A Suitable Boy: The classic bestseller

It's been several years already since I first read this book, and actually I just came across this review area and listing now, to see if Seth has come out with anything new (that I haven't yet read), so I decided to add a brief comment about how much I LOVED this book. It was so rich and engrossing (even if I skimmed over some of the historical/political descriptive plot parts to get more quickly back to the main love story saga plotline), I still think of this book "fondly" as one of my all time favorite favorite favorite novels, and will never forget the feeling of sadness and emptiness when I had to put the book down because it was finished! I'd never experienced that before, when I was approaching the end, I couldn't stop reading, because I wanted to know 'what happened', but at the same time, I didn't want to finish and find out, because I didn't want the book to end and have all those characters go away. It honestly felt like I had lost some friends when I'd finished that book! Like a world I had so richly and fully entered and been engrossed in had come to an end! And it was totally random that I even originally found this book! Just a listing in the paper about this author 'Vikam Seth' reading from his new novel at I think it was Kroch's and Brentano's, in Chicago, before they went out of business. Having had a former Bangladeshi boyfriend in college, and close Indian friends through him, I went to see what this was about. What a joy! And his other novel out last year about the music was enjoyable, too. (But not as deep as this!)

Many years ago a movie entitled "The River" carried the viewer along the river of life in India. Now the novel, "A Suitable Boy," does the same for the reader.
From the opening problem of "how does a mother manage to get her independent second daughter married to a proper Hindu man when other possibilities intrude?," this book presents a rich and dynamic picture of the tensions and conflicts of the time. Some of the characters are winning, some are less than winning, some are poignant. Whichever they are, we care.
Set in the period shortly after the partition, "A Suitable Boy" brings us into the heart and the heat of the social and political upheavals of the period and spans the society from untouchables to Brahmins, radical Moslems to ultra-traditional Hindus. It is a rich tapestry.
"A Suitable Boy" covers only a brief period of time but when we finally come to the end (the book does have about 1,400 pages) we feel we have travelled a wonderful river of life in India

Reading Seth's novel was indescribably pleasurable for me--I felt I just lost myself in the intertwining storylines, and I couldn't think of anything else during the week I read it--I found myself waiting all day until I would get to pick it up again. Multiplot novels can sometimes be frustrating in that you can be absorbed by one of the storylines but not in another (everyone loves the Pierre and Natasha parts of WAR AND PEACE, for example, but most people find themselves getting bored by the "war" sections). But A SUITABLE BOY didn't read that way at all: just when he'd finish with one storyline, Seth would pick up with another equally engrossing so that you'd almost forget what a good time you had reading the previous one (and then be delighted when he picked it up again because you had forgotten how much you had liked the earlier one).
The best comparisons of this novel are to MIDDLEMARCH and the finest Trollope novels--its really that enjoyable.

After reading this 1300+ page drama, I feel intimately connected with Lata, and Haresh, and Malati and Maan and all the wonderfully colorful characters brought to life in these pages. As if by magic, India became a real place to me, and the customs and cultural voyages the author takes are beautiful and very well written. Sometimes I could smell the paan, other times I could feel the political hostilities in my veins. Vikram Seth's occasional slippage into the homosexual realm can be easily forgiven, as he doesn't paint the novel with it, merely taps the subject, jerking the reader into an awareness of it's existence, and then leaving it. My life became somewhat entwined with Seth's characters, I feel I know them now, and I feel as though I always will. This novel is not a page turner, stay-up-late kind of book. Rather, it is a friendly companion, able to take you away at a moment's notice - but not too far away. Read it. You'll make new friends.

I had read numerous reviews of "A Suitable Boy" before I tackled it. I will agree that it is a very well written and engrossing book that is both hard to hold up (due to weight) and hard to put down (due to writing skills). I felt a sense of accomplishment when I finished it.But NO ONE mentioned in any reviews that I should be knowledgeable about Hindi or (somewhat about) the Moslem religion or holidays or beliefs of both. I did know about the partitioning, Gandhi and Nehru but the common use of many words which would be known to an educated citizen or India, were not known to me. I wanted to fully understand the book so I looked up everything in regard to such customs. I wish the author had put an Indian Glossary in the back as it would have made it so much easier and more enjoyable.

This book certainly deserves five stars for the simple fact that any author with an imagination that can hold the reader's attention for some 1400 pages deserves a high rating. This book isn't for everyone. If I hadn't spent six years of my adult life in India, I would not be able to relate so well to the story and the characters. A soap opera for sure, it is still captivating and covers all social levels in India, from old rich to new rich, from poor villagers to artists, and how their live's intertwine. I was particularly impressed by Seth's knowledge of classical Indian music and the captivating world of the baijis. It is also a story of how in traditional India, life begins and ends with marriage, and how Lata's final choice of all her suiters was the one you didn't want her to choose, but would expect, if you know India. This novel, in a sense, is true. It is a master piece in defining the social strata of India.

Many reviewers here evidently know much more about India than I do. I did not in fact approach this book as about India but about people who happen to live in India. Indeed, the manner in which a match was to be found for the girl (i.e., a suitable boy) reminded me of stories I heard about matchmakers in Jewish tradition and I guess some of it might remind one of Jane Austen. Anyway, I found that I simply could not put this long book down - it devoured several days of my life but very pleasantly (at least until the end, which like many others, I disliked - actually, I hated it, which is why I took a star away). I only wish I could find more books like it with characters I found believable and, in many cases, congenial. A good read.

One could say that "A Suitable Boy" is the perfect title for this work by Vikram Seth as it is indeed the tale of Lata's search for an ideal husband, according both to Lata's own and her family's definitions of "suitable"; be they social, religious, political or personal. Alongside her and her family, we are lead to antagonise over how much she should value love; how much she may be willing to sacrifice for it and where following intense love might lead. We share these and many other quandries with her. However, around Lata there are many other lives, each inter-twined with her own, yet heading in its own direction. As is the case in real life, there is never just one story, and I am tempted to say that reading "A Suitable Boy" is like living in the heart of India and, more specifically, in the heart of the world Seth created, with all your soul.
So much are we drawn into the characters' lives by the rich nature of Seth's descriptions and dialogues, that it is very tedious to have to do anything else but read and be with them all. I am not sure what I will do without them now that I have sadly reached the end and discovered who the suitable boy actually was.........
This is a very special book indeed, perhaps the best I have ever read.

This lengthy and fascinating novel is set in post-Independence India. Lata is a young university student with a passion for Jane Austen and P.G. Wodehouse. Her mother, who has succesfully married off her two older children, is anxious to find a 'suitable boy' for Lata.

