236 pages
2005
ISBN: 0-14-400013-X
Penguin Books India

Normally I wouldn’t review a book published by penguin, as I like to focus on underground or underappreciated books. Popular, big-press promoted books really don’t need any more help. But I picked this book up in a little book store in Connaught Square in Delhi when I was there this summer, and it’s unlikely to get much press (or even be readily available) over here. I liked the book, so here’s my review.

Tin Fish is, at its core, about a young Indian boy living in Calcutta in the 70s who leaves his family to go to Mayo College, boarding school in Ajmer, practically on the other side of India. Beyond that, the book is just a simple history of what passes in this boys life as he leaves home for the first time and enters upper-schooling (not sure of the exact year equivalent, but probably something like grade 9 or 10). The book, in particularly, focuses on his time at college, in particular the new friends he makes with his roommates.

The book doesn’t have any real focus beyond this, which is both a strength and a weakness. The first 30 pages of the book are really good, detailing life in the boy’s hometown, particularly detailing conflicts between the government and police corruption vs. the Naxalites (communists) and general public resistance to corruption / poor stewardship of the country. I was quite eager, at this point, for a life in India under pseudo-fascist government and corruption, ala A Fine Balance. But the theme is pretty much dropped after the boy leaves for college. The next thirty pages or so cover his transition from home life to school life. This part includes an interesting conflict between the group of uncles that run his grandfathers’ company and therefore are his father’s bosses, who disapprove of his going to a college other than the one that has been his lineage’s birthright. There is a surprisingly touching scene outside the Taj Mahal on their trip to the college.

After this, the book focus almost entirely on school life, particularly as this boy makes friends with his ‘gang’. What follows is the typical coming of age story, following each boy and their desires and troubles, introduction to girls, smoking, movies and finding out that once you leave home, home isn’t home anymore. None of this is poorly written, although there isn’t a real plot at this point. Interesting things keep happening, which I generally won’t mention to avoid spoilers - although one is given away on the third page of the book with a pretty good hook - but the novel just sort of drifts along. What saves this from being a somewhat typical coming of age story, other than fairly decent writing, is that it all takes place in India in the 1970s, which is fairly unique and interesting.

Then the novel sort of ends. Things wrap up well enough, and life goes on beyond the last chapter, certainly. It’s a satisfying end, and not surprising as the book never really gave the impression it was going to have a wild, gangbuster conclusion. The book takes a real look at life, avoiding happy endings and eschewing melodrama over tragedy, which are both things I quite like in books. One thing the book covers incredibly well – so well that I’m only realizing it now as I’m writing this review – is the change in voice from a young boy to an older, wiser and perhaps more cynical one by the end of the book. It really feels like the character has grown and changed.

Overall Tin Fish is a good book. It’s not the best thing you’ll ever read, but then it also pretty much doesn’t have any flaws. I didn’t catch myself rolling my eyes at unbelievable plot twists or author intrusion, cringe at overblown writing, nor find myself bored at any part in the book. It’s certainly worth the 250 rupees I paid for it. If you’re at all interested in India, or enjoy simple, unpretentious, uncomplicated slice-of-life type work, than I think you’ll enjoy this book.

Reviewed Feb 10th, 2006