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Lynne King's Reviews > A Suitable Boy
A Suitable Boy (A Bridge of Leaves, #1)
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This is a magnificent saga, which left me breathless and awaiting the next word, set in India at the beginning of the fifties.
"Suitable Boy" by Vikram Seth's “epic love story set in India. Funny and tragic, with engaging, brilliantly observed characters, it is as close as you can get to Dickens for the twentieth century. The story unfolds through four middle class families - the Mehras, Kappoors, Khans and Chatterjis. Lata Mehra, a university student, is under pressure from her mother to get married. But not to just anyone she happens to fall in love with. There are standards to be met and finding a husband for Lata becomes a family affair in which all the members are to play a part.”
“The richness of this book is remarkable. What with marriage, religion, customs, etc. it has been a really fascinating read for me.”
India's caste system has four main classes (also called varnas) based originally on personality, profession and birth.
I’m eternally grateful to Fionnuala for suggesting that I may perhaps like this author. Do I like Vikram Seth? No, of course not. I just happen to adore him. I think that he’s absolutely splendid. I get the same pleasure reading this book as when I’m eating lobster or tasting a superb Burgundy wine or whatever sublime other pleasures that we have in life…My…
I must confess that I had never heard of Seth before and I wouldn’t if it hadn’t been for Goodreads. It’s one of those remarkable books that becomes a reference book that once read, you can open it at any page and still get that continual enjoyment. It’s a wonderful sensation to savour…
It’s always so difficult for me to write a review on a book that I “love to death” but that has been the case here. This is now my second favourite fiction book after “The Alexandria Quartet” and I could never do that justice. Bravo for the past for Durrell and for the present for Vikram Seth.
In conclusion, Fionnuala and Seth – thank you for giving me so much pleasure. What a serendipitous find. I love this book.
"Suitable Boy" by Vikram Seth's “epic love story set in India. Funny and tragic, with engaging, brilliantly observed characters, it is as close as you can get to Dickens for the twentieth century. The story unfolds through four middle class families - the Mehras, Kappoors, Khans and Chatterjis. Lata Mehra, a university student, is under pressure from her mother to get married. But not to just anyone she happens to fall in love with. There are standards to be met and finding a husband for Lata becomes a family affair in which all the members are to play a part.”
“The richness of this book is remarkable. What with marriage, religion, customs, etc. it has been a really fascinating read for me.”
India's caste system has four main classes (also called varnas) based originally on personality, profession and birth.
I’m eternally grateful to Fionnuala for suggesting that I may perhaps like this author. Do I like Vikram Seth? No, of course not. I just happen to adore him. I think that he’s absolutely splendid. I get the same pleasure reading this book as when I’m eating lobster or tasting a superb Burgundy wine or whatever sublime other pleasures that we have in life…My…
I must confess that I had never heard of Seth before and I wouldn’t if it hadn’t been for Goodreads. It’s one of those remarkable books that becomes a reference book that once read, you can open it at any page and still get that continual enjoyment. It’s a wonderful sensation to savour…
It’s always so difficult for me to write a review on a book that I “love to death” but that has been the case here. This is now my second favourite fiction book after “The Alexandria Quartet” and I could never do that justice. Bravo for the past for Durrell and for the present for Vikram Seth.
In conclusion, Fionnuala and Seth – thank you for giving me so much pleasure. What a serendipitous find. I love this book.
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Quotes Lynne Liked
“But I too hate long books: the better, the worse. 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.”
― A Suitable Boy
― A Suitable Boy
“Every object strives for its proper place. A book seeks to be near its truest admirer. Just as this helpless moth seeks to be near the candle that infatuates him.”
― A Suitable Boy
― A Suitable Boy
“Whenever she opened a scientific book and saw whole paragraphs of incomprehensible words and symbols, she felt a sense of wonder at the great territories of learning that lay beyond her - the sum of so many noble and purposive attempts to make objective sense of the world.”
― A Suitable Boy
― A Suitable Boy
Reading Progress
February 14, 2014
– Shelved as:
2014-books-to-be-read
February 14, 2014
– Shelved
February 14, 2014
– Shelved as:
to-read
February 14, 2014
– Shelved as:
fiction
February 14, 2014
– Shelved as:
india
February 27, 2014
–
Started Reading
February 27, 2014
–
6.24%
"I peeked at this book this morning, to all intents and purposes, briefly. I couldn't put it down. It's fantastic, beautifully written and even includes couplets!"
page
92
February 28, 2014
–
13.36%
"The richness of this book is remarkable. What with marriage, religion, customs, etc. it is proving to be a fascinating read for me.
“Mrs Rupa Mehra was not more prejudiced against Muslims than most upper-caste Hindu women of her age and background. As Lata had inopportunely pointed out, she even had friends who were Muslims, although almost all of them were not orthodox at all. The Nawab Sahib was, perhaps..."
page
197
“Mrs Rupa Mehra was not more prejudiced against Muslims than most upper-caste Hindu women of her age and background. As Lata had inopportunely pointed out, she even had friends who were Muslims, although almost all of them were not orthodox at all. The Nawab Sahib was, perhaps..."
