The Scream by Rohinton Mistry

The Scream Reviews

• 
  Sue

  Thanks to Teresa for letting me know that this story is available in
  Freedom: Short Stories Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This tale is somewhat disjointed, being the rambling thoughts of an elderly man with an unstated medical condition, thoughts on his family, his home and living situation, and what happens outside on the street. I too see him as the patriarch of Family Matters...but he is not a fully reliable narrator. He no longer remembers his grandson, thinking him a servant. He sees ill wishes all around him but what are we to make of what he describes? But there is genuine humor, intelligence, despair, all present in this man who wants to continue to be valued. Whose scream is it that he hears?
• 
  Teresa

  I didn't read this short story in this illustrated edition, but in the collection
  Freedom: Stories Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The story fits with the theme of Mistry's
  Family Matters, as if it's told from the point-of-view of the same Parkinson's-afflicted patriarch, who doesn't recognize his grandson but remembers the 'big words' he's learned. He's certainly an unreliable narrator in many ways, but is he in all ways? The last line is perfect.
• 
  The Bibliophile Doctor

  One of the person on my book club recommended me reading
  A Fine Balance by same author. It is 600+ pages and it is a risk to read such a long book by an author you are new to so I decided I will find a short book by him.
  
  I found it fast but the problem was I couldn't get a copy. Amazon showed the price of whomping 50 k for such a short read and even then it wasn't available. Who buys any book for 50 k unless special editions maybe? I don't know.
  
  
  Anyways so I couldn't get the book which frustrated me but one of the reviews said that it was part of a book
  Freedom: Short Stories Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by
  Amnesty International UK and luckily I had the book.
  
  I searched and Bingo!!! Well I can't tell you guys how excited and proud I felt.
  
  The scream though just disappointed me. It is told through a pov of an unreliable narrator an Indian old man who's family treats him badly according to him. He hears the scream which others do not so they tell him not to talk about it. He explains his day to day life and nights as well when everyone else sleeps in another room and he in the living room. There were funny bits like
  
  At the crack of dawn, I emptied them down the toilet bowl. I felt a pang of loss. Was there no better use for it? here he is talking about his bedpan and I laughed out loud.
  
  But then there was few weird lines here and there which creeped me out like this one.
  
  The cement is hard on my bones, on my shriveled old arse of wrinkled-skin bags. Once, it was firm and smooth and bouncy. Once, it was a bum that both men and women enjoyed gazing after. Not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door—just the right size, and without blackheads or pimples. Firm and smooth and bouncy are the precisely operative words. Not bouncy like a Rubenesque young woman’s, but enough, so that if you were to slap or squeeze it in a friendly fashion, both of us would feel good.
  
  Or this
  
  The crotch-sniffing cur is not interested. He sticks his snout in my groin and knocks my onions around, like a performing seal. Day by day, they hang lower and lower. Great care must be taken every time I sit. Oh, to have again a scrotum tight as a fresh fig. The indignities of old age. Shrinking cucumber, and enlarging onions. That’s fate. That’s the way the ball bounces.
  
  Was this supposed to be funny? Was I supposed to be amused? Laughing at old man's thoughts and monologues? The old man is definitely not a reliable storyteller, his delusions and confusions are all over the place but this just annoyed me. And I was definitely not amused. Apart from this, the book was quite enjoyable and could relate very much to it, me being an Indian.
  Maybe I wasn't the correct audience for it coz I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. Overall it was well written but not for me. And it ended abruptly which again frustrated me further.
  Now I'm confused if I should actually read books by Mistry or not.
  
  But now I know for sure how people write this long reviews for book below 50 pages.
  
• 
  Ipshita Sengupta

  Read this as a part of the anthology of stories on Human Rights called Freedom.
  
  I enjoyed the elderly man's fragmented perspective and view of the world; his idea of what goes on in the 'back room' of the house, and how he believes his grandson to be the servant boy. Apart from presenting the shrinking life and memories of an old man, the underlying idea of the story was to question human intention; of human behaviour and the choice to be silent about certain things but to spring into action on other occasions. The old man in the story questions why the able-bodied people living across the street did not help the person who screamed for help that night, whereas the question is if he would have extended a helping hand had it been possible.
• 
  Satyajeet

  it was an easy read. I was damn happy to grab it. I had read all the other books of my favorite writer, only this one remained to be perused, finally it's happened so I'm elated.
  I'm sorry not to read it in its original form. I mean couldn't afford to buy it separately as it was published exclusively for a cause of charity, btw one day I was reading a review here and came to know that it's been published in a book called Freedom stories celebrating the universal declaration of human rights, that's when I had it in my possession.
  
  this is an amazing book by an amazing writer. here's a story about an old man, who keep hearing the screams during night, where his people take him as a madman. he's been given a separate place to sleep.
  
  They will learn, when they are old like me, untangling the enemy's
  skein of deceit becomes easier as the time goes by.
  .the screams keep coming. I weep, I pray, but the screams do
  not stop. I sleep with two pillows. One under my aching head, the
  other between my thighs. Some days I awake to an audience
  towering over my mattress and me. All the back-room heroes,
  standing there and laughing, pointing at the pillow between my
  withered thighs. I am silent then. I know the time will come when
  they, too, seek comfort in ways that seem laughable to others..
  
