A Suitable Boy : A Novel (Perennial Classics)
by Vikram Seth
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Book Summary Information
Author: Vikram SethEdition: Paperback
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2005-10-01
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 1488
Book Reviews of A Suitable Boy : A Novel (Perennial Classics)
Book Review: Pride and Prejudice in India
Summary: 4 Stars
_A Suitable Boy_ starts with a wedding and concludes with a wedding. Mrs. Rupa Mehra wants to choose a suitable marriage partner for her younger daughter, Lata. He would have to be acceptable to Lata's mother, to the family, and most of all he would have to be a man whom Mrs. Rupa Mehra's late husband would have been proud. Lata rebels, but must eventually navigate through a Muslim student, a poet, and a shoe manufacturer.
The theme of Hindu versus Muslim not only figures prominently in finding Lata a suitable boy, but also is salient in relation to friendships, jealous love affairs, politics, and even a section of the novel concerning a Muslim man saving the life of a Hindu boy during a horrific stampede that occurs in the midst of an Indian religious festival.
Seth has done a wonderful job in developing his characters. They are by turns flawed, tender, selfish, neurotic and always very human. One of the major male characters in the book, even when he is facing possible attempted murder charges, still evokes my sympathy.
The author makes many forays into the minutia of Indian politics during the early 1950s. I must admit that my eyes would often start to close at these points in the novel. This made reading this 1500 page book all the more difficult. The recurring story element related to confiscating land from wealthy landlords, though, is especially interesting, considering that India, at that time, was a newly independent, emerging democracy, having to ponder such important issues as the fair distribution of wealth. All in all, Seth has written a warm hearted, sensitive book, in which the past 6 months of my life has been enrichened.
Summary of A Suitable Boy : A Novel (Perennial Classics)
Vikram Seth's novel is, at its core, a love story: the tale of Lela's -- and her mother's -- attempts to find a suitable boy through love or through exacting maternal appraisal. At the same time, it is the story of India, newly independent and struggling through a time of crisis as a sixth of the world's population faces its first great General Election and the chance to map its own destiny. Already a number one bestseller, this celebrated novel is now brought to life by the author himself in nearly six hours of listening pleasure.Literature & Fiction Books
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