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'{{for|the film adaptation|Such a Long Journey (film)}} {{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books --> | name = Such a Long Journey | title_orig = | translator = | image = File:Such A Long Journey.jpg | caption = First edition | author = [[Rohinton Mistry]] | cover_artist = | country = Canada, India | language = English | series = | genre = | publisher = [[McClelland and Stewart]] | release_date = 1 April 1991 | media_type = Print ([[Paperback]] and [[Hardback]]) | pages = 424 pp (paperback first edition) | isbn = 0-7710-6058-0 | isbn_note = (first edition, paperback) | oclc = 23652180 | preceded_by = Tales from Firozsha Bag | followed_by = [[A Fine Balance]] }} '''''Such a Long Journey''''' is a 1991 novel by [[Rohinton Mistry]]. It was shortlisted for the [[Man Booker Prize|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 In 2010 the book made headlines when it was withdrawn from the [[University of Mumbai]]'s English syllabus after complaints from the family of the [[Shiv Sena]] politician [[Bal Thackeray]].<ref name="hindu.com"/> ==Plot introduction== ''Such a Long Journey'' takes place in [[Mumbai|Bombay]] (present-day Mumbai) in the year 1971. The novel's protagonist is a hard-working bank clerk Gustad Noble, a member of the [[Parsi]] community and a devoted family man struggling to keep his wife Dilnavaz, and three children out of poverty. But his family begins to fall apart as his eldest son Sohrab refuses to attend the prestigious [[Indian Institute of Technology]] to which he has gained admittance and his youngest daughter, Roshan, falls ill. Other conflicts within the novel involve Gustad's ongoing interactions with his eccentric neighbours and his relationship with his close friend and co-worker, Dinshawji. Tehmul, a seemingly unimportant and mentally disabled character, is essential in Gustad's life, as he brings out the tender side of him 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. He then begins the long journey that sheds new light on all aspects of Gustad's personal and political life. 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]].<ref>Malieckal, Bindu (2000). "Rohinton Mistry". In Nelson, Emmanuel Sampath (Ed.), ''Asian American Novelists: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook'', pp. 219–28. Greenwood Publishing Group. {{ISBN|0-313-30911-6}}.</ref> It was [[shortlist]]ed for the prestigious [[Man Booker Prize|Booker Prize]] and for the [[Trillium Award]]. It has been translated into [[German language|German]], [[Swedish (language)|Swedish]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], [[Danish language|Danish]] and [[Japanese language|Japanese]], Korean and has been made into the 1998 film ''[[Such a Long Journey (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 [[University of Mumbai|Mumbai University]]. The book was prescribed for the second year Bachelor of Arts (English) in 2007–08 as an optional text, according to University sources. It was also confirmed that Dr. Rajan Welukar, [[University of Mumbai]]'s Vice-Chancellor (V-C) used the emergency powers under Section 14 (7) of the Maharashtra Universities Act, 1994, to withdraw the book from the syllabus. Based on a complaint, the Board of Studies (English), which had recommended the book earlier, resolved that it must be withdrawn with effect from September 15.<ref name="hindu.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/10/12/stories/2010101263421800.htm|title=Sena scion gets book withdrawn from syllabus, sparking protests|date=October 12, 2010|accessdate=October 21, 2010|location=Chennai, India|work=The Hindu}}</ref> Following this incident the book entered public debate. The teachers' union wanted the Vice Chancellor to defend academic freedom,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-10-14/mumbai/28261106_1_academic-freedom-academic-council-aditya-thackeray|title=Teachers union wants VC to defend academic freedom|date=October 14, 2010|accessdate=October 21, 2010|work=The Times Of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-10-13/mumbai/28261356_1_rajan-welukar-faculty-members-english-syllabus|title=Faculty to write to governor over dropped book|date=October 13, 2010|accessdate=October 21, 2010|work=The Times Of India}}</ref> claiming that the book was selected for literary reasons. Their point of view was that the author, Rohinton Mistry, did not think poorly of Marathi-speakers, and that the passages were perspectives of a character in the book, namely Kapur.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.livemint.com/2010/10/13203850/Free-speech-a-long-journey.html|title=Free speech a long journey|date=October 31, 2010|accessdate=October 31, 2010}}</ref> The [[List of Chief Ministers of Maharashtra|Chief Minister of Maharashtra]] [[Ashok Chavan]] (Member of [[Indian National Congress|Congress Party]]) stated that the book is "highly abusive and objectionable".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Chavan-speaks-the-Sena-language-on-Mistrys-book/articleshow/6777253.cms|title=Chavan speaks the sena language on Mistry's book|date=October 20, 2010|accessdate=October 21, 2010|work=The Times Of India}}</ref> Former Vice-Chancellor of Mumbai University and Member of the [[Planning Commission of India]] Bhalchandra Mungekar stated that "I'm fully convinced, even giving the benefit of the doubt to the book being a piece of fiction, that some sentences are certainly objectionable...there is a difference between dissenting with the political and social philosophy of an individual or organisation, and abusing the individual by name".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-10-22/edit-page/28226246_1_vc-emergency-powers-bhalchandra-mungekar|title=The spirit and autonomy of the university has been violated|date=October 22, 2010|accessdate=October 22, 2010|work=The Times Of India}}</ref> Faculty have complained of pressure tactics being used to coerce their support of the vice chancellor's decision.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-10-22/mumbai/28264925_1_syllabus-aditya-thackeray-book|title=Faculty cite pressure tactics in Mistry saga|date=October 22, 2010|accessdate=October 22, 2010|work=The Times Of India}}</ref> The book is unlikely to be reintroduced in the short term on account of possibility of law and order problems.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Mistry-s-book-unlikely-in-univ-syllabus-again/697439|title=Mistry''s book unlikely in syllabus again|date=October 14, 2010|accessdate=October 21, 2010}}</ref> Mistry has also expressed disappointment in a statement regarding the withdrawal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oImTwKx2ok0|title=Statement Against Shiv Sena Ban on Such A Long Journey|date=October 12, 2010|accessdate=October 21, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article838537.ece|title=Rohinton Mistry protests withdrawal of book|date=October 20, 2010|accessdate=October 31, 2010|location=Chennai, India|work=The Hindu|first=Vinaya|last=Deshpande}}</ref> ==Characters== ===Noble family=== *Gustad Noble ::Gustad is an ethnically Parsi, placid and very religious person in his 50s, and works at a bank. He recites kusti prayers every morning. He has three children, two sons and a daughter. Gustad is also a loving and indulging father, and is eager for his eldest son to become accomplished when he grows up. *Dilnavaz Noble *Sohrab Noble *Darius Noble *Roshan Noble ===Gustad's close friends=== *Major Jimmy "Billiboy" Billimoria *Dinshawji *Malcom Saldanha ===Khodadad Building residents=== *Miss Kutpitia *Tehmul "Lungraa" *Mr. Rabadi (the "Dogwalla idiot") *Inspector Bamji *Mrs. Pastakia *Mr. Pastakia (depressed father-in-law of Mrs. Pastakia) ===Other characters=== *Ghulam Mohammed (Major Billimoria's accomplice) *Dr. Paymaster *Sidewalk Artist (paints the black wall) *Laurie Coutino (secretary of Parsi Bank, teased by Dinshawji as "Lorrie", [[Parsi]] slang for [[penis]]) *Mr. Madon (Manager of Parsi Bank) *Peerbhoy Paanwalla *Alamai "Domestic Vulture" (Dinshawji's wife, and later widow) *Nusli (Dinshawji's nephew and adopted son) – Indira Gandhi (prime minister) ==Release details== *''Such a Long Journey'', Toronto: McClelland and Stewart (1991) {{ISBN|0-7710-6058-0}} *''Such a Long Journey'', London: Faber (1991) {{ISBN|0-571-16147-2}} *''Such a Long Journey'', New York: Knopf (1991) {{ISBN|0-679-40258-6}} *''Such a Long Journey'', London: Faber (1992) {{ISBN|0-571-16525-7}} *''Such a Long Journey'', New York: Vintage (1992) {{ISBN|0-679-73871-1}} *''Such a Long Journey'', Toronto: McClelland and Stewart (1997) {{ISBN|0-7710-6057-2}} *''Such a Long Journey'', Toronto: McClelland and Stewart (1999) {{ISBN|0-7710-6104-8}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?PID=24067&cgi=biblio&show=trade%20paper:new:0679738711:14.00 Review] {{s-start}}434313 {{s-ach|aw}} {{succession box|title=[[Governor General's Award for English-language fiction|Governor General's Award for English-language fiction recipient]]|before=''[[Lives of the Saints]]''|after=''[[The English Patient]]''|years=[[1991 in literature|1991]]}} {{s-end}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Such A Long Journey (Novel)}} [[Category:Novels by Rohinton Mistry|Such a Long Journey]] [[Category:New Canadian Library]] [[Category:1991 Canadian novels]] [[Category:Novels set in Mumbai]] [[Category:Fiction set in 1971]] [[Category:Canadian novels adapted into films]] [[Category:Governor General's Award-winning novels]] [[Category:1991 debut novels]]'