A Suitable Boy (Volume 1) by Vikram Seth

A Suitable Boy (Volume 1) Reviews

• 
  Christine

  There is something about train rides. Maybe it's because I HATE flying, maybe it's the beautiful places outside the window, who knows? There is something about riding trains. During my last train ride, I was seated next to a woman who loved to read, so course we began to trade you should read this lists.
  
  And there is nothing better than that.
  
  This was one of the books she recommended. I saw it at a used bookstore in the three volume edition (which was cheaper than the one volume edition), and considering the length of the books, it might be better this way (you can't overdose).
  
  Rita was right. This is a good book.
  
  A Suitable Boy tells the story of several Indian families. At the heart of the story lies Lata, whose mother wants to find her a suitable man to marry. This means, at least to her mother, a boy who has good prospects, isn't a muslim, and is the right shade.
  
  Yes, we Americans aren't the only ones hung up on color and religion.
  
  
  I don't know much about the history of India, short of the general knowledge that one gets in a World History class taught by a good professor. It seems that Seth captures not only the varying classes (as opposed to caste; the characters seem to be from the same caste) but also the political climate. The book (three books) is massive but it is like a more personal version of
  Edward Rutherfurd, as well as more narrowed in terms of time. To be honest, at times one can wonder where extactly the story is going but then passages of beauty pop in and you don't care. Seth lets his characters be who they are, and there several conflicts going on at different levels.
  
  After reading the massive
  2666. I think I prefer this shorter (though still long) way. It allows you to break the story up and not get overwhelmed.
• 
  Millicent

  I enjoyed this book, despite having been warned off it by the proprietor of the used bookstore in Malaysia where I bought it (he gave it to me for free because he said he could not, in good conscience, charge me for such a bad book). The problem is that it doesn't really work as a stand-alone. Most people seem to have read the single volume version, which is long but at least doesn't end as abruptly as this edition. I expected something more like the
  Elena Ferrante series. Anyway, this is a light, marriage-plot book that conveys its time and place well. Just know that the story arc requires a bigger commitment than this one volume.
• 
  Lessidisa

  Bon voilà je viens de finir mon livre le plus gros de l'année. Ah et mon premier livre indien aussi. Namaste 🇮🇳
  
  Lecture bonne humeur. Il y a pas mal de langues en Inde dis donc : hindi ourdou arabe anglais punjabi et bengali. Enfin dans les années 50 en tout cas. Peut être que j'en découvrirai d'autres dans le tome 2. C'est sûr qu'il faut bien 1800 pages (mille huit cents !) pour parler de l'Inde. Je ne connaissais pas du tout sa situation coloniale donc j'ai été instruite à ce sujet [colonie anglaise, partition, haine entre les différents groupes]. Toujours aussi désolant de lire à propos des castes, et encore, désolant c'est gentil comme mot. Je pense que les personnages les plus principaux sont les femmes donc je mets 5/5, même si la fin du tome 1 se termine sur les mecs donc comme d'hab ça m'intéresse moins.
  
  
  « Vous voulez que je vous dise : si je publiais un journal où il n'y aurait que des bonnes nouvelles - une telle a accouché d'un bébé plein de santé, tel pays se maintient en paix avec ses voisins, cette rivière s'est comportée convenablement, cette récolte a refusé de se laisser dévorer par les sauterelles - il me semble que les gens l'achèteraient rien que pour se mettre de bonne humeur. »
  
  « Ailleurs on proclame "Croissance, accroissons le volume des affaires" ; en Inde, on croit que pour monter il faut abaisser quelqu'un d'autre. »
  
  « Elle annexait Haresh à la famille. »
  
  « Même sa rage contre son père avait diminué ; entretenir sa colère demandait trop d'efforts. »
• 
  Moira McPartlin

  I wanted to read this before I watched the TV adaptation. I am only just keeping up. It is a monster book with a huge cast of characters. Set in 1950s India this is a story of the political change in a new independent country and how that impacts the main characters. There are many story strands to follow but this makes it surprisingly easy to read. Onwards into volume Two.
• 
  Betty

  I was watching the television serialization of this novel and decided I needed to read it to really understand just who was who. It's a great read, and to be able to see it also in the living colour that India is so famous for, makes it all the more remarkable.
  
  I did find much of the politics boring and must confess I skipped over a lot of the stuff that wasn't relevant to the story. Of course, the television series leaves out a lot of important detail, so watching it doesn't give you the same understanding of the time period as reading the book. But the two together gives one a fascinating view of 20th century India.
  
  
  P.S. The tablet version that I downloaded was actually Vol 1 and 2 together. I guess that's the reason it was so long.
• 
  Nina Perišić

  Očekivala sam vise , dio oko politike je bio smor i dosadan , previše malo likova i pojmova , zanimljiva priča se pomalo razvodni .
• 
  Christie

  This is at least my third, perhaps fourth read of this book(s). I glanced at some of the reviews before starting it again, and have to acknowledge the negative reviews make some valid points.
  
  But I don’t care. I love this book. I will read it again. And probably again. And then again.
  
  Do I skim some of political speeches? Sure. But I really enjoyed reading them the first time. I love the scope of this book, I love all the characters, and it never feels long to me.
  
  I find it completely immersive. Once I start reading I feel like I’m there, where the story is taking place. The characters are all so well drawn, I feel like I’m in conversation with them. Do I love Pran best of all? Of course, but it is a little like picking a favourite child.
  
  And with a world full of war and death and hardship and just everything shitty, I was really ready for a read that takes me away from all that. That said, part of why I love this book so, is that it isn’t escapism. There’s no escaping hardship, and the fallout from partition, Muslim- Hindu strife, the cruelty of caste, the pain of loss, they are all there in the book.
  
  So read it. Just read it. Read it with Firefox open beside you (it turns out Bramho is not another name from Brahmin, see? So much to learn, with every read) in case you need help figuring out where or what everything is. And like someone said about LeGuin, visit an imaginary world, and then return to our own, with your heart eased.
• 
  Selma

  Priču počinