Family MattersFamily Matters
Score Modern
What it's about
Nariman Vakeel is a seventy-nine-year-old widower in Bombay with Parkinson's disease. When he breaks his ankle, his bitter stepchildren push him off onto his daughter Roxana, who lives with her husband and two sons in a tiny flat. As the family struggles to care for him and pay the bills, Roxana's husband turns to desperate measures.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Booker finalist. Mistry, author of A Fine Balance, writes warmly about an ordinary family, its sacrifices and its humor.
You'll love it if you liked
A Fine Balance
A House for Mr. Biswas
The God of Small ThingsGood to know
It's long and detailed about caregiving and daily life. There's a sad ending.
By the numbers
- Readers50 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics32 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller10 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #1016 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1875 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Rohinton Mistry
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A Lesson Before Dying
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Quick answers
Is Family Matters worth reading?
Yes. It was a Booker finalist. It ranks #1,875 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Family Matters about?
Nariman Vakeel is a seventy-nine-year-old widower in Bombay with Parkinson's disease. When he breaks his ankle, his bitter stepchildren push him off onto his daughter Roxana, who lives with her husband and two sons in a tiny flat. As the family struggles to care for him and pay the bills, Roxana's husband turns to desperate measures.
How long does it take to read Family Matters?
About 13 hours (504 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Family Matters?
If you liked it, try A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul or The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.