... , in a review of the novel, notes that "the story's private dimensions are not merely weighed against political circumstance; they are revealed as the personal manifestations of the same reality. . . . At the same time, the book's ultimate concerns are deeply spiritual" (62). At the end, Gustad is damaged, and he will likely never again view the world with such innocence. "But where?" he says as the novel concludes, and enters into the security of his shabby ... in its reality, A Fine Balance asks what Hilary Mantel calls an "age-old" question: "In the face of the world's beauty, in the ...

• Word Count: 4673
• Approx Pages: 19
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... , in a review of the novel, notes that "the story's private dimensions are not merely weighed against political circumstance; they are revealed as the personal manifestations of the same reality. . . . At the same time, the book's ultimate concerns are deeply spiritual" (62). At the end, Gustad is damaged, and he will likely never again view the world with such innocence. "But where?" he says as the novel concludes, and enters into the security of his shabby ... in its reality, A Fine Balance asks what Hilary Mantel calls an "age-old" question: "In the face of the world's beauty, in the ...

• Word Count: 4675
• Approx Pages: 19
• Grade Level: Undergraduate