Family Matters

By: Rohinton Mistry

Narrated by: Martin Jarvis

Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of the highly acclaimed A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry's eagerly anticipated novel is set in Bombay in the mid-1990s. Nariman, an ailing, elderly Parsi widower, lives with his middle-aged stepchildren and dreams of the past. When he breaks an ankle and can no longer partake of his one pleasure, a daily walk through the neighborhood, his bitter stepdaughter schemes to move him to her sister's home and relieve herself of the burden of caring for him.

The move is accomplished, but living in a new household with Roxana, her husband and two young boys sets into motion a series of events that lead to the unraveling of the family's secrets and surprising revelations from the past. Family Matters is a brilliantly evocative novel that confirms Mistry's reputation as one of the finest writers of our time.

©2002 Rohinton Mistry (P)2002 New Millennium Audio, All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

"As close to perfect as a novel can get." (Booklist)

Entertaining and poignant

Except for a few flaws of coincidence and predictability, this work is well worth the experience. The narrator is skillful and adept at taking on the characters of the novel and the book's insights into the mysteries of human life are thought provoking. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to gain a glimpse of Indian society and understand the streams of clarity in an otherwise chaotic world very unlike the West.

Amidst the sorrow, sweetness and humor

This book was a wonderful development of family life among the classes in urban India. The story involves multi-generational, common family problems found anywhere in the world. The language is lyrical and most of the family members are able to experience sorrow while finding humor and depth. Well done narration. The book kept me interested and involved from start to finish. I know it is a good book when I miss the characters after I have finished the listen.

Beautiful

I truly enjoyed this book. Extremely well-written, touching, witty, funny at times, thought-provoking. Coming from a Third World country, I could particulary related to the insanity of government-induced and government-sanctioned corruption (even if this was just one of the book's minor side-plots). And the reader is exceptionally good for the book.

Great book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I loved his book "A Fine Balance". This one is not quite as good. This would be a good book to listen to with older children. Good moral story and you learn about the culture in India.

long, sometimes slow but rewarding listen

This is a really good book, and is well dramatized, even though it is an Englishman reading rather than an Indian - I know there are Indian actors who could dramatize this equally well.
The story plods along happily, and gives a great impression of the frustrations, stifling heat and passion of being in a loving family, and these complex relationships reflect the many wounds and triumphs within India's great history. And the story twists and frustrates the listener/reader - to like the characters, but be surprised/incensed/uplifted by their actions. At times it seems to drift a little - some may welcome an abridged version - but I think the slowness of the process of getting from start to finish highlights the frustrations of living in a relatively low-tech democracy, and is much of the books charm

One of the best read novels

This is not only a great book but its audio rendering is the best of all books that I heard on audible. Perfectly dramatized.

A good listen

I enjoyed this book, which I listened to shortly after finishing another Rohinton Mistry title, "A Fine Balance." "Family Matters" starts slower, moves slower, but its payoff is in the depth of family interactions it portrays over a long period of time. "A Fine Balance" left me filled with the characters for weeks after I finished the book; "Family Matters" stayed with me, too, but in a different way. This book made me think of the wide range of family interactions I have had during my life, and instead of rating them as good or bad, positive or negative, made me rethink them in terms of the individuals themselves, rather than in relation to me. If you haven't read "A Fine Balance," I highly recommend it since it filled me with the colors of the characters. And read this one as well -- which bored more deeply into my psyche.

a masterpiece of humanity

Would you listen to Family Matters again? Why?

Mistry's ability to tell the most mundane, private life stories, and tie them with the story of humanity, nations, history is magnificent. I couldn't part with the characters when the book was finished.

Barely finished it

I bought this book because of the "unraveling of the family's secrets and surprising revelations from the past" and the great reviews. The so-called secrets were obvious and too quickly revealed. There was no build up to any of the events that happened. I was very disappointed and often times BORED.

so incredibly boring

There's far too much time spent on incredibly mundane topics. I kept wedding for something to happen. But no it's just slice of life for some residents of bombay.