Seth:a novel in four parts
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View high res cover image. Time remaining -- day s -- hour s -- minute s -- second s. The 20th-anniversary edition of the bestselling novel by Vikram Seth. The best writer of his generation — The Times. This novel, so vast and so amiably peopled, is a long, sweet, sleepless pilgrimage to life. His novel deserves thousands of long marriages and suitable readers — Guardian. No one, surely, could wish this novel shorter. Not merely one of the longest novels in English; it may also prove to be the most fecund as well as the most prodigious work of the latter half of [the twentieth] century — The TImes.
A quietly monumental novel. An immensely enjoyable novel which describes with unhurried pace the panorama of India. Everything appears familiar to us, yet in fact it is newly minted by a master artist — Hindustan Times.
Conceived on a grand scale of the great 19th century novels - War and Peace , Middlemarch - A Suitable Boy grows to match them in breadth and depth. A phenomenon, a prodigy, a marvel of 19th century storytelling in the language of today. It is hard to believe that Seth is only one man. He writes with the omniscience and authority of a large, orderly committee of experts on Indian politics, law, medicine, crowd psychology, urban and rural social customs, dress, cuisine, horticulture, funerary rites, cricket and even the technicalities of shoe manufacture — Evening Standard.
Twentieth anniversary-edition of Seth's masterly hymn to life and love set against the backdrop of an independent India. It contains many of the songs mentioned in the book. The "Rise traveler, the sky is bright" song is "Uth, Jaag, Musafir. It'll fully immerse you in Indian culture, which is neat. It's not difficult; it's still a soap opera, with lots of gossip and plot, and Seth writes cleanly. I found it hard to put down when I was reading it, but sometimes hard to pick up again when I wasn't.
But I really liked it. Nothing wrong with an Indian Dynasty. Feb 08, Margitte rated it it was amazing Shelves: The book blurb says it all. I will only add my comments. While reading this monumental novel of pages, I was wondering how much of the original offering was edited out to end up with this number of pages as the final result! I also wondered, while ploughing through it, how much of the existing book can be cut out and still leave the essential core. Probably half of it. Compared to Barbara Kingsolver and Yung Chang, Vikram Seth needed twice as much pages to tell similar stories as these two a The book blurb says it all.
Compared to Barbara Kingsolver and Yung Chang, Vikram Seth needed twice as much pages to tell similar stories as these two authors. So yes, it was a long-winded journey: This book really celebrates the good, the bad and the ugly of humankind. Rupa Mehra, with her daughter,Lata, get the train rolling when it becomes time to find a suitable husband for Lata. India in all its colorful splendor is presented to the reader to almost the puking stage, to be really honest! But how fascinating the journey!
I often wanted to just run away, and I did, since it is the end of the financial year February and what is normally a quiet relaxed month turned out to be one of the craziest in recent history. But each evening I sneaked off to bed and grabbed the book as though my life depended on it. In retrospect this book was amazing.
- Thats Why They Call Me Shine!
- A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth (4 star ratings)?
- A Suitable Boy (A Suitable Boy, #1) by Vikram Seth;
The drama lasted the entire pages and that really makes this book outstanding! There's no villains, only ordinary people writing their own histories while living their lives. I do not want to add too much spoilers and blow the plot, or give away the story. But I cannot leave out one of the most outstanding moments in the book, for me: She was the garden at Prem Nivas soon to be entered into the annual Flower Show , she was Veena's love of music, Pran's asthma, Maans generosity, the survival of some refugees four years ago, the neem leaves that would preserve quilts stored in the great zinc trunks of Prem Nivas, the moulting feathers of some pond herons, a small unrung brass bell, the memory of decency in an indecent time, the temperament of Bhaskar's great-grandchildren, indeed, for all the Minister of Revenue's impatience with her, she was his regret.
And it was right that she should continue to be so, for he should have treated her better while she lived, the poor, ignorant, grieving fool. Even the name of political parties, the titles of new bills, the speeches made in parliament, the way landowners got treated, sounded like it was written for South Africa.
Much of the events are disturbingly similar. In fact, it is a blueprint and it turned my stomach upside down. Not that it is a surprise, but it is still upsetting to experience. I liked this book. It was a brilliant presentation of Mother India and all her beautiful children. View all 10 comments. Jan 03, Ted rated it really liked it Shelves: Have to remove this one. I know I liked it, but at over pages, and occupying almost 2 inches of shelf space, it must go. I have to admit I remember little about the novel, except enjoying the story very much when I read it. Given that, it could be argued that a 3 rating would make more sense?
Song of Solomon Next review: Inventing the Middle Ages Previous library review: The God of Have to remove this one. The God of Small Things Next library review: The First Man in Rome View all 5 comments. For Thanksgiving I spent the day finishing up Infinite Jest.
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- Seth: A Novel in Four Parts - William Offutt - Google Книги.
- LA SACRA BIBBIA. LEVITICO (NO COPYRIGHT) (Italian Edition).
