A Suitable Boy

This is a novel of India set in the early 1950s just after the partition. In it, Vikram Seth provides a window into the culture and history of India at an early critical juncture in its history: the political and cultural climate five years after the country gained its independence from Great Britain in 1947. At the center of the novel is a romance about a young girl, Lata, whose mother, Mrs. Rupa Mehra, is searching for a "suitable boy" for her to marry.

The novel's opening section succeeded in immediately arresting my attention. Some of the most notable aspects of the novel include the subtle ways that the author suggests the continuing cultural influence of England, from the impact of literary awards to the reading habits of several show more of the characters. Whether politics, religion, industry, university life, medicine, or law is the subject, each aspect is motivated by a character who is first and foremost a member of a family. The novel stresses loyalty to the extended family and considers this involvement as protection against a harsh world. The thirty or so family members along with an array of supporting characters emerge as memorable individuals. While Seth reveals their comic and absurd sides, he always treats them humanely. The novel is a tour de force that demonstrates his skill in writing, knowledge of India, and his ability to marry the charms of a classical romance novel within the broad reach of an historical family and national saga.

Without disclosing the plot details I can only assure the reader that it is worth all 1400+ pages. The thematic development of the clash between Hindu and Muslim cultures is particularly well portrayed with the impact of historical events on the national level mirrored by dramatic events among the main families whose lives fill the plot and subplots of the novel. It is rare that such a long book is both an entertaining read and an intellectually satisfying challenge. Vikram Seth has more than succeeded in both areas. show less

I was searching for something to say about the imposing length of this book, but it seems every other review has already said it, and indeed, the author makes reference to it a few times as well. Long it may be, but extremely readable, with its smooth, polished, conversational prose and unhurried but regular pacing. In time, it covers just over a year, in people it covers four families and assorted people in their orbits, in theme it goes from comedy to tragedy to romance to domestic drama, to campus politics to national politics to urban industry to rural agriculture to religious ferment to obsessive love to social class to music, art and poetry to corruption, reform, idealism and revolt and madness and misogyny and bigotry and show more catastrophe and riot and two weddings and a funeral and so on and so forth.

Despite its sprawl, it never seems to sprawl, and though there's a lot to keep track of, the leisurely pace and the distinctive characters - who are mostly lovable to one degree or another despite very identifiable foibles and failings - moving through their lives never seem rushed or muddled or melodramatic. There's no zany plot twisting soap operatics here, and all the twists and the turns of their lives, big and small seem natural and unforced. Indeed, perhaps a more ruthless author might have visited more in the way of loss and grief on the central families -at times they seem quite blessed, despite the upheavals personal and political and social going on around them. But life can be like that sometimes too, and the experience is so immersive and vivid and the world so rich and the families so alive it seems like a small complaint that they're not quite unhappy enough. show less

"Think of many things. Never place your happiness in one person's power. Be just to yourself."

Firstly I should point that at nearly 1500 pages this is certainly one of the longest if not the longest book that I've ever read.

Taking place roughly over a period of a year in the early 1950's, most of the action takes place in the fictional town of Brahmpur. At the core of it is Mrs Rupa Mehra's attempts to find 'A Suitable Boy' for her daughter Lata to marry and finishes and ends with a wedding. However, this is more than a simple love story. Rather it features four 'modern' families (the Mehras, Chatterjis, Kapoors and Khans) as they all try and find their place in post-colonial and post-partition India and the everyday human emotions of show more love, jealousy, hope,despair found in every family worldwide. This is a celebration of life.

Although Rupa's attempts to find a husband for Lata is obviously a recurring theme, the novel is also a familial and political drama that explores Hindu and Muslim tensions in the world's largest democracy. The story is at times funny at others sad and, as it should, features many Indian words (some of which I admittedly had to look up) which adds local colour.

I recently finished Paul Scott's Raj quartet which historically finish shortly before this book begins and as this book was written by an Indian rather than a British author it acts as an interesting addendum as well as counterpoint to that particular series of books. Ultimately, I cannot help thinking that this would have been better served if it had been split in some way, perhaps a trilogy with each book featuring one particular family with the fourth acting as the link. There is a myriad of characters, many of them fascinating in their own right, but on more than one occasion I lost track of just who was related to whom and had to look at the family trees at the front of the novel to remind myself.

This book has similarities with some of the great Russian novels in its breadth and scope IMHO and given that I have a soft spot for historically based fiction, in particular social history, I rather enjoyed it but am equally glad that it has now been removed from my 'to be read' bookshelf. show less

I FINISHED!!!

And I am sad - profoundly and deeply sad - because I, well, finished.
And I never wanted this book to end. Yes, it's over 1300 pages
(hardback). Yes, it's extremely awkward to carry, especially if you're
hauling it to work everyday, or to the beach on your week off, or
balancing it precariously on your lap on the metro while the guy next to
you gives you a dirty look because the corners are jabbing into his knees, but you don't care because you're at the part where everything is happening and you can't look away.

