'A towering masterpiece by a writer of genius.' Independent 'A masterpiece of illumination and grace. Like all great fiction, it transforms our understanding of life.' Guardian India, 1975. An unnamed city by the sea. The government has just declared a State of Emergency. Amidst a backdrop of wild political turmoil, the lives of four unlikely strangers collide forever. An epic panorama of modern India in all its corruption, violence, and heroism, A Fine Balance is Rohinton Mistry's prize-winning masterpiece: a Dickensian modern classic brimming with compassion, humour, and insight - and a hymn to the human spirit in an inhuman state. 'Magical.' New York Times 'Monumental.' Time 'Astonishing.' Wall Street Journal What readers are saying: 'One of the most layered and beautifully executed books I've ever read ... Easily one of my all time favourite books!' 'Many say that the mark of a good book is that it stays with you; well, I read this several years ago and I still find myself thinking of the characters ... Beautiful.' 'What a storyteller, what a wide canvas he covers of India ... Wonderful.' 'One of the best and most entertaining books I have ever read ... I can't recommend it highly enough.' 'Often heartbreaking, always evocative ... A book to savour rather than to gallop through.' 'One of the best books I've read ... Not a book for the faint-hearted, but it is a book with a big heart.'