March 3, 2014
–
32.9%
"Two telephones in one home seemed utterly extravagant to Lata. She asked why they were necessary, and Amir told her about Kakoli’s umbilical linkage to the telephone. He even imitated her characteristic greetings for her A-level, B-level and C-level friends. ‘But the phone holds such magic for her that she will readily desert an A-level friend who’s taken the trouble to visit her in order to talk to a C-level friend"
page
485
March 4, 2014
–
34.8%
"‘I’m not taking it, Biswas Babu,’ said Mr Chatterji, very sharply, and in Bengali.
So shocked was his clerk that he quite forgot himself. ‘Why not, Sir?’ he replied, also in Bengali: ‘Don’t you want to do justice?’
Mr Chatterji, displeased, collected himself and continued to dictate his opinion. But Biswas Babu’s words had a slow but profound effect on him. He had not said, ‘Don’t you want to be a judge?’"
page
513
So shocked was his clerk that he quite forgot himself. ‘Why not, Sir?’ he replied, also in Bengali: ‘Don’t you want to do justice?’
Mr Chatterji, displeased, collected himself and continued to dictate his opinion. But Biswas Babu’s words had a slow but profound effect on him. He had not said, ‘Don’t you want to be a judge?’"
March 6, 2014
–
37.65%
"“I really feel so ignorant at times. I knew nothing about “purdah” and that it was the practice of preventing men from seeing women.
“The Muslim women of the lower castes need to work in the fields, so they can’t maintain purdah. But we Shaikhs and Sayyeds try to do so. It’s simply a matter of honour, of being the big people in the village.""
page
555
“The Muslim women of the lower castes need to work in the fields, so they can’t maintain purdah. But we Shaikhs and Sayyeds try to do so. It’s simply a matter of honour, of being the big people in the village.""
March 12, 2014
–
47.49%
""The bus was so ill that it kept collapsing every few minutes. It belonged to a potter who had made a spectacular change of profession – so spectacular that he had got himself ostracized by his local caste-brethren until they found his bus indispensable for getting to the station. The potter drove it and tended it, fed and watered it, diagnosed its sneezes and false death-rattles, and coaxed its carcass along the roa"
page
700
March 14, 2014
–
58.01%
"I find this book more and more delightful as I travel through this poetic epic. Beautiful..."
page
855
April 7, 2014
–
Finished Reading
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I'm delighted to hear that you got so much pleasure from reading A Suitable Boy, Lynne. As Seth says, there's nothing like a long, good book!
Fionnuala,I loved it and thanks to you too! No problem with length.
Merci.
Great review of a great book, Lynne.
Lynee! How good to see you back with this enthusiastic response to this great epic, whose essence you perfectly framed in your graphic review. Seth is a sublime writer and I just happened to finish The God of Small Things by A.Roy, which left me dizzy with shock and delight. Several reviews of my GR's friends also introduced me to another favorite writer to read and follow, that's the spice and the magic of this site and I am glad Fionnuala's recommendation worked for you. It's great to read you again Lynne, welcome back! :)
I'm still not myself Dolors.Thank you as ever. I'll slowly getting myself back into Goodreads. Apologies if I've missed some great reviews, such as yours!
Kim wrote: "Great review of a great book, Lynne."Thank you as ever Kim!
Thank you Paul. I always appreciate your comments.Merci beaucoup!
Yes, this book leaves you in a daze. You convey that feeling well, Lynne.
Oh Kalliope, you have expressed this beautifully. You have understood me so well. Merci.
I'm going to have to get this book out and open it and read. I suspect I may indeed enjoy anything I open it to, Lynn. Thanks. My modest 4-star rating was given long after I'd read it.
Ted, Do re-read it. It is wonderful!
Haven't read this author yet , but of course added to my shelf.Fine review ,Lynne ! And I'm so glad to see you again :)
Lovely review of this sweeping saga of marriage and family matters. Great to see you back, Lynne.
Lynne wrote: "Ted, Do re-read it. It is wonderful!"Well I have put it on the freight elevator and hauled it up to the first floor. Took a quick read of a couple pages before dinner, it was nice. I hadn't remembered the rhyming couplets that Seth had composed to give a little overview to each chapter, delightful.
As for actually diving in and reading it once more, that will have to wait at least until I have finished War & Peace I think. But it now is near my normal reading site, along with such as the four volumes of Orwell, Keegan's First World War, and Howard Zinn's People's History - which I dip into when I don't feel like reading the other 10 books I'm reading.
I think there's something wrong with me.
Agnieszka wrote: "Haven't read this author yet , but of course added to my shelf.Fine review ,Lynne ! And I'm so glad to see you again :)"Thank you Agnieszka.
