Rating: 
Summary: A Beautiful Saga
Review: When someone presented me with this book as a birthday present, I thought I would never tackle it. I'm glad I found the time. The story that Seth has woven is gorgeous. Being of South Asian decent, I had to remind myself several times that this book is not set in the present day because there are so many traditions which have remained intact for the last 50 years. I found the talk of politics educational, yet tedious, and would anxiously await the story to return to the lives of Lata, Maan, Meenakshi and Saeeda Bai. This book was a true delight to read, and after getting thru 1400 pages, I was sad to see it end.
Rating: 
Summary: An Attempt
Review: Some blessing it must be
Eludes other novelists
That he simply isn't
He is first a poet Well, an attempted dedication in the author's preferred style which tries to capture the reasons for the admiration for the book. An interesting story set in the post independence India. It is a revelation of a country being reborn. Makes an interesting reading for the Generation X.
Surprising to note that the various mental states which existed then, still carry on. Marital decision still continue to stem from the two distinct schools of thought- arranged versus love. The Indian marriageables, still fight the two, willingly, unwillingly. The Mehras and their families still continue to haunt and resemble and the extended Indian family, is very much a truism. The communal flames which burned then still rage on. It is strange that as a society, we have managed to change and yet remain where we were.
In terms of content there isn't much to fill the tome. I mean that the story per se could have been contained under 200 pages. But then what do we do with the immaculate style. It makes such an interesting reading that I just loved the book. And this is one book which makes you think what sets a great book apart from a good book.
Among other things the plethora of characters is enthralling. There is a bit of everyone in the book whom you can identify with contemporary Indian society. I have personally come across Lata, Amit, Kuku, Mrs. Mehra, Meenakshi, Haresh... every now and then. But then, like I said earlier it is a great book. No more flattery... don't be lazy... just read it.
Rating:
Summary: One flaw... it's not long enough.
Review: If I had it my way, I would want the additional 600 pages Seth excised from his original manuscript tacked on to this pared down concrete slab we readers were left with. Needless to say, I loved this book. Loved it. And here's a few reasons why:
The whole story makes sense, for one thing. Seth's characters live and breathe like real people. No-one is really a superstar, or superhero... no one individual always saves the day. Almost everyone takes their turn at being admirable, vulnerable, humiliated, elated, dejected, disappointed, unsure, hypocritical, sincere, lovable, revered, loathed, snooty, exalted, and cast down. Even Lata Mehra, the girl for whom a suitable boy is being sought out, even she is not technically the undisputed protaganist in the novel... so many interesting sub-stories are at work throughout this year long adventure, that, at the end, it would be difficult to single out anyone as having the leading role. It would only be proper for them all to join hands and take a bow, our job being merely to applaud.
This book is a river with many tributaries. But it IS a river. There is a source, a unity, a connecting thread... it flows from a high point, yet the structure of A Suitable Boy is different from most "plots". There certainly is no single "bad guy" or "good guy" to point to. Here we've got four families, each member of which has their own growing up to do... and as in real life, there is no time or place for a single plot. Yet, all of them (the Mehras, Kapoors, Khans, Chatterjis), have a profound effect on each other and great themes such as pride and humility, passion and patience, the practical vs. the romantic, power and authority... these themes emerge and keep the reader not only awake, but enthralled.
It's true that there is a lot of tedious (yet necessary) political stuff going on in this book. But I found that just as I was getting tired of it (or overwhelmed, or let's say it, bored) Seth moved on... just in time, for me anyways. I can sympatize though, and see how some readers would like to set a match to that Zamindari Abolition Act! Hello? I must say that I found Lata's decision unpredictable and surprising, and right up until reading the very sentence I did not have a clue as to what she would decide to do, if anything at all. I accredit my surprise to the author's skill.
When Mrs. Mehra says to her younger son Varun at the end of the book "You too will marry a girl I choose" I had to laugh, and think "Hey, what a great foreshadowy segue into a sequel called A Suitable Girl".
And if there were such a thing of equal size to this present book, I would wade right into it without hesitation. A Suitable Boy is a masterpiece, and I'm confident that any true lover of story will not only appreciate it, but find it unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: Always a long, enchanting journey into every human passion
Review: Do not waste your time looking for Brahmpur on an Indian map: the city, simply, does not exists.
Nevertheless, reading the pages of this timeless book, the accurate description will make it look much more alive than many a real one. Lata's search for a suitable boy is one of the few books able to capture the reader's attention ever since the very first lines. Set-up in post-independence India, far from the epic telling of Rushdie's "Midnight's Children" or Vikram Chandra's excellent "Red Earth and Poring Rain" (published a few years later), this multi-layered novel, as it slowly unwraps the main character's adventures, offers a glimpse over a changing society, divided from the cultural and politic imprinting the British colonialism inevitably left and the slowly, progressive recovery of an independent identity, later leading to the splitting of Pakistan.