Unfortunately, Lata has fallen for a most unsuitable boy, a fellow student. He is handsome, charming, intelligent - and a Muslim. Lata is courted by two other young men, a handsome dilletante who writes poetry, and an ambitious shoemaker who wants to get on in the world.

This novel has several different sets of characters whose stories are interwoven and overlap, but it is Lata and her delightful family who made the most vivivd impression on me. My favourite character is Lata's mother, warmhearted, eager and ambitious for her children, she is utterly charming.

This story is full of fascinating characters and gripping stories which unfold against a vividly realised Indian background. I don't normally enjoy reading very, very long novels, but I couldn't put this one down.

A sprawling and self-indulgent feast of family and social interactions that wonderfully illuminate the Indian cultural, social, and political landscape of 1952. Religious tensions, urdu poetry and music, family hierarchy and mating rituals and challenges, religious tolerance and intolerance interwoven with politics, the legacy of the Indian aristocracies and the emerging aristocracies within bureaucratic universities and parliaments. There is ample space for everything in a book that is said to be the longest single volume novel in the English language.
The size is not for the faint hearted, and little is lost by using "speed reading" techniques.
A rich treasure.

The book is fine, not amazing. Just fine. It is impressive in its length and breadth but I did not find it a great novel. I'm not sorry I read it, but I wouldn't read it again.

While I am impressed with Seth's range of knowledge, I think, much like Haresh when talking about his work, he forgets that not everyone is interested in so much detail. And there was plenty: about parliamentary proceedings, about legal proceedings, about poems, about shoemaking... There was a lot of self-indulgence on the part of the author.

Part of the problem too is the length; as I would become engrossed in a particular story line - there are many - it would stop in favor of another, sometimes for a significant amount of pages. Also, the multiple and complicated story lines prevented the book from achieving much depth of character. I found that I liked many of people, but they were often one-dimensional. Mrs. Rupa Mehra was an overly emotional over-reacter. Over and over again. Arun was a selfish arrogant bully. All the time.

[Plot reveal alert: And Lata, who had the most potential, was the biggest disappointment to me. She went from showing some independence and spirit to, well, choosing to avoid real feelings. And while I thought that Lata's reasoning has its merits - passion alone does not a happy marriage make - I didn't believe she actually got there herself. In one instant she had decided H. was not for her, and then, as we got close to the end, she suddenly changes her mind. Sure, her relationship with Kabir was complicated - so don't marry him. Don't marry anyone yet. That would have been more in keeping with Lata's character. It seemed to me that the ending was chosen because it was the most convenient. Her decision worked well for wrapping up the book - after all, if she had chosen someone else, the reader would want to know more about her married life, probably necessitating another 500 pages. Instead, her choice left me with no interest whatsoever in her safe, comfortable life.]

Overall, I enjoyed most of the book, but it wasn't one of the greats to me.

It is a few years after independence and partition in India. Meet the members of the middle class, you will recognize them, and this book will give you a chance to consider them in a tale of the caliber of BUDDENBROOKS or WAR AND PEACE. The quality of the book is extraordinarily high, hence the comparisons. This family saga sprawls and there are a lot of exotic names to identify. Fortunately there is a chart at the beginning of the book.
The story opens with the wedding of Pran and Savita. Savita is the daughter of Mrs. Rupa Mehra, a widow. Her sons are Arun and Varun. There is another daughter, Lata. The new wife arranges to melt down the ceremonial medals of her father-in-law. The jeweler and everyone else counsel caution, but she persists in her wish to liquidate the gift of her mother-in-law, the widow. Arun writes of the catastrophe and the family is duly horrified.
The title, A SUITABLE BOY, derives from an expression for a marriage partner in the context of arranged marriages. Mrs. Rupa Mehra is seeking a suitable boy for her daughter Lata. This requires a good deal of investigation on her part, and the consent of Lata who is becoming a modern sort of person-- she attends the university, while remaining a dutiful sort of daughter.
Lata learns a boy she knows at the university is a Muslim. Her friend tells her to read P.G. Wodehouse by way of solace. Lata's friend, the boy Kabir, is a distinctly unsuitable boy in her mother's eyes, and so they leave Brahmpur and go to Calcutta.
One of the families fell from wealth in Lahore to virtual destitution after 1947 following the partition. In the nascent democracy there is a struggle of form over substance. There is a parliamentary debate over the compensation scheme employed for the taking of private lands and residences. We are reminded of attributes carried over from colonialism in education, sport, and the exercise of democratic political values. Excellent and colorful speeches are presented covering the details of land reform.
Mrs. Rupa Mehra now travels from Calcutta to Delhi. Meanwhile the son of a politician, the Revenue Minister, participates in a wolf hunt while visiting his Urdu teacher Abdur Rasheed. The two had traveled from Brahmpur to the house of Rasheed's father near Baitar. The father is a zamindar, a landlord. The area of Muslim League activism is filled with landlords resorting to coercion to overcome the effects of land reform. Maan, the minister's son, acts with such rage that he nearly murders an agent of the Nawab Sahib. During the visit Maan becomes a sort of universal confidant.
The constitutionality of the Zamindari Act, the land reform measure, is litigated. British, Indian, and American precedents are cited since India, as distinguished from Britain and as is the case in the United States, has a written constitution. A major issue is the delegation of powers. A Raja is removed from the courtroom. The watch and ward staff is called. The law is upheld as constitutionally valid.
Dipankur Chatterji makes a pilgrimage to the Ganges for Pul Mela. A holy man, Sanaki Baba becomes interested in him and seeks his company. A tent city is formed on the sands. Unfortunately at the festival in the crush of people there is a stampede and deaths and injuries result. A Kapoor grandson, Maan's nephew, is injured.
Mrs. Mahesh Kapoor is a prize-winning gardener. Mr. Mahesh Kapoor resigns from the ministry and from the Congress Party. At the time it is hoped that Nehru will do the same and form a new party. This does not happen and later Mr. Mahesh Kapoor rejoins the Congress Party. Maan returns to Brahmpur, and Pran, Savita's husband, falls ill with asthma and a heart condition. Both Lata and Kabir are to appear in a Shakespeare play at the university.
In a complication of emotions and familial ties and loves Maan is faced with a serious charge of assault and his Urdu teacher disintegrates mentally. Maan's conduct has poltical consequences for his father and his mother dies seemingly from the shock of the events. The story ends, a Tolstoyan touch, with another marriage.
The novel is about four families, Muslim and Hindu, in Calcutta, Brahmpur, and Delhi who plan for the careers, education, and marriages of their sons and daughters. All of the families are bound by ties of obligation and expectation to their respective communities, and seek to enable and persuade the children to step into their shoes. This does not always happen for reason the younger people oftentimes seek freedom and adventure and desire to obtain the means of artistic expression. Both C.P. Snow and Jane Austen have written about the career moves of youth, and this book, in some respects, resembles their work. It is marvelous and energetic.

The negative review of "A Suitable Boy" are not unfair -- it is true the book is light, the characters are rather superficial, and the plot is rather simple. Still, the book is one of the most enjoyable novels I've read of late.
Like Tolstoy or Dickens, Seth's novel is a grand epic potboiler, meant as an intelligent entertainment. It would be easy to imagine "A Suitable Boy" broken up as a serial and spread across months of periodical publication. It is, in short, a soap opera, but a delightful and witty one.
It's not a deep book, but it is well-crafted and the characters -- not deeply drawn but intriguing nonetheless -- kept my attention. Despite the book's length, it flows quickly, and I found myself having passed 100 pages in what felt like the time needed for 20. Perhaps it's the simplicity of the story, but its 1,500 pages seemed like 400, so the length should not deter.
"A Suitable Boy" is a great light read even though the tome itself is heavy. Call it a "summer book" for anyone with an interest in India or Indian fiction.

I was totally engaged in "A Suitable Boy" by Vikram Seth.
I look back on it as a personal wide-screen cinema. His
detailed description painted vivid, exotic pictures. His
subtle desciptions of the relationships within and between
families gave me a personal connection with India I never would
would have as a visitor.

I wish he added a glossary, so I knew what they were eating
and drinking. And, even though I am in the business, I don't know about co-respondent shoes, although
I am in the leather business.

His observations of an Indian tannery were technically
absolutely correct.

It takes a while to get ino it -- Seth isn't in a hurry,
but once in, there is nothing to do but to read late, or to get
up very early, as I did,

A helluva read.

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 Seth's book, two nights ago, I thought of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. I was reminded of Okonkwo's decisions when I read of Lata's.
I don't 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 Bae's room. It read to me as if Seth had written himself into a rich world and then compromised the integrity of his characters in order to force the ending he'd originally intended to lead us to.
The best example I can think of is that, after 1200 pages of a limited omniscience in our narrator, Seth stops describing Lata's thoughts and emotions to us just as she's making the choice around which the entire book has been structured. I found this extremely 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 she'd been beaten down. That's how she reminded me of Okonkwo, I guess. And I've been debating to myself, over the past two days, whether Seth would have intended her to come across that way.

I was hospitalized because I needed round-the-clock antibiotics for a staph infection. I felt generally fine but had to be confined, the sort of situation that ordinarily would drive me nuts from boredom and frustration. Fortunately I brought this book with me. It allowed me to treat my 6-day hospital stay like a cruise. At one point I told the doctors, "You don't have to discharge me for another 400 pages."
This book is not for everyone. The few negative comments here largely come from people who want more action or a different sort of handling of characters. Some detractors complain that "It's not up to Jane Austen [or Dickens or Tolstoy]," which seems like a quibble. This is a great, rambling saga more full of people and events than characters and plot. To really enjoy it, you need to settle into it.

After reading 113 pages of this 1400 page book, many, many characters had been introduced, but there wasn't one I cared a thing about. Vast majority of them were unlikeable. To its credit, many of the scenes did seem quite real/realistic, more so than many novels. Yet there are so many Indian terms, most readers will necessarily miss a lot of what is being described. The insights into 1951 India suggest little to admire.

The author tells a great story while also educating his reader about so many subjects, from Hinduism, Islam, Indian history, music, poetry, and even the shoe industry as it existed in India in 1952. I thought that it would be difficult to stay with a novel that is around 1,400 pages, but it was like a good friend. I read a little bit each day and enjoyed it very much the whole way through. On the other hand, I have to admit that it was not a book that I couldn't put down.

Anything this long that keeps my attention has got to be rated with five stars. I really admire Seth for his ability to pull it off. Although I've only spent six years of my adult life in India, Seth seems to have captured all social classes and situations, from political to cultural, and weaves many stories into one. I especially liked the part about the musicians, which shows he certainly knows something about Hindustani music. And the final marital choice was obvious and easy to guess, pick "Mr. Dull Nice Guy," for the sake of security. It's been a while since I read it, and perhaps one needs a familiarity with India and its culture to completely appreciate it, but friends of mine who have never been there, still enjoyed it and were anxious to discuss it. A very good read.

While every one else has been feeling for Lata, strangely, I felt my heart go out for Kabir. I read this book when I had just fallen in love, and (not so) strangely with a Muslim, and I felt as if Seth had some how let me down. The novel is brilliant in its details and characterization, especially for people out side India. I am a Hindu, so I think I can some what relate to Lata, but it is Kabir, with whom I fell in love. If Lata had managed to do as love and not society dictated, it might have been better for people like me, die hard romantics. But then again, here lies the success of the author, that he made me think about Kabir and Lata for a long time after I put down the novel, which I must admit was difficult to do, even after finishing it. If I could have given more than 10......

I've always sustained that a good writer can describe the simple ascent of a flight of stairs, and make it interesting. A bad writer can describe a truly interesting event, such as a disaster, or falling in love, or death, and render it boring. Vikram Seth's novel is an example of the former. Seth takes the lives of several well-to-do families in India during the early '50's, and follows their steps day by day for a little more than one year. He saves us no details as he describes, for about 1400 pages, the ins and outs of these families and their intertwining. He also involves us in the intricate details of the volatile political situation and the various religious and language barriers in place at that time. It is interesting to note, for example, that although India had only recently attained independence from the British Empire, English was the one common language spoken by almost all people of India, despite the individual origins. Therefore, the English language helped to unify India. One could find the main story plot rather superficial - the difficulty of finding a "Suitable Boy" for an upper class Hindi girl to marry. But this story serves only as a starting point for the branching out of many other stories of much more depth. And, in truth, I find that the individual drama of Lata, who knows that eventually she will have to marry a man who perhaps is not her ideal, at a young age when perhaps she would simply like to continue her studies and friendships and café' society, bows down to do her duty towards the family, to be quite a deep story in itself. You have to be in the right mood to read "A Suitable Boy". You have to be ready to climb that staircase one step at a time, and reflect upon each step you take.

This book is a rare treat-the story, the characters, and the writing are flawless. I have read it 3 times in the past three years and am always sorry to come to the end, in spite of a length (1400 pages) that would be daunting in another book. Seth is one of the best writers in the English language today, with a style reminiscent of Jane Austen, although he tackles rather more complex political and social issues than Austen. This book is not only the best book about India that I have seen, but it is one of the best books I have ever read--it's certainly a modern "classic". I stocked up on several copies--it makes a wonderful gift for my favorite people. Needless to say, I'm waiting rather impatiently for Vikram Seth's next book!

