Such a Long Journey

Such a Long Journey is a 1991 novel by Rohinton Mistry. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won several other awards. In 2010 the book made headlines when it was withdrawn from the University of Mumbai's English syllabus after complaints from the Maharashtrian politician Aditya Thackeray. Plot introduction Such a Long Journey takes place in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) in the year 1971. The novel's protagonist is a hard-working bank clerk called Gustad Noble, a member of the Parsi community and devoted family man struggling to keep his wife Dilnavaz, and three children out of poverty. His family begins to fall apart as his eldest son Sohrab refuses to attend the Indian Institute of Technology to which he has gained admittance and his youngest daughter, Roshan, falls ill. Other conflicts involve Gustad's ongoing interactions with his eccentric neighbours and his relationship with close friend and co-worker, Dinshawji. Tehmul, a seemingly unimportant and mentally disabled character, is essential in Gustad's life, as he brings out his tender side and represents the innocence of life. A letter that Gustad receives one day from an old friend, Major Bilimoria, slowly draws him into a government deception involving threats, secrecy and large amounts of money. The novel not only follows Gustad's life, but also India's political turmoil under the leadership of Indira Gandhi. Reception When it was published in 1991, it won the Governor General's Award, the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book, and the W.H. Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award. It was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize and for the Trillium Award. It has been translated into German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Japanese, Korean and has been made into the 1998 film Such a Long Journey. Withdrawal from Mumbai University's syllabus When Aditya Thackeray, grandson of Bal Thackeray, then a final-year Arts student at St. Xavier's College, complained to the vice chancellor that the book contains abusive language about his grandfather and the Maharashtrian community, Such a Long Journey was withdrawn from the syllabus of Mumbai University.