Lata's journey across India, either real or virtual, and across her mind, the generation conflict between a mother and a daughter, sons of wealthy people dealing with poetry, handsome men with the only guild to belong to another religion, honest working guys, unfaithful wives, a restless political class, conflicts between old idols and progress are all part of this timeless fresco of a changing society.
Using his visual skills, as well as a developed taste for sounds, as already shown in his debut novel (the award-winning "The Golden Gate", a novel in verse, on the heels of Puskin) and in the one which followed the present one ("An Equal Music") Seth masters this 1500 page long book literally hypnotising the reader, slowly and charmingly leading him to the very practical conclusion of a journey which will accompany you for the rest of your life.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing story
Review: This book is one great storyteller and keeps you enraptured with the characters and the feelings,you can lose yourself in the world that is living here.One of the most beautiful books I have read.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book of all time
Review: This book is really long, but worth the read. The characters are so richly developed, and their lives all entertwine eventually in the book. It is just amazing. I loved each and every character in this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves to read.
Rating:
Summary: EX CEL LENT !!
Review: Though it s a big book, and is very hard to start.. once you are involved with the Mehras and their relatives, you cannot live without them ...When you finish the novel, you still want to go on and know about what s happening with them ...
This novel features all the aspects of India ... history, religion, family, rituals, education, politics .. it s a complete guide to India in a very unformal way ...
Must read it !!
Enjoy your reading !!
Rating:
Summary: Are you ready for a long journey into 1950's India?
Review: I will be brief and merely add some comments to the many reviews already written on this book. First of all, I think it is a very good book, but definitely not for everyone. If you're thinking about reading it, you're probably wondering if it's worth the effort of investing in such a long undertaking. Here are some suggestions: If you are yourself Indian and/or interested in India, especially early post-independence Indian history, then you will probably find this a very interesting read. Vikram Seth manages to pack an extraordinary amount of historical, economic, social and cultural detail in his novel, which is, after all, essentially a love story. But it is also a story about -- not just set in -- India. If you have no interest in India or Indian culture (or Pakistan and sub-continental Muslim culture), you will likely be confused by many words and references, and you should keep away from this book. Likewise, if you are interested in Hindu-Muslim relations, Seth does a good job at highlighting some of the key issues and the different ways some Hindus and Muslims look at the same issues. In this, it is amazing to compare what he wrote about the 1950s with the situation in India today. You can't understand what's going on in India today without a good dose of history, and Seth knows that. Well, what if you're not really one way or the other as regards Indian history and culture, but you like big family dramas? This book is also for you. Seth has so much compassion for his characters, that you will find it very hard not to empathize with at least several of them. Moreover, he injects a great deal of humor into the book. It is a book about people, about life -- in all its aspects, about death, about family, and more. However, on the down side, Seth's writing style leaves a bit to be desired. He is no James Joyce, no Faulkner. Although at times his prose does achieve something close to poetry (Seth is originally a poet), these instances are very rare indeed. Usually at dramatic moments, I felt he was trying too hard. At other times, I found his prose simply pedantic -- not awful, just not very good. So ask yourself, how much do you care about really good writing? Most people don't care. For me, it matters a great deal, and proved a slight obstacle in enjoying this book. However, on the whole for me, the good outweighed the bad. For many people, this will be a highly enjoyable and heart-warming read. But don't take my word for it -- you can read the first 20 pages and see for yourself. You'll get the tone and style of the book right away. It doesn't change after that.
Rating:
Summary: A great book!
Review: I read "A Suitable Boy" when it first came out back in 1993 and I have been recommending it to friends and avid readers ever since. Many people would find reading a 1,400 page book a daunting task, but in this case it is pure pleasure. I, like a friend of mine, began to ration out the final chapters dreading to see the story come to an end. I loved the characters (especially Lata's mother) and the love story that is basically the heart of this novel. By the time I finished this book, I felt like these characters were friends that I knew and, I must admit, felt a great deal of sorrow to have to let them go. Seth's language is rich and transports you to 1950s India, giving you the sights and smells of the places in which he is placing you as the reader. I heard about the time the book was released that Merchant/Ivory ("A Room With a View") had bought the film rights to this book. I'd love to see them adapt this work for the big screen. In the meantime, I think I'll just re-read it. Pick up this book....you won't look back!
Rating: 
Summary: A Fun Novel
Review: Though it's quite a large book (the biggest single volume novel till now I believe) I for one have really enjoyed reading Seth's novel. It encompasses all traits necessary to keep the average reader's attention. The Stanford economist delivers all...a little comedy, drama, conflict, politics, suspense, and a unique array of characters. It's wonderful how he introduces and goes into detailed lives of all of them and makes them all have a purpose to the story in its entirety. Another big plus for the book is that it's easy to read because it's written in simple English; however, the general diction is a bit archaic. Overall: it was a very fun read.
|