This is a wonderful "big book." It weaves a simple tale into a complex time, and gives the reader a deep perspective on India of the early 50's as well as the meaning of friendship, religion, and politics. In short it is everything you can ask for from a big book. "War and Peace" is the closest thing to a "similar" novel, in scope and depth. It contains many small satisfactions as well. Knowing a thumbnail of the author's biography adds to the irony of Lata's final choice, and her friends' reaction to it. But before Lata chooses, Seth includes a one-page chapter of infinite sadness, that I can't read without tears forming in my eyes, followed by a chapter that always makes me laugh out loud at its sweet hilarity. Yes, I laughed, I cried. What more can you ask? It currently lives in my consciousness as my favorite novel.

Wonderful handling of the issue of arranged marriages, in all its positive and negative connotations. The characters range from modern to very traditional, and are all very believable.

Seth's prose is beautiful and evocative. This is a very thick book, but it felt like I finished it in no time. Every time I picked it up I found myself completely engrossed with the plot.

Marriages (or divorces, according to Oscar Wilde) may be made in heaven, but as human intervention is undeniably required to negotiate them on earth, matchmaking of near and not so near ones has been a perpetual source of fascination for people from time immemorial. Perhaps it gives them a feeling of playing God to interlink the destinies of two people, probably forever.
This universal trait is remarkably well-manifested among the innumerable ayers comprising the social web of Indian society, and the average Indian middle class family offers the greatest scope for illustrating all kinds of hilarious and not-so-funny situations that crop up in the onerous task of choosing a Suitable boy, portrayed in Mr. Seth's delightful novel.
One of the principal characters is Mrs. Rupa Mehra, an effusive widow determined to find a good alliance for her youngest daughter Lata. Lata has other plans that include ambitions of a teaching career and an affair with Kabir, a handsome cricketer most unsuitable in Mrs.Mehra's eyes as he is Muslim.
The story is set in newly independent India in the early fifties, and intertwines the story of four different families including the Mehras -The Kapoors, the Chatterjis (Both related to the Mehras by marriage) and the Khans. It traces the ups and downs, the hopes and failures, the triumphs and tears of different members of these families.
The novel begins with Mrs. Mehra shedding tears of joy over Savita's wedding, and resolving to get Lata to follow her sister's example. Lata is both amused and annoyed by her mother's plans but things take a not so strange turn when she falls in love with the unsuitable Kabir. Kabir is not the only suitor for Lata's hand - Others include Amit Chatterji, a young poet, and Haresh Khanna, a dynamic young man who in the Shoe business. Which of these three would be Lata's choice forms the main thread of the novel.
There are several sub-plots involving other characters such as Lata's brother Arun and his wife, the selfish and adulterous Meenakshi, who are a snobbish Indian couple trying hard to keep up with the standards of the British Raj; Savita's father-in-law Mr. Mahesh Kapoor who represents the average freedom-fighter turned politician of the fifties, his wife - the gentle and accommodating Mrs. Mahesh Kapoor and Savita's husband - the unassuming and affectionate Pran, who is somewhat like Teinosuke of `The Makioka Sisters'.
Pran's younger brother Maan's infatuation with the courtesan-singer Saeeda Bai and its disastrous consequences is one of the more dramatic subplots. One of Saeeda Bai's patrons, the crass Raja of Marh, is a vivid portrayal of the vulgarity and barbarism of lesser chieftains in early post-independent India.
Mr. Mahesh Kapoor`s friendship with the Nawab Sahib of Baitar and the latter's son Firoz's intimate relationship with Maan takes an unexpected turn causing turmoil in both families, and the reconciliation towards the end is one of the most poignant parts of the novel. The mutual understanding between both pairs of friends, especially in the court where the Zamindari bill is challenged (Mr. Mahesh Kapoor being instrumental in proposing the bill and the Nawab Sahib on the opposite side, with Firoz arguing for him) is conveyed beautifully.
Amit's younger brother Dipankar who seeks the meaning of life in philosophy and religion and finally settles as a banker, and Maan's urdu teacher Rasheed who strives to improve the lot of the peasants of his village but in the end is subdued and driven to suicide, portray troubled faces of Indian youth.
Even the side characters are more than mere props in the background. The Hindustani music concerts by the maestro Ustad Majeed Khan come live to the reader and one can almost hear the raags and the applause. The weekly meetings of the Brahmpur Literary society teeming with self-styled poets provides extremely comical situations. Anybody who has attended a local literary society meeting would immediately recognise a Mr.Naurojee, a Smt.Joshi or even a droll and self-complacent Mr. Makhijani.
If the Mehras and Kapoors form the background for the main storyline, one cannot miss the vivacious Chatterjis. The amiable Amit, dreamy and philosophical Dipankar, frivolous Meenakshi and fun-loving Kakoli come across as a crazy but loveable family, that is nevertheless, in the author's words, `a hotbed of sanity'. The ludicrous `Kakoli couplets' are sure to stay with the reader for a long time. The parties hosted by the Chatterjis at their Ballygunge mansion are delightful events that provide ample insight into the frills and thrills of high-society life in the early fifties.
Mr.Seth's rich and detailed description transports the reader to shady roads of the posh localities of Brahmpur, gutter-ridden slums in the Brahmpur suburbs, dusty village roads of Rudhia district and even a cemetery in Calcutta where the legendary `Rose Aylmer' lies buried.
The political situation in India with emphasis on the changing face of the Congress party soon after Independence, the apprehensions of the landowners before the passing of the Zamindari bill, the communal tension underlining religious processions have all been portrayed in picturesque and emotionally charged scenes.
A reader's only grudge after nearly 1400 pages may be that the book is too short! The way some of the loose ends are tied up towards the end (such as rediscovery of Mr.Mehra's medal) take away some of its authenticity. Though Lata's decision does not come as a surprise to the reader, as it is suggested and built on right from the later half, it creates a feeling that she had chosen the wrong one. Mr. Seth has compromised on the intensity of some characters, and one wishes to know more about many of them, especially Amit and Firoz.
An impression of newly independent India (that has not changed much after fifty-two years), an engaging journey along the banks of the flowing Ganges, an insight into the thoughts, emotions and dreams of a group of people caught in filial, social and political ties - `A Suitable Boy ` is much more than a novel - It is a generous (and delectable) slice of Indian life.

The length, the size, the number of characters, the descriptions; Vikram Seth here succeeds in re-creating life of several characters into a highly acclaimed and engrossing novel. The story is simple, as is his narration, so the reading fast forwards through various people and several episodes that span nearly all human emotions. I would not discuss the characters here, for I would recommend just about everyone to commit himself to this book and see them for himself. The characters are people drawn from common lives, and he creates very vivid personas, describing in picturesque detail their houses, streets, odors, colors and both successes and failings. The sheer volume of labor that author must have put in to create this masterful epic is mind boggling. The story is set in India, and for anyone who searches for words while describing his country and people, Vikram Seth sets a defining example.

Marriages (or divorces, according to Oscar Wilde) may be made in heaven, but as human intervention is undeniably required to negotiate them on earth, matchmaking of near and not so near ones has been a perpetual source of fascination for people from time immemorial. Perhaps it gives them a feeling of playing God to interlink the destinies of two people, probably forever.
This universal trait is remarkably well-manifested among the innumerable ayers comprising the social web of Indian society, and the average Indian middle class family offers the greatest scope for illustrating all kinds of hilarious and not-so-funny situations that crop up in the onerous task of choosing a Suitable boy, portrayed in Mr. Seth's delightful novel.
One of the principal characters is Mrs. Rupa Mehra, an effusive widow determined to find a good alliance for her youngest daughter Lata. Lata has other plans that include ambitions of a teaching career and an affair with Kabir, a handsome cricketer most unsuitable in Mrs.Mehra's eyes as he is Muslim.
The story is set in newly independent India in the early fifties, and intertwines the story of four different families including the Mehras -The Kapoors, the Chatterjis (Both related to the Mehras by marriage) and the Khans. It traces the ups and downs, the hopes and failures, the triumphs and tears of different members of these families.
The novel begins with Mrs. Mehra shedding tears of joy over Savita's wedding, and resolving to get Lata to follow her sister's example. Lata is both amused and annoyed by her mother's plans but things take a not so strange turn when she falls in love with the unsuitable Kabir. Kabir is not the only suitor for Lata's hand - Others include Amit Chatterji, a young poet, and Haresh Khanna, a dynamic young man who in the Shoe business. Which of these three would be Lata's choice forms the main thread of the novel.
There are several sub-plots involving other characters such as Lata's brother Arun and his wife, the selfish and adulterous Meenakshi, who are a snobbish Indian couple trying hard to keep up with the standards of the British Raj; Savita's father-in-law Mr. Mahesh Kapoor who represents the average freedom-fighter turned politician of the fifties, his wife - the gentle and accommodating Mrs. Mahesh Kapoor and Savita's husband - the unassuming and affectionate Pran, who is somewhat like Teinosuke of `The Makioka Sisters'.
Pran's younger brother Maan's infatuation with the courtesan-singer Saeeda Bai and its disastrous consequences is one of the more dramatic subplots. One of Saeeda Bai's patrons, the crass Raja of Marh, is a vivid portrayal of the vulgarity and barbarism of lesser chieftains in early post-independent India.
Mr. Mahesh Kapoor`s friendship with the Nawab Sahib of Baitar and the latter's son Firoz's intimate relationship with Maan takes an unexpected turn causing turmoil in both families, and the reconciliation towards the end is one of the most poignant parts of the novel. The mutual understanding between both pairs of friends, especially in the court where the Zamindari bill is challenged (Mr. Mahesh Kapoor being instrumental in proposing the bill and the Nawab Sahib on the opposite side, with Firoz arguing for him) is conveyed beautifully.
Amit's younger brother Dipankar who seeks the meaning of life in philosophy and religion and finally settles as a banker, and Maan's urdu teacher Rasheed who strives to improve the lot of the peasants of his village but in the end is subdued and driven to suicide, portray troubled faces of Indian youth.
Even the side characters are more than mere props in the background. The Hindustani music concerts by the maestro Ustad Majeed Khan come live to the reader and one can almost hear the raags and the applause. The weekly meetings of the Brahmpur Literary society teeming with self-styled poets provides extremely comical situations. Anybody who has attended a local literary society meeting would immediately recognise a Mr.Naurojee, a Smt.Joshi or even a droll and self-complacent Mr. Makhijani.
If the Mehras and Kapoors form the background for the main storyline, one cannot miss the vivacious Chatterjis. The amiable Amit, dreamy and philosophical Dipankar, frivolous Meenakshi and fun-loving Kakoli come across as a crazy but loveable family, that is nevertheless, in the author's words, `a hotbed of sanity'. The ludicrous `Kakoli couplets' are sure to stay with the reader for a long time. The parties hosted by the Chatterjis at their Ballygunge mansion are delightful events that provide ample insight into the frills and thrills of high-society life in the early fifties.
Mr.Seth's rich and detailed description transports the reader to shady roads of the posh localities of Brahmpur, gutter-ridden slums in the Brahmpur suburbs, dusty village roads of Rudhia district and even a cemetery in Calcutta where the legendary `Rose Aylmer' lies buried.
The political situation in India with emphasis on the changing face of the Congress party soon after Independence, the apprehensions of the landowners before the passing of the Zamindari bill, the communal tension underlining religious processions have all been portrayed in picturesque and emotionally charged scenes.
A reader's only grudge after nearly 1400 pages may be that the book is too short! The way some of the loose ends are tied up towards the end (such as rediscovery of Mr.Mehra's medal) take away some of its authenticity. Though Lata's decision does not come as a surprise to the reader, as it is suggested and built on right from the later half, it creates a feeling that she had chosen the wrong one. Mr. Seth has compromised on the intensity of some characters, and one wishes to know more about many of them, especially Amit and Firoz.
An impression of newly independent India (that has not changed much after fifty-two years), an engaging journey along the banks of the flowing Ganges, an insight into the thoughts, emotions and dreams of a group of people caught in filial, social and political ties - `A Suitable Boy ` is much more than a novel - It is a generous (and delectable) slice of Indian life.

The length, the size, the number of characters, the descriptions; Vikram Seth here succeeds in re-creating life of several characters into a highly acclaimed and engrossing novel. The story is simple, as is his narration, so the reading fast forwards through various people and several episodes that span nearly all human emotions. I would not discuss the characters here, for I would recommend just about everyone to commit himself to this book and see them for himself. The characters are people drawn from common lives, and he creates very vivid personas, describing in picturesque detail their houses, streets, odors, colors and both successes and failings. The sheer volume of labor that author must have put in to create this masterful epic is mind boggling. The story is set in India, and for anyone who searches for words while describing his country and people, Vikram Seth sets a defining example.

Ostensibly a novel about a mother's search to find a suitable husband for her youngest daughter in 1950's India, in reality this is a book as huge and complex as India itself. The historical facts about life after Partition are fascinating, and so much more interesting when read as part of a novel than they ever would be as a textbook. The characters, with all their flaws, are generally sympathetic, and the book is vividly written. This book has it all - drama, humour, pathos, history, religion and an insight into a world that most in the West would never experience. A highly recommended book for those times that you want to escape deep into another world but still want to keep your mind active.

This book immediately created real people in my mind, in vivid, complex and intertwined relationships. Obligations conflicting with Indian society's expectations dominate the personal situations of the characters, and cleverly reflect the states of India and Pakistan undergoing change. Like real life, the complex names, personal motives, relationships and politics are not easy to define and describe, and the power and intrigue of the book would have been lost if Seth attempted to do so. One of the most riveting and enjoyable books I have read. I pined for more when it ended!

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 Seth's book, two nights ago, I thought of Chinua Achebe and Things Fall Apart. I was reminded of Okonkwo's decisions when I read of Lata's. I don't 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 Bae's 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 Lata's thoughts and emotions to us - just as she's 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 she'd been beaten down. That's how she reminded me of Okonkwo, I guess. And I've been debating to myself, over the past two days, whether Seth would have intended her to come across that way.

This is a magnificent book. Instead of being put off by the more than 1500 pages, I was rather curious to know what could be so wonderfully written between the covers that it has been compared to one literary classic and has been given rave reviews by almost everyone who has read it. So, take it easy, read it few pages at a time and immerse yourself in this wonderfully woven tale of love filled with characters so rich and likeable, you'll even end up falling in love with some of them. I did!

Is there life after Suitable Boy ? I am walking round the house with a great big gap in the middle of my life. Where have all those characters gone, the ones I shared so many emotion filled days/nights with ? Surly Mr Seth has done a great injustice to his readers by ending the novel with only 3000 or so pages.
I have told myself that I will be back among friends in a years time, perherps I just might find some extra pages that I missed this time around.
Thank you Mr Seth, it was an experience that will live with me for ever.

Vikram Seth shows a self-deprecating sense of humour by putting a very fitting Voltaire quote at the beginning of the book: "The secret of being a bore is to say everything." However, in my opinion this book is worth every one of its 1300-odd pages. As some other reviewers have said, it should interest anyone who likes either Indian history, Hindu/Muslim issues, or big family dramas, which should include a pretty large segment of the reading population. I personally got sucked into the love story before anything else, but as I read on I found myself drawn just as much into the other characters and their political, religious, or family concerns. I think it shows Seth's abilities as a writer that he can weave together such different themes in one huge narrative, give them all full attention, and have them turn into a cohesive whole. It ended up seeming very much like real life to me. In life the love story cannot form the be-all and end-all either, because job concerns or political situations or family troubles or even doubt about where we are going with our lives pop up and interfere.

The ending of the book, which other reviewers have questioned, seems appropriate to me (*warning- spoiler ahead!*). Yes, it goes against the traditional love story promised to us at the start, and I wanted to see Lata marry Kabir as much as anyone. But then again, I believe that part of this book's strength is that it reveals more than just the love story. Seth portrays Lata's family life and her inner life in such detail that we come to see the complexity of her decision. Could she really break with her family to marry the person she loves? Would she be happy? Seth's treatment of this dilemma shows a nuance and an understanding of how complicated human decisions can be. This seemed very valuable to me after reading many books that portray life and important decisions in terms of black and white, good and evil, unfair or fair. This book seems to subtly point out that the most interesting things in life happen in its grey areas, and just for that, I think it (literally) pulls its weight.

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.

I think I have become a connoisseur of everything Indian.I first became interested in the writings of Indian authors when I read, "What the Body Remembers" by Shauna Singh Baldwin. I realized there was a whole culture about which I knew very little. I went on to seek out other books by Indian authors and have never been let down.
Vikram Seth writes beautifully of people whose culture seems so different from American or modern European cultures.Again, as in the book by Singh Baldwin, each member of a family has their place and their specific duties to each other. Daughters marry men chosen for them and sons, whose fathers have died, support mothers and younger siblings. Pain, frustration and unhappiness fester below the surface of each person's heart but most do not let their feelings show.
Mr. Seth goes back and forth between traditional older family members set in their ways, and the younger generation who have strong desires to be thought of as modern and not tied down by superstition or the religious beliefs and subsequent prejudices of their parents.
His characters stay with you and you may almost find yourself wondering how the newlyweds, Lata and Haresh, make out in life, if Meenakshi will ever settle down in her marriage, and if the sensible Pran and Savita can, by their example, help the varied members of their extended families to stop worrying and enjoy what the Gods have given them.
It is a long read but a very full and enjoyable one. As with any good author, Vikram Seth makes his characters live in your mind (you'll find yourself imagining what they look like and how they're dressed)and become people you would want as friends and neighbours. My advice? Buy it and take a mental trip to India.

It is wonderful to discover a book of real beauty; 'A Suitable Boy' is a painting in words. In the tradition of the great writers such as Dickens and Tolstoy, the story is not cosy or perhaps particularly satisfying; but neither is real life. On completing the novel I wanted the end to be different, romantic....but Lata made the right choice. I only hope that Vikram Seth writes a sequel to this wonderful book so I can find out if Lata and all of her family and friends are happy with their choices.

What spurred me on on this read, was the surfacing of emotions which many of us share but has never actually been put onto paper, and so exquisitely so. I'm awfully happy the indian perspective on the indians has been shown, and so pleasurably at that. I, myself, have never lived in the indian subcontinent living in the UK all my life, but this book really hit home. I can relate to Lata in some ways and to Malati aswell, if not in more ways. Mrs Rupa Mehra is a classic character and though she annoyed me at first (as the mother obsessed in hitching her daughter off asap, it hit too close to home!). But she grew on me. Kabir is definitely a typical occurence, the 'forbidden' being especially common in the West. I hate Haresh, even if I am supposed to, and I lost sympathy for Lata when she chose him over Kabir and Amit. But I'm sure I'll get over it. I first thought she was weak, in taking the easy way out which kept most parties happy, but maybe she was strong in choosing the loud Haresh over the dashing Kabir, or the intelligent poet; she looked to her future and chose the path which would give her most happiness- a strength which I still need to discover in myself. My mother has not read the book, but I'm sure she will approve of it! Mr. Seth, thank for such a truly fab read, and if I may use a cliche, "Why, you're Tolstoy reborn!"

