A Suitable Boy : Novel, A

 

A Suitable Boy : Novel, A
A Suitable Boy : Novel, A
by Authors: Vikram Seth
Released: 13 April, 1994
ISBN: 0060925000
Paperback

Sales Rank: 13,795
List price: $21.00
Our price: $14.28 (You save: $6.72)
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A Suitable Boy : Novel, A > Customer Review #1:
Are you ready for a long journey into 1950s India?

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 youre thinking about reading it, youre probably wondering if its 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 cant understand whats going on in India today without a good dose of history, and Seth knows that.

Well, what if youre 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, Seths 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 dont 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 dont take my word for it -- you can read the first 20 pages and see for yourself. Youll get the tone and style of the book right away. It doesnt change after that.



A Suitable Boy : Novel, A > Customer Review #2:
Engrossing, rewarding, but ultimately somewhat forced

My instinct while reading A Suitable Boy was to compare it to Middlemarch; I guess that was due to the sprawling scope of the book. As I finished Seths book, two nights ago, I thought of Chinua Achebe and Things Fall Apart. I was reminded of Okonkwos decisions when I read of Latas. I dont want to give away the story, but I felt Seth forced his plot along at several points, particularly about three quarters of the way through when Maan and Firoz speak to one another in Saeeda Baes room. It read to me as if Seth had written himself into a rich world and compromised the integrity of his characters in order to force an ending. For example, after 1200 pages of limited omniscience, Seth stops describing Latas thoughts and emotions to us - just as shes making the choice around which the entire book has been structured. The sensation was disturbing, as if an intimate friend suddenly had developed a distant reserve toward me. I agree with many of the reader comments here; when I finished this novel I felt bereft. Partly, though, that was because Seth withdrew the characters from me well before the book ended. Seeing Lata as a sort of sleepwalker rather than as an actively intelligent, emotional person was haunting. I felt shed been beaten down. Thats how she reminded me of Okonkwo, I guess. And Ive been debating to myself, over the past two days, whether Seth would have intended her to come across that way.

A Suitable Boy : Novel, A > Customer Review #3:
You too will marry a boy she chooses

My love for this book is made all the more remarkable by the fact that it is not a style of book I would generally enjoy. But the many characters involved are so wonderfully likable that you are drawn in almost despite yourself.

Beautifully written, entertainingly driven and heart-achingly resolved, I cant imagine anyone regretting choosing to read this novel.



 
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