Name: A Suitable Boy
ISBN: 9781552780176

Vikram Seth

Vikram Seth’s novel is, at its core, a love story: the tale of Lata’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.

A Suitable Boy

Sarah Campbell

I'm haunted by a tender passion, The ghost of which will never die. 

The leaves of autumn have grown ashen: I'm haunted by a tender passion. 

And spring-time too, in its own fashion, Burns me with love's sweet song — so I —

I’m haunted by a tender passion, The ghost of which will never die. 

 this does not confound a steadfast man. 

“I sometimes feel that it’s a consolation in times of deep grief to know that the world, by and large, does not care.”

When the world has been unkind, when life's troubles cloud your mind, 

Don't sit down and frown and sigh and moon and mope. 

Take a walk along the square, fill your lungs with God's fresh air, 

Then go whistling back to work and smile and hope.

“There are two different kinds, I believe, of human attraction. One that merely excites, unsettles, and makes you uneasy: The other that - 

Well, I can't remember exactly, but he talks about a calmer, less frantic love, which helps you to grow where you were already growing, "to live where as yet I had languished" - I just read it yesterday, it isn't in my head yet, but it said everything that I couldn't express on my own. Do you understand what I mean? ... Malati?"

Vikram Seth's novel is, at its core, a love story: Lata and her mother, Mrs. Rupa Mehra, are both trying to find -- through love or through exacting maternal appraisal -- a suitable boy for Lata to marry. Set in the early 1950s, in an India newly independent and struggling through a time of crisis, A Suitable Boy takes us into the richly imagined world of four large extended families and spins a compulsively readable tale of their lives and loves. A sweeping panoramic portrait of a complex, multiethnic society in flux, A Suitable Boy remains the story of ordinary people caught up in a web of love and ambition, humor and sadness, prejudice and reconciliation, the most delicate social etiquette and the most appalling violence.

A Novel

This book was good, but a lot of parts of it dragged on. Whenever I got to the political stuff, or life on a farm, it took me ages to read. But when it would get to my favorite characters, the pages flew by.

When it got to the political stuff, about 40-50 pages would take me all day, and other times 100 pages would fly by in almost an instant because it was the part of the story that I happened to enjoy.

I almost felt like it could’ve been edited a little bit more, but at the same time, editing would’ve made it lose an aspect of what made the story good. This just made it very 50/50 for me.

By the time I finished, my loved ones were eager for me to finish as well because I was constantly complaining to them about the slower bits.

By the time I got to the ending, the ending felt weirdly rushed, even though it was a 1500-page book.

I almost felt cheated at the ending, like there was more story to be told somehow.

Anyways, I’m glad I read it, even if I was slightly disappointed at the ending.

My ride-or-die characters were Pran, Savita, and Veena. I wish them the best; they were so kind.

This book was good, but a lot of parts of it dragged on. Whenever I got to the political stuff, or life on a farm, it took me ages to read. But when it would get to my favorite characters, the pages flew by.
When it got to the political stuff, about 40-50 pages would take me all day, and other times 100 pages would fly by in almost an instant because it was the part of the story that I happened to enjoy.
I almost felt like it could’ve been edited a little bit more, but at the same time, editing would’ve made it lose an aspect of what made the story good. This just made it very 50/50 for me.
By the time I finished, my loved ones were eager for me to finish as well because I was constantly complaining to them about the slower bits.
By the time I got to the ending, the ending felt weirdly rushed, even though it was a 1500-page book.
I almost felt cheated at the ending, like there was more story to be told somehow.
Anyways, I’m glad I read it, even if I was slightly disappointed at the ending.
My ride-or-die characters were Pran, Savita, and Veena. I wish them the best; they were so kind.

Saima A

Finally finished! It was so so long and some parts were so overly detailed it resembled the kind of waffling you'd do in an essay to reach the word count. 

But the storyline was really good, even if it played to western stereotypes.

Judy Hudgins

Too long to drag myself through. Maybe will return to it later

Hannah W

suitable boy

Meniah

Eugenia Andino

anjali

Heather Margaret

Ditipriya Acharya

THIS IS THE STORY OF A GIRL'S SEARCH FOR THE MAN SHE WILL MARRY.SHE MUST CHOOSE FROM 3 SUITORS EITHER BY LOVE OR MATERNAL PERSUASION.THIS CORE IS WOVEN INTO A RICH TAPESTRY OF FAMILY INFLUENCES

A Suitable Boy

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