Thabnk you for that Samadrita. I'm going through a period that I cannot devote the time to Goodreads that I did. I'm hoping that this situation will get sorted out in due course.
Ted wrote: "Lynne wrote: "Ted, Do re-read it. It is wonderful!"Well I have put it on the freight elevator and hauled it up to the first floor. Took a quick read of a couple pages before dinner, it was nice...."
Ted, How on earth can you "dip" into so many books at the same time? I can only cope with one at a time...I either want to read a book or I don't but then we are all different I guess.
No, I don't think that there's anything wrong with you!
Liked your review, Lynne. I haven't seen you come across my posts lately. I'd started a detective mystery written about India...but I think it was the wrong choice for me (it wasn't written by a native and the explanations of this and that intefered with the story, almost as if the author knew he shouldn't have written it if he couldn't leave out the explanations, being a foreigner himself). In any case, I didn't finish it.Glad you enjoyed this book so much, Lynne.
Happy for your joy of reading, and the likelihood that it will spread my way if I follow your path. Enthralled with your concept of reading such authors as this being equivalent to enjoying a fine wine.
Harry wrote: "Liked your review, Lynne. I haven't seen you come across my posts lately. I'd started a detective mystery written about India...but I think it was the wrong choice for me (it wasn't written by a ..."Thanks for liking the review Harry. I haven't been on Goodreads for a while - too many things going on at the moment.
Michael wrote: "Happy for your joy of reading, and the likelihood that it will spread my way if I follow your path. Enthralled with your concept of reading such authors as this being equivalent to enjoying a fine..."Thanks for the comment Michael. Now do read this book if you get a chance!
So glad you enjoyed reading this book, Lynne and I can see that Seth's prose and the story captivated you completely. That's a sort of encouragement for me to read it in the near future.
Yes do try and read it if you get a chance Garima! It's long!
Your terrific review gives me confidence that this may actually be worth the commitment, Lynne.
What a fabulous review of a marvellous sounding book. I read your notes as well. It really does sound very special.
Steve wrote: "Your terrific review gives me confidence that this may actually be worth the commitment, Lynne."Thank you Steve as ever and yes, the commitment is definitely worth it. The book makes me feel that perhaps I should visit India one of these days. It has always fascinated me.
Caroline wrote: "What a fabulous review of a marvellous sounding book. I read your notes as well. It really does sound very special."Thank you Caroline for your kind words. I could have written notes galore. Perhaps you should read it? I'm sure that you would love this book. It has been a very mind-absorbing book for me at the moment. I went into escape-mode to free myself from the realities of life, which are still ongoing regrettably.
I'm in two minds. I am not a Dickens fan, nor a fiction fan, nor a huge book fan...but in spite of these limitations it sounds fantastic, not least because it obviously teaches the reader a lot about Indian culture...and that really does appeal to me.
Caroline, This is such a social document. I assume that the author has all the correct facts. We're talking about the early fifties here and it was certainly a time for reflection as it followed the partition of India in 1947.What I particularly loved about this book was the attention to detail, the humour and just about everything quite frankly. I'm looking at it briefly now. In fact I seem to be carrying the book around with me like an umbilical cord... Bizarre.
The one thing that was necessary was listing the four families at the beginning of the book. Some of the names are so similar but after a couple of hundred pages it was fine!
I've had this book on my shelves forever. I really need to read it! Thanks for reminding me. :)
Your descriptions of why this book is so good are irresistable. It is now on my t-r lists!
Melanie wrote: "I've had this book on my shelves forever. I really need to read it! Thanks for reminding me. :)"Melanie, do indeed read it. The length doesn't matter after a while!
Caroline, You will not regret it in the least!
Great review, Lynne! Love the quotes from the book as well.It was certainly one of the highlights of this year to read. I initially thought that it will be impossible to read this book, given the number of pages and my grueling work schedule. In the end it was one of the best experiences ever.
Thanks for that Margitte. I just love the book - that's all I need to say...
Marita wrote: "Good Review, Lynne. Have you read An Equal Music? - that is also beautiful."Thank you Marita. No I haven't read An Equal Music but I've just ordered it! I've been buying too many books recently. Must stop!
It was really a monumental but excellent read.
Well I certainly agree with you there Margitte even somewhat belatedly!
Ditto Lynne. I found the book at a second-hand store, Happenstance? What a jewel!I was so disappointed that the Trilogy story ended. Definitely on my re-read list!
Yoon, I'm delighted that you also loved this book as much as I did. I always get a great deal of satisfaction from the fact that there are individuals who love my type of books. After all there are so many genres out there!
Great review! With its massive size, i was wondering if it was worth it or not. But your review has made me want to consider reading it.
Aysha-reads,Yes it is a long book - all 1474 pages - but definitely worth it!
This book is a pleasure reading from any page.
Yes Mona, you are indeed correct there.
