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Summary: Read this book...despite the length
Review: Probably the best book I have read in the last decade. I bought it in the UK and it has gone half-way round the world with me. I eagerly await Seth's "sequel" to this novel (if you interpret the last couplet of his Table of Contents literally, there should be one...)
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Summary: An intricate tapestry, in both detail and design
Review: Initially apprehensive of the size of the book, it draws one rapidly into the complexities of Indian family life. Seth writes with a pen that remains vibrant throughout, with enough continuity to hold the reader until the final chord. I thoroughly enjoyed it, the insight it gives to a European of Indian culture around Partition was great. Even my wife, a reluctant reader of contemporary fiction, was captured!
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Summary: Superb!
Review: One of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I recommend it to everybody
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Summary: A panorama of modern life in India
Review: This is a superb book, well worth the time it takes toread. But as a Westerner I felt that Seth has taken India to task. Heis quite critical of India political practices and is damning of India's religious complexities.
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Summary: Amazing!
Review: I have read a large number of books that attempt to capture life. However, never ever have I read a book that provides such a beautiful and myriad depiction of human nature. The writing of such a marvellous book requires a keen sense of life - it is a resource far more powerful than any technical skill. I beg you to read this book - you will love it
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Summary: After all the hype--disappointment
Review: After 'Golden Gate', 'All You Who Sleep Tonight' and all the ecstatic reviews in the Western press, I came to 'A Suitable Boy' with perhaps overblown expectations. I flung the book away in frustration about halfway through, a couple of years ago. I am Indian myself, and I must say that in the years since the book was published, it has received uniformly lukewarm reviews in Seth's home country. Perhaps it is because while all the rich detail, the food, the languages, the social systems seem incredibly invigorating reading to the outsider, an Indian is left with the nagging feeling: 'so what's new?'. Now that I have read it fully for the second time with far fewer epic expectations, I found a zesty, interesting page-turner, which is quite successful in trying to grapple with the huge complexities of Indian life in a comprehensible and fun manner. Much of the book could in fact well be set in the 90s, since so much in India remains unchanged. The book is definitely worth a read and Vikram Seth is an enormously talented wordsmith, but classic it certainly is not. I wish Seth would get back to doing what he does best--write verse
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Summary: wonderful, lavish reading
Review: This wonderful book marvelously intertwines the lives of several families in India. The plot and characters are engrossing, and despite the intimidating length of the novel, I was so infuriated at it being over I flung it across the room
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Summary: A Poetic Journey
Review: When the courtesan Saida Bai, sings through the night at a prominent Holi gathering, the sheer scholarship of this book is initially realized. The briliance of her lyrics, which range from Dagh to Ghalib, and surprisingly a very effective Mast, tantalize the young and the old and instill Maan, one of the many male characters to grace the novel, with the desire not only to win Saida's heart, but to understand her Urdu poetry. Of course, this is but one of a multitude of unforgettable moments which transpire throughout the course of "A Suitable Boy." From a young girl's quest to find herself, not to mention a suitable boy, to an aged politician's aspirations to make a change in an ever-changing India, the book never fails to intrigue the reader. The social dynamics penned by Vikram Seth are both hillarious and intelligent, and perhaps, none better have been written regarding the Indian upper-class (and the "upper" upper-class). A delicate imbrication of poetry and literary discourse partray the suthor's mastery of both mediums. The settings range from a unabashedly Westernized Calcutta to rural villiages. A beautiful book for the young and old, South Asian and Western reader alike. A poetic jouney which never fails to disappoint, "A Suitable Boy" is a landmark in contemporary literature
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Summary: A nostalgic journey for a non resident Indian
Review: I can easily say that this is the best novel I have ever read. It is especially moving for me because having never experienced the Indian way of life in the post-partition era, this book allows me to appreciate it. Moreover, I can relate to the central character, Lata, because she seems like she really existed, someone very real. All the other characters were equally intriguing and interesting. The issue about ethnic unrest is also handled well, and is unbiased. I think that this book is special to me because I am an Indian. I look forward to more work of this standard from Vikram Seth
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Summary: An amazing trek through India
Review: I stareted reading A suitable Boy just for soemthing to read. I fell under the spell of it and spent many enjoyable hours in 1950 India. The characters were well written and the events are very accurate. I am looking forward to reading more from Seth
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