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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 = [[Image:Such A Long Journey.jpg|200px|Cover for the 1997 edition]]<!--prefer 1st edition--> | image_caption = | author = [[Rohinton Mistry]] | cover_artist = | country = [[Canada]], [[India]] | language = [[English language|English]] | series = | genre = [[Novel]] | publisher = [[McClelland and Stewart]] | release_date = 1 April 1991 | media_type = Print ([[Paperback]] and [[Hardback]]) | pages = 424 pp (paperback first edition) | isbn = ISBN 0-7710-6058-0 (first edition, paperback) | oclc= 23652180 | preceded_by = Tales from Firozsha Bag | followed_by = [[A Fine Balance]] }} {{Expand-section|date=June 2008}} '''''Such a Long Journey''''' is a novel by [[Rohinton Mistry]]. ==Plot introduction== ''Such a Long Journey'' takes place in [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], 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 retarded 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 0313309116.</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]], and has been made into the 1998 film ''[[Such a Long Journey (film)|Such a Long Journey]]''. ===Withdrawal from Mumbai University's syllabus=== Such a Long Journey was withdrawn from the syllabus of Mumbai University since it contained, in the perspective of some character in the book, discriminatory and derogatory remarks about Maharashtrians and abusive languages about Bal Thackeray, leader of Shiv Sena, a political party from Maharashtra. The paragraphs in question refer to Maharashtrians as follows- 'What to do with such low-class people? No manners, no sense, nothing. And you know who is responsible for this attitude—that bastard Shiv Sena leader..... He and his “Maharashtra for Maharashtrians” nonsense. They won’t stop till they have complete Maratha Raj' <br> ‘Wait till the Marathas take over, then we will have real Gandoo Raj,’ Aditya Thackeray, grandson of Bal Thackeray, 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 Maharashtrian community and demanded its withdrawal from the syllabus. 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=Oct 12, 2010|accessdate=Oct 21, 2010}}</ref>. Following this incidence the book entered public debate. The teachers' union wanted the Vice Chancellor to defend academic freedom<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Teachers-union-wants-V-C-to-defend-academic-freedom/articleshow/6745630.cms#ixzz14hq7Iriu|title=Teachers union wants VC to defend academic freedom|date=Oct 14, 2010|accessdate=Oct 21, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Faculty-to-write-to-governor-over-dropped-book/articleshow/6739335.cms|title=Faculty to write to governor over dropped book|date=Oct 13, 2010|accessdate=Oct 21, 2010}}</ref>, claiming that the book was selected for literary reasons. Their point of view being that the author, Rohinton Mistry, didn’t 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=Oct 31, 2010|accessdate=Oct 31, 2010}}</ref>. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Mr. Ashok Chavan (Member of Congress Party) who 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=Oct 20, 2010|accessdate=Oct 21, 2010}}</ref>. Former Vice-Chancellor of Mumbai University and Member of Planning Commission of India Dr. 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://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/The-spirit-of-autonomy-of-the-university-has-been-violated/articleshow/6787888.cms|title=The spirit and autonomy of the university has been violated|date=Oct 22, 2010|accessdate=Oct 22, 2010}}</ref>. Faculty have complained of pressure tactics being used to coerce their support of the vice chancellors decision<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Faculty-cite-pressure-tactics-in-Mistry-saga/articleshow/6790057.cms|title=Faculty cite pressure tactics in Mistry saga|date=Oct 22, 2010|accessdate=Oct 22, 2010}}</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=Oct 14, 2010|accessdate=Oct 21, 2010}}</ref>. Mistry has also expressed disappointment in a statement regarding the withdrawal<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oImTwKx2ok0|title=Statement Against Shiv Sena Ban on Such A Long Journey|date=Oct 12, 2010|accessdate=Oct 21, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article838537.ece|title=Rohinton Mistry protests withdrawal of book|date=Oct 20, 2010|accessdate=Oct 31,2010}}</ref>. {{start box}}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]]<br/>}} {{end box}} ==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] {{DEFAULTSORT:Such A Long Journey (Novel)}} [[Category:Novels by Rohinton Mistry|Such a Long Journey]] [[Category:New Canadian Library]] [[Category:1991 novels]] [[Category:Debut novels]]'