After reading "A Suitable Boy" which is well over 1500 pages, I felt I could read more and Vikram should have kept going. The rich prose style makes it easy and simple for all readers. All the characters in this novel are finely etched and none overshadows the other. A sweeping panorama glimpsing the lives of four families in post Independence India was absorbing and fun to read. I read for many hours at a stretch and it will keep any reader totally engrossed in the lives of all the characters.
Vikram's style is crisp and richly woven. Don't read this book in a hurry. You will enjoy it more if you read it leisurely.

Mr. Seth is a wonderful writer with tremendous scope and vision. If you enjoy Dickensian novels with huge casts of characters and social conscience, read this. On one level, it is a fun and enjoyable tale of one girl's mother and her search for a marriageable boy for her daughter; on another level, it is an examination of arranged marriage, independence, individualism, love, family, poverty, politics, prostitution and Indian culture. I can't recommend this enough.

Mr.Seth's book is great. His unique style creates brilliant characters. The best part is - they all are unique and yet easy to relate to. Very plausible. The beauty of the whole thing is that the central story is so simple - of finding a suitable boy. Although many people I know have criticised this work for not being "literary" enough - I don't buy that. It's brilliant in characterization, with every one remaining in the mind for a long time. The humour is excellent - again the kind one can relate to easily. The only place where it falters is that it does not have universal appeal - I feel it is a book primarily of and for Punjabis. There are people who had difficulty in relating to certain characters. The primary reason is that they have not been in that situation so it becomes difficult. This thought got me thinking - I wonder how people who have got nothing to do with India would understand certain typically Indian situations.
That apart, it is a great book and I only wish that it was longer.

"A Suitable Boy" - An absolute beauty. Apart from Fyodor Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment' (which I managed to read a dozen times), 'A Suitable Boy' is one of the very best novels that I've ever read (keeping in mind, I usually read 4 novels per month). I can't call it an absolutely flawless novel, but undoubtedly is a wonderful read for anyone quintessentially possessing a slight interest in 1950s India. Let me delineate the good as well as the bad sides of the work more carefully:

A) Good Sides:

1. Classy description of things/individuals/situations/places.

2. Keeps the reader engrossed by couplets, sometimes really funny, at times, with a slight emotional pang and political sentiment.

3. The characters are very well-developed.

4. Situations unfold themselves very nicely.

5. Apart from the socio-economic situation in post-Independence India, the political situation in India as well as in the Indian National Congress (INC) amongst Hindu-Muslim leaders is very aptly exemplified.

6. Different ideologies are exemplified in an absolutely fabulous manner. Religious fanaticism, dogmatisms, romanticism, liberalism etc. are very well illustrated.

7. Each and every incident throughout the novel has a reason for happening; it's not that it just happens. Plausible consequences and future actions/incidents are very well balanced.

B) Bad Sides:

1. The exit: way too quickly. As if Seth wanted to wrap up the whole thing in a week's time!!

2. Lata's choice of choosing Haresh over the other equally well-balanced suitors (Amit and Kabir) is NOT explained. Though the readers are to get a hint during her last discussion with Malati, yet much remains to be asked.

3. A general/overall fate of some of the pseudo-protagonists is left unanswered.

4. A slightly over indulgence with the 'agrarian reform' Bill. For people with no political interest, kindly omit the chapters and proceed with the protagonist's story.

Apart from this, I think it's a wonderful read. I personally consider, makes a nice gift to someone too (if the person concerned is interested in knowing Indian culture more deeply, but without getting bogged down in the socio-economic politico status quo during the post-Independence India). Overall, 5 stars!

NB: Someone in the reviews mentioned `in-apt' style of writing from Seth's part. A total *. This is a very well designed, well co-ordinated novel, with a superb story-telling style.

Subhasish Ghosh

(24th Dec 2005)

St. Cross College,

University of OXFORD

A contemporary critic reacted to War and Peace with the exclamation, "It's not a book, but an elephant!" A Suitable Boy is a lengthier book of similar scope (although more tightly-structured, I think). Tolstoy is a genius because He Did It First, but that does not take away from the fact that with A Suitable Boy, Seth has earned his place in the Canon alongside War and Peace, Anna Karenina and other nineteenth-century greats, for every reason one can name.

Let me get it over with. Yes, this is a big book. It is a very long book. It is 1,488 pages long. Yes, let us all say it again: That makes it a Very Long Book. Those readers whose attention spans have been permanently shrunken by 30-second commercials and 50-minute TV programs will have a hard time with this book. There are also lots of important characters, too, just as in Anna Karenina, where you have three families closely depicted. So there are lots of people to keep straight. The good news is that Seth's characterizations are such that you can tell who's speaking, often, merely with the dialogue. You very often don't need the tags, "Arun said," or "Kakoli said." But yes, there are lots of characters, lots of things happening, and it takes a long time to read because it's yes, Very Long. To those whose major complaint is the length: Don't be afraid -- it won't bite. Open it up and read it, one page at a time.

And let us get this out of the way, too: No, this is not a Sweeping Tumutuous Saga. If you loved Kristin Lavransdatter, you will not like A Suitable Boy. It is not a romance novel, even though it begins and ends with weddings. It has a similar feel to Anna Karenina, but with a little more hilarity and a lot less heartbreaking tragedy (in the literary sense). There are political speeches in it, just like in War and Peace, and Vikram Seth takes the trouble to quote speeches and Parliamentary minutes verbatim. He has done his homework. But no bodices are ripped.

The book is a snapshot of life in India in the 1950's. The chronicling of the lives of the Mehra, Kapoor, Chatterji, families is a feast because of delectable prose, excellent characterization, delicious Indian food, and the exciting life of newly-Independent India on the heels of the partition of India and Pakistan. The writing within is nothing if not versatile: Seth does write poetry, but even his novel in verse, The Golden Gate, while equally delicious and fragrant, does contain stanzas of the merest doggerel. Similarly, in A Suitable Boy, the couplets that the Chatterjis fling back and forth are frequently funny, but will not be appearing in any anthologies any time soon. Still, anyone who has been to poetry readings will appreciate the poetry reading scene that Lata attends at the beginning of the book, and one doesn't have to be an expert in 1950's Indian poetry to find Seth's parodies very entertaining. The poems of the character Amit Chatterji are striking, but I admit it will take me a fourth reading to truly appreciate them.

The only complaint I have is an observation: Seth needs a glossary. While most readers won't have trouble with food-related terms like "gulab jamun" or "nimbu pani," they may not precisely know what a khatri is (although they may guess it has something to do with caste), or a Pathan. And with regard to one vocabulary word, the knowledge of it has the potential to affect the reader's perception of Lata and Haresh.