There's not much for me to say that hasn't already been said...I am, after all, very late to this party. But goodness - the entire microcosm of not just India but humanity itself is in this book. Every human show more emotion, every shade of good and evil, every particle of humor and gravity and pathos is here, and not one note rings false.

If there is anything lacking in this book, it is that it ended. If only Vikram Seth had written this in monthly installments, ones that might come every month, guaranteed for the rest of your life, if only to ensure you would never have to separate yourself from these four families that can only become your friends after reading of their lives for so many months...

There is a consolation prize...he's apparently writing a sequel, set in the present, to be released 2013 - entitled _A Suitable Girl_. What's 2 years, after all, in the scope of things? :) show less

India has always held a certain fascination for me. Its teeming, overpopulated cities, the sacred cows, its caste system with its untouchables, and more. I have read parts of Paul Scott's THE RAJ QUARTET (and its sequel, STAYING ON) and a few Jhumpa Lahiri books - which are actually more about Indian-Americans, with only glimpses of India itself. But Vikaram's Seth's A SUITABLE BOY is quite different, in its extremely focused look at a small part of India in a limited time frame - 1951-52, just a few years after Indian independence and the subsequent breakaway of Pakistan. And of course there is the sheer bulk of the book, with its 1,475 pages, which took exactly three weeks of my reading time to get through. Because I am not a speed show more reader, or even a particularly fast reader. I like to think about what I'm reading, and all the connections and memories that arise from the text.

A SUITABLE BOY is not an easy read. Oh, the core story is fairly straightforward: Mrs Rupa Mehra, a widowed mother of four wants to find a suitable husband for her younger daughter, Lata. And this is the quest that takes over a thousand pages to accomplish. Why? Because of all the other characters, both Hindu and Muslim, in this sprawling novel - the Mehras, the Kapoors, the Chatterjis, the Khans, the Durranis and more. And there is much too about politics - local, regional and national - more than I'd have preferred. (Hence the four stars, vs. what might have easily been a five-star read.)

There are family arguments and feuds, bloody riots between Hindus and Muslims, a shocking crime of passion which nearly nullifies a lifetime friendship. But best of all are the characters, especially Lata and her various suitors, finally narrowed to a field of three, which will keep you turning the pages late into the night. And then, if you are like me, you will dream about them too.

More than once here, this sprawling novel is likened to a banyan tree with its many roots and branches, or to the mighty Ganges with its tributaries and plain. There are multiple incidents here which still seem relevant today - subplots of anti-Muslim sentiment and prejudice, or thousands of striking school teachers demanding better pay. Such elements seem taken from our own today's headlines, yet this book was written over twenty-five years ago, portraying a faraway land nearly seventy years ago.

There is so much more I could write about this giant, complex novel, but frankly I'm tired. If you're interested in India and you like good characters, you'll enjoy this book. It is worth the time invested. I'm glad I persevered. Very highly recommended.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER show less

A fascinating and hugely enjoyable book, despite being such a long work the various narratives never seem to drag or confuse me. I don't think I have read a contemporary novel before which displays such extraordinary technical ability, the whole thing seems completely effortless. Lata is a heroine who wouldn't look at all out of place in an Austen novel; she shares much of Elizabeth Bennet's wit and intelligence and is tremendously likable. Some of the political escapades towards the final quarter of the book were more than a little dry in comparison with the dramas elsewhere, but they were definitely worth ploughing through for the final section of the novel, which resolves all the various narratives with a wonderful economy and show more lightness of touch. show less

I’ll start with the end (no spoilers, promise!): I enjoyed the book once I finished it. The reading of it was another matter altogether. First, the obvious problem of size and weight (2.5 lbs!), which made for physical discomfort. As happens all too often when I decide to dig into hefty books, I felt like so much of it could have been edited out without losing much of the flavour, plot and indeed, with less dull matter to tread through, probably adding much enjoyment for the reader.

On the whole I felt that Seth was writing for his own pleasure. Not a bad thing in itself, but it seemed like he became so enamoured with his research that he felt compelled to put every little bit of it verbatim into the manuscript with no regard for the show more reader. Did we really need to read about cricket in so much tedious detail? Or have the finer points of Indian constitution circa 1951 spelled out in quite so many words? Or be privy to the inner workings of the sister of the cousin of the wife of an anonymous rickshaw driver (I exaggerate, but only slightly)? The answer according to this reader is a resounding NO.

Other than that, it was a good story which gave me a good sense of life in mid-century India, with all it could possibly encompass and then some. The main characters and story were a joy to discover and spend some time with, which is why I gave it three stars (generous, considering how annoyed at Seth I was for refusing to cut down on word count). show less