For a while there I thought maybe I'd always try to finish up some sort of behemoth on Thanksgiving day, since the day to me means staying in my jammies and watching The Godfather on TV while I read. The food involved can easily be made while reading or the Boyfriend steps up and makes the yummies. But then last year I went with a a shorter book choice which I was able to read all on Thanksgiving. Boy, was that a mistake. But then it so happened that I wasn't able to finish this book when I had anticipated which was about a month ago , so it wound up getting to be close to Thanksgiving.
Could I finish it off on Turkey Day? Yeah, I finished it today. And it feels good. It's a different kind of feeling than what I experienced with Infinite Jest. A Suitable Boy is another whopper of a book, but even the parts I didn't necessarily understand still made more sense to me than most parts of Infinite Jest. Infinite Jest was work , albeit a fun flavor of work most of the time.
A Suitable Boy felt like I was in a different country hello, India! When I get right down to it, that's what I have loved about A Suitable Boy - the flavor dripping from each page. This isn't just a story; it's an experience. The reader experiences the music, the food, the costumes, the scents, the emotions, the politics, and the family dynamics. I can't remember the last time I read a book with so many layers. I started out reading this alongside Freedom at Midnight , hoping that book would help me understand some of the politics I didn't know much about going into it.
And it did, probably more than I had originally expected. At first my biggest question was why Seth decided to write a book about the Republic of India in , when it seems the logical maybe laziest? But then a couple things became obvious to me. One was that was an important year too, it was an election year.
Anyone who pays attention to politics in our own country knows just how important an election year is, and just how effing crazy everything gets. That's not exclusive just to the United States. Now imagine it's the first national election after gaining independence.
Yeah, that sounds crazy-making. The other thing that became obvious was what I read in the author bio at the beginning of the book which, for some reason, I didn't read at first. Vikram Seth himself was born Now, maybe that's just a coincidence, but maybe it's not.
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It's evident to me he poured his heart and soul into this work. Seems to me this was an important novel for him to write. Makes sense to me. Somewhere in all this political turmoil and unrest is a love story, or a few different love stories. There's a huge genealogy here - the family tree at the beginning of the book helps considerably, but an understanding of the entire tree is not completely necessary in enjoying the book. The chapters flow by easily, it's not a difficult read, aside from the fact that the book itself breaks your wrists as you hold it.
As one reads, the genealogy comes together on its own.
Vikram Seth in trouble over uncompleted Suitable Boy sequel | Books | The Guardian
My point is, don't stress about it. I was most invested in Lata's story since that's where the title comes from and also I am a girl and sometimes find myself drawn towards other girls in literature. Lata and I have had completely different upbringings and family dynamics, but I can still relate to her on some level. She's an interesting character, and I believe she's the first woman in her family to have a sense of - and desire for - independence. Finding 'a suitable boy' and getting married is not her goal in life, not at this point.
She's educated, going to college, she gets a part in a school play, she has some love interest s , she's doing her own thing. But society isn't ready for that. With all of the changes the society is going through, fully independent women is not quite where it is yet in Lata's family isn't thrilled with it and ultimately Lata needs to make a decision with how she will proceed.
Seth makes it all seem absolutely riveting. I don't know what else to say. Rumor has it although I think it's beyond rumor stage at this point that Seth is working on a sequel, A Suitable Girl. If it's anything as wonderful as A Suitable Boy I think we're all in for a treat.
A Suitable Boy
If, however, as I fear, he's just banking on the popularity of A Suitable Boy But he's won me over with this one and I will be excited to see what comes next. And, because I'm a serious nerd, I hope it's as much a whopper of a book as this one. But I too hate long books: If they're bad, they merely make me pant with the effort of holding them up for a few minutes.
But if they're good, I turn into a social moron for days, refusing to go out of my room, scowling and growling at interruptions, ignoring weddings and funerals, and making enemies out of friends. I still bear the scars of Middlemarch. View all 7 comments. Jun 05, Rebecca rated it liked it Shelves: By the time I got to the end, I wanted to throw this book across the room, but by then I was exhausted.
The book was too heavy to lift and heave properly, so I slapped the paperback covers with as much derision as I could manage. Longer than Infinite Jest. Longer than War and Peace. But what do I get instead? Some review By the time I got to the end, I wanted to throw this book across the room, but by then I was exhausted. Some reviewers congratulate Vikram Seth for not indulging the romantic notions of readers who want a happy ending for his two star-crossed lovers.
That elevates A Suitable Boy above tawdry romance novels. The thing is, if I read a whole book only to have the heroine choose the easy, boring choice, that is not a story. That is just someone doing the obvious, pedestrian things we go through every day. I stuck with this story for pages because I wanted to see how the girl would end up with the perfect but tragically unsuitable boy. I am so annoyed and heartbroken.
