. The remaining stories are faster and (at least for me) more engaging. I was previously unfamiliar with the Parsi community, and some of the vocabulary was a stumbling block for me (I would have been grateful for a glossary). As I was looking up info on the internet, I stumbled upon the fact that Freddie Mercury was Parsi, and grew up partly in the neighborhood of Firozsha Baag (but a little earlier than the time frame). Completely irrelevant to the book, but there you go....Overall, I really enjoyed it and will be reading at least one of his novels in the future.
—Patty
First let me introduce the author to you guys who recently made an entry to MY elite list of prominent authors.Mr. Rohinton Mistry was born in Bombay in 1952 and then moved to Canada in 1975.Tales from Firozsha Baag is his first novel which was published in 1987 & was nominated for Booker prize in 1996. What should i tell you about him to eulogize him,because i really fall short of words when i think about his work,his characters, the plot he creates,the narration he gives and the way he explores human psyche shows his profound knowledge of human nature.Rarely does an author,that i have encountered till writes with so much finesse.The way he uses his language to ornate his plot and stories with so much profundity of human human psyche,makes a reader to ruminate about the character he has created or is talking about.The situation & circumstances he carves out for his characters are so aesthetically placed in his stories that they effortlessly depict the elegance & style of his writing. The delectation his characters provides, a reader with mixed feelings of wit,humour,sensitivity, love,care,concern,ambition,jealously,etc.All these 11 stories are based on different human emotions and each one is peculiar in its own way.As a reader many a times i felt to be one of his characters,which Mistry creates so effortlessly.The plot is where, lies his Magic touch.I have given it a name of Mistry Magic,cuz you can never say what he's upto,the twist and turns he provides his stories with,will make your heart sway many a times before you can actually make out what the story is all about and on which human emotion it is based.The way he describes different human psyche and other human perspectives will definitely leave a mark over one's mind and heart.This Magic is so alluring that it keeps a reader mesmerized till the very last pages of the novel.This Magic works like a penchant for a reader and throughout the novel one would try to discover and unveil this Magic,which Mistry webs through his powerful words & narrations.R.Mistry is very particular about his writing and that can be felt by the way his characters react in a given situation.They can make you feel pensive,poignant,stoical,tetchy and titter all at the same time or simultaneously. All these 11 intersecting stories are based in and around a Bombay Apartment called Firozsha Baag,ranging from different decades (1950's to 1990's).The Bombay of that era was loved and adored by all.I have enjoyed everything in this novel and last but not the least the parsi dishes like dhansak,mouth watering curries blended with different spices,the aroma and the smell of those dishes can be easily felt throughout the novel,your senses would awaken and one can find hard to concentrate on novel while lingering to the aroma of curries and spices. The best way to really savour & enjoy reading this novel is to read 'a' story per day,and not whole novel at once,that way one would get absorbed by each story and the emotion it depicts,the pathos it describes and the hilarious situations it sets in.Happy Reading.... :):)
—Abhishek Pathak
"Don't you see, said Father, that you are confusing fiction with facts, fiction does not create facts, fiction can come from facts, it can grow out of facts by compounding, transposing, augmenting, diminishing, or altering them in any way; but you must not confuse cause and effect, you must not confuse with what really happened with what the story stays happened, you must not loose your grasp on reality, that way madness lies.""Father said, according to the theory, he is writing of these things because they are far enough in the past for him to deal with objectively, he is able to achieve what critics call artistic distance, without emotions interfering; and what do you mean by emotions; said Mother, you are saying he does not feel anything for his characters, how can he write so beautifully about so many sad things without any feelings in his heart?"
—Ankit Dubey