  So instead of taking care his people just laugh at him.
  after reading this I came to realize that I too have grandma to take care of, unfortunately it's too late cuz I'm abroad now and people there, don't take her as the old woman who may do something at times that seems laughable to others....so wish to be back someday and take care of her than take her as a crazy person.
  So it's a book about the duty of others to their loved ones.
  would love to reread it someday.
• 
  Darlene

  The Scream comes to us from Rohinton Mistry, a wonderful Canadian author who has won many awards in Canada and internationally. I've read A Fine Balance and Family Matters and loved them. He is an amazing writer.
  
  
  This novel is very small, as a matter of a fact, all total only 48 pages. However, these pages contain such a deep story. I now understand how a short story can leave a lasting impression.
  
  
  The novel is set in Bombay and it tells us a single story of an old man at the end of his life. He is very angry at his family for brushing him off all the time and neglecting him. He feels all alone now and completely misunderstood. He keeps up a steady tirade throughout the book that is at times deeply moving and at other times quite funny.
  
  
  This little book is also illustrated by the celebrated Canadian artist, Tony Urquhart. The illustrations portray the story beautifully .
  
  
  I think one of the most important aspects of this lovely book is that all royalties, donated by both authors, go to World Literacy of Canada to help the organization continue its work with women and children in India. What better reason can there be to purchase a book!
  
  
  This book was released in hardcover by McClelland and Stewart on October 21.
  
  
  http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspo...
• 
  Megan

  This book is very interesting. I loved the way it was written. Throughout the whole (very short) story I remained skeptical of the narrator but at the same time deeply sympathetic to his situation. Beautifully written.
  
• 
  Laura

  Only 48pp.! :-(
• 
  CoCo

  Brilliant.
  A fast read. Engaging and thoughtful.
  One of my favorites quotes of all time:
  "oh to have a scrotum as tight as a fresh fig"
• 
  Elizabeth

  The Scream is the first work from Rohinton Mistry that I have read, but it has definitely piqued my interest. The narrative does a clever job of following the disjointed thoughts of an elderly man as he deals with the day to day struggles of aging, mistreatment at the hands of his family, cruelties inflicted in the world around him, and more. It was an interesting look into the mind of n interesting character. The language chosen was put to use well in a way that furthered the narrative well. The illustrations worked well with the story.
  
  The story was less linear than I anticipated, but was enjoyable overall. I would recommend it, particularly as it is a very short read. I would be interested in reading more from Rohinton Mistry.
• 
  Ari

  "Nice read"
  
  The Scream is a short narrative of an old man's complain and silent protest against the misunderstanding, loss of control and restricted freedom of movement that comes with old age. Strong visual image of the frustrated struggle against time and aging. I was shocked by the beauty of the first two pages, by Rohinton Mistry's magical sentences. This little book was printed as a limited edition for the fund raising effort of World Literacy of Canada. The writings were intertwined with modern artworks. It's not bad to be inspired visually, while enjoying the mental bliss of amazing writings.
• 
  Marilyn

  A quick but very absorbing read. I picked this book up in the library and thought I'd read the first page or two but I ended up reading the whole thing. This book is a reminder of our frailty in old age and our mortality. I felt a lot of sympathy towards the book's protagonist. This is the first book by Rohinton Mistry that I have read and I really liked his writing style. I will definitely be reading some of his other novels in the future.
• 
  Jim Puskas

  Masterful!
  Within these few pages, Mistry succeeds in encompassing the sum total of an old man's shrinking world, with all of its resentment, irony, wry humor, defiance. But there's no regret or despair, just a sense of loss, accompanied by a secret grin at the knowledge that "the others in the back rooms" haven't fooled him at all.
• 
  Jim

  a terrific short story from a one of my fav novelists. this one is both tongue in cheek (keep your dictionary handy) and spot on touching regarding agism. now, get back to long form rohinton!
  
• 
  Ginny Shepley

  Very different, a short one sitting read. Illustrated by Tony Urquhart, together they have combined 2 art forms to create a collectors piece.
• 
  Correen

  The illustrations were beautiful. The story, I think would have had much more meaning to a person more familiar with the culture and challenges of India. It is beautifully written and that for that reason is a good read.
  
• 
  Mar

  Short book written from the perspective of an older man who can no longer rationally process what is happening in the world around him. Interesting illustrations and use of vocabulary.
• 
  Madhupria

  3.5 stars
  
  So much intrigue...
• 
  Lynnie

  Intoxicating brilliant and my friend has staged it!
• 
  Mark

  A short story of an old man. A sliver of life in India.
• 
  Christina Laflamme

  A very short read, it's entertaining, definitely funny at moments, it will enrich your vocabulary. Themes of ageing and apathy and senility. It's fine.
• 
  Manan Sheel

  False cold people living half lives, remember, one day you will have to die, so please live with true love and true kindness!!
• 
  Veronica

  "The flies are dropping like men."