Book Review: Tales from Firozsha Baag by Rohinton Mistry

About the Author: 

Rohinton Mistry is an Indian born Canadian writer and novelist who belonged to a Parsi family in Bombay and immigrated to Toronto in 1975. While studying in Toronto, he published two short stories in a Canadian Magazine for which he won a number of awards. He went forward and published his first book- Tales from Firozsha Baag in 1987. Since then, Rohinton Mistry has been a successful novelist who is known for his famous works like A Fine Balance, Family Matters, etc. and has also won a number of awards for the same.

About the Book: 

Tales from Firozsha Baag is a collection of eleven short stories with all the stories centred around the lives of the people living at Firozsha Baag, which is a building located in Mumbai near the Chaupati Beach and is dominated by Parsis. The building consists of three blocks, namely- A, B and C and all these eleven stories are inspired from the lives of the people and families living in these blocks. All the characters and stories are related to each other in some or the other way since all the stories are based on the residents of a common building. There are some major characters who appear to be in multiple stories and are therefore focused upon. It is in the last story that the narrator/author has revealed himself to be one of the residents at Firozsha Baag who is currently living in Toronto but is describing the stories from Firozsha Baag on the basis of all the memories he has from his childhood while he was a resident of the Parsi Building. The stories are based on the daily normal lives of these middle class families. How the people living in a common building are involved in each other’s lives and how does time passes by and the children from the building grow up while there are a number of older people who eventually die. It’s a collection of stories which is very beautiful and discusses human scenarios and emotions which are witnessed or felt by every human being.

Review: 

I had this book on my TBR list since a long time and I finally picked it up to read recently. As I started reading the book, it took me a little time to adjust to the setting of the stories since I was not much aware about the culture and methods of Parsi people. But as I gradually started adjusting to the scenario, every story started making so much sense. There were some stories which I completely fell in love with and they were so beautiful and real for any person to relate to. The way the scenario has been set up at Firozsha Baag is just wonderful and is so easy to relate to for all people who have grown up in a typical middle class household living with a lot of neighbours around. My favourite stories from the book definitely have to be The Collectors and Exercisers. These two stories also consist of the same characters over a period of a long time. I think these were the stories I found to be most relatable and emotionally beautiful at the same time. The way a teenager has been described to be confused about his feelings from a small age while he is unable to discover his hidden sexuality is just wonderful. The way the parents have been described to react to the acts of their child is also something real and the reactions from each and every character are very original. The stories are not very mysterious or thrilling to read, but the way they have been written is so wonderful. Also, the way all the stories have been connected to each other is commendable. For instance, a main character in the first story has been portrayed as a side character in many stories further. The way of writing and the story formation is very beautiful. Reading this book has been a great experience for me and I definitely learnt something or the other from every single story. The book consists of some great stories which I feel will be enjoyed by everyone who reads them. I can’t obsess anymore on the point that the book is relatable in all the ways and therefore it makes the reading experience much more beautiful!

To Read or Not To Read: 

If you are someone who is a fan of storytelling, then trust me you are going to love these stories and the way they have been written. If you are someone who has no knowledge about Parsis then the stories may not make much sense in the beginning but once you start understanding the things then you’ll just love the stories. The Collectors and Exercisers are definitely the most beautiful stories. Don’t forget to give them a read, trust me you won’t be disappointed.

You can buy the book by clicking here.

Rating: 4/5

Thank You for Reading! :)