The boring parts—hundreds of pages of boring parts—would be forgiven because the good parts were so good. But then I began turning those last pages with a sick, disgusted, wretched feeling. That cost the book two more stars. So then I should probably add a star back on because if it made me feel that emotional about it, that is effective. Jun 02, James rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is a novel of India set in the early s just after the partition, Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy provides a window into the culture and history of India at that juncture in its history through 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 contin This is a novel of India set in the early s just after the partition, Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy provides a window into the culture and history of India at that juncture in its history through a romance about a young girl, Lata, whose mother, Mrs.
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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 of the characters. Moreover the novel successfully includes all aspects of Indian life and nationality from the caste system to religious differences between Hindus and Muslims to the impact of changes in business and government life on the four families at the center of the novel. Seth's 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 a realistic family and nationalistic saga.
Without disclosing the plot details I can only assure the reader that it is worth all plus 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 succeeded in both areas. Dec 22, Faroukh Naseem rated it really liked it Shelves: I have always been impressed and awed by writers mainly because of the research and effort they put in to write the perfect tale and their imagination in bringing together characters and the details that govern each characters features Vikram Seth has to be applauded for his effort which seems to be such a petty word when we talk about this Herculean book!
Rupa Mehra wanting to find a Suitable Boy for her youngest daughter, Lata but the I have always been impressed and awed by writers mainly because of the research and effort they put in to write the perfect tale and their imagination in bringing together characters and the details that govern each characters features Rupa Mehra wanting to find a Suitable Boy for her youngest daughter, Lata but the story dwells into a lot lot more You name it and VS has given you at least a hint on their insights to India.
At its heart it really is about India, and how India deals with suddenly having to take care of itself instead of being told how to 'take care' of itself by the British The way minute details are dealt with is exemplary and the vocabulary used is very easy to comprehend although some words were totally new to me. The way he understood Islamic laws for example prove the detailed manner in which he must have spoken to religious scholars.
And how he describes the shoe making process starting from the sacrifice of the animal The court scenes really bored me and more so because i reached the first one on a weekend where i excitedly woke up at 6 to read. I've never really appreciated poetry because of the cheesiness but i loved some of the poetry included in the book and VS being a poet couldn't refrain from including dozens , And i was glad!
Some of the characters you long for while reading and VS made sure you cant get enough of so many of them. One Character i was so excited about was Zainab but she doesn't really show up later in the book. But my absolute favorite hands down was Mrs Rupa Mehra. I have used so many tags to mark pages of hers! The way i could picture so many of my aunts acting like Rupa Mehra was hilarious! That is one fictional Character i could literally relate someone to: I don't want to get into too much details and spoil a mammoth book for anyone of you who might be interested in giving away at least a month of your reading time But i really wish people would read such books to give them not just a great reading experience but a lifetime experience about how life has always been complicated, not just for us but our parents and theirs I never ever understood how postpartum depression works or why women suffer from it.
Having finished A Suitable Boy arouses similar feelings in a reader as postpartum depression in a new Mum. Well, by the you finish reading one of the longest English novels ever written and the longest English Novel written by an Indian and that Indian is Vikram Seth, you're kind of used to the story, the characters, the way their life goes on.
So, when you turn the last pa A fact: So, when you turn the last page of something that has sprained your wrists for days, you certainly feel the sense of accomplishment which matches in effort if not in pain, to delivering a baby but at the same time you're depressed you'd NEVER be able to read this book again for the first time, that its time with you in that unique one to one bond, though cherished, will never be intimate in the same sense as before.
Having expressed my feelings, thus, I will now proceed to review one of my favourite author's biggest masterpiece. To all those who wonder and have asked me, "Is there a dull moment or dry spells in the book? Not half a page and no, my blind love for Vikram Seth doesn't make me say so. In fact, as I said weeks ago about The Color Purple , it is as complete in every sense as a book could be.
I love how Vikram Seth seems to have a laugh at everyone including himself. I love how his mother's life was the theme for this story. Vikram Seth's characters are a class apart, supremely hilarious even in the gravest of situations, laughably filmy and over dramatic and yet as close to being real as characters could be. They don't claim to be perfect, they all have flaws, you will probably be angry at one or more of them during the course of the novel but you will not fail to love them despite all their faults!
Should you read it? I don't see why being daunted by the length of the novel, you should miss on something so exquisitely well written as this book. Set in India just after the country gained independence, the novel follows the story of four families over 18 months, as a mother searches for a suitable boy to marry her daughter. Although the book became a huge bestseller and was critically acclaimed, it was famously snubbed for the Booker Prize shortlist, prompting its publisher Anthony Cheetham to call the Booker judges "a bunch of wankers".
A Suitable Girl is expected to move the action from s India to the present day, where we catch up with heroine Lata, now as a grandmother matchmaking for her grandson. In my experience of not publishing A Suitable Boy [McCrum was offered the book but turned it down], watching it mature into the huge bestseller it eventually became, Vikram is a writer who will always give his work another polish.
He's slow, painstaking, but really good. The kind of novelist who's worth the wait. Penguin is gaining a reputation for taking a hard-nosed attitude toward writers who fail to deliver. Last September the Guardian reported that it was suing 12 authors in a New York court over late or nonexistent manuscripts.