From the first, as soon as Lata meets Haresh, she dislikes his "co-respondent shoes." She makes other observations about his dress, as well. And about his English. But throughout the rest of the book, Lata goes back to those co-respondent shoes. The reference is repeated so it seems to be important -- at least to Lata. But what are co-respondent shoes? They are a flashy kind of two-toned shoe worn by swingers during the 1930s. They're called "co-respondent" shoes because, a co-respondent in a British divorce case is the man who has committed adultery with one's wife. What is more, in a time when no-fault divorces were illegal, a man might put his distinctive "co-respondent shoes" outside of the hotel room door to be cleaned...and he might be identified by his shoes, later.

So Haresh's shoes were flashy bordering on vulgar but they were also twenty years out of fashion, so the shoes were a lot to overcome.

A reader shouldn't have to resort to a search engine in order to learn such a pivotal point. Please,Vikram Seth, the book is a delightful jewel, so please, help out your readers with a glossary!

The book is delightful in every way, and it is one of those books where you close the book with regret that the book is over. But if you reread this memorable book again, you will keep making new discoveries.

The remainder of this review is devoted to the ending. Please do not proceed any further unless you have read the book.

SPOILER ALERT. SPOILER ALERT. SPOILER ALERT.

Some observations about Lata's ultimate choice: The first time I read this book I thought that Lata had made a terrible mistake, and that her choice was inconsistent with her character, and I felt that Seth had forced the choice against the will of the character to make some kind of heavy-handed point. However, upon re-reading the book, I re-read Haresh's letters, and re-thought the time-line of her romance with Kabir, and her decision makes perfect sense. Lata picked a good man for precisely the right reasons. Kabir is a decent guy, and handsome and witty. But Lata and Kabir really don't develop the friendship that is essential for a good marriage. He's handsome, and he and Lata are intellectually compatible, but for all of that, their romance is an infatuation. In contrast, Haresh grows on Lata, and his fundamental decency and flexibility are more important than what is clearly an infatuation.

Mrs. Rupa Mehra's objection to Lata's relationship with Kabir is that Kabir is a Muslim and Lata is a Hindu. On the surface, the basis for this objection might be considered to be flawed - based on bigotry or stereotyping, but Lata has friends who are in purdah, so her mother's worries are not academic. And one must consider the violence that had just afflicted Hindu and Muslim alike in the time surrounding the Partition - wounds are still raw. In fact, Kedarnath Tandon bears the scars of it on his hands. However, it is clear on a close reading that Mrs. Rupa Mehra is not just indulging in mindless prejudice, but approaches marriage as most likely to be successful when it is a union of two people who have a lot in common. She doesn't just want Lata to marry a Hindu, she wants Lata to marry a khatri boy. She is just as horrified to hear that the brahmin Amit Chatterji is courting Lata, and has the impulse to remove Lata to another town, but realizes that it is not realistic to reduce Lata to an intinerant state because she attracts some unsuitable boys. Reasonable people might debate whether marrying someone who is like you is a good thing or a bad thing, but attributing Lata's family's objections to bigotry or religious closed-mindedness or some other bad trait is simplistic and disingenuous.

More to the point, Lata does not acquiesce to her mother's wishes, she follows her own. Haresh Khanna's misunderstanding of the word "mean," his reaction to it, his apology, and his wish for future guidance from Lata, immediately precede Lata's decision to marry him. Yes, he wears "co-respondent shoes" and doesn't seem to be as handsome as Kabir, speaks thickly-accented English and not well, but looks and shoes are not a good basis for choosing a life partner. Since Lata and Haresh speak several languages, his lack of total fluency in English is not as relevant here. And Lata wants to marry him anyway. This shows her growth, as well. Lata is depicted throughout as an independent-minded, intelligent girl, and the basis for her decision is consistent with her character, for all on first reading it might be tempting to root for Lata-and- Kabir. Furthermore, the outcome demonstrates Seth's ability to write plots and not cliches.

If you are looking for something that is (a) enjoyable to read, not too mentally taxing after a long, tiring day of work and/or child care, but also (b) serious and moving and memorable, this is the book for you. If you are a Jane Austen fan, you can treat yourself to a 2000-page version set in India in the early 1950s. If you like Tolstoy, you will not be disappointed by the forays into the politics of the Zamindari land reform. All extremely skillfully done. One of the best books I've read in years, and I am so sad that I have gotten to the end. Now I will have to wait until 2013 for _A Suitable Girl_.

Vikram Seth has worked wonders in this beautifuly written novel. A Suitable Boy is a great story with all the emotions of real life. You laugh, cry and fall in love with so many of the charachters that you feel you really have got to know them. The story of Lata Mehra and her family and friends gives you a taste of indian life as it is. A Suitable Boy is a 'must have' for all readers. Read it and I promise you, you won't forget it for a long time.

Vikram Seth shows his tremendous talent in carving out the lives of characters that become very real to the reader. Set in the years after partition, he poetically dwells on the parallel identity crisis of a people and a place. Following the lives of four families in this epic, he uncovers the nuances of the younger generation's struggle to "do the right thing" while attempting to strive for self-satisfaction.

I prefer to stick to books of moderate length. But with Suitable Boy, even after reading over 1400 pages, I wished there was more. The characterization is very well done, esp given the number of characters involved. The Indo-Pak society and culture and the post-partition period are portrayed extremely well. Plot is simple and yet so intricate. Very engrossing indeed! Everything feels like its happening right in front of your own eyes!

Naming your favorite novel of all time must be approached with much caution, but I have to say that, after reading this gargantuan novel 15 years ago, no work of fiction has stayed dearer to my heart. A SUITABLE BOY is my favorite. Logging in at over 150 reader reviews, this book has obviously had enough said about it in these pages without me going into detail, but if you've ever read WAR AND PEACE then you know what it will be like to heave an epic like this onto your lap and lose yourself in a long, LONG reading experience that, you will never forget.

As was the experience of an earlier reviewer, the first time I tried to read this book, I had a lot of difficulty getting into it and eventually gave up. A tropical island holiday last year gave me the opportunity to try again, and I'm glad I did.
Its an Indian novel, so it has been compared it to Arundhati Roy's 'The God of Small Things', which does neither justice. I feel this book is far wider in scope, painting a richer picture of the external world inhabited by the central characters. They share beautiful use of Indian English - in some ways quaint, but powerfully expressive.
It is slow to get started, perhaps the sheer size is forbidding, and drags out for a while during the chapters discussing the civil disturbances. Once you're into it, caught up in the decisions faced by Lata, getting to know her family, it becomes hard to put down.

Make the effort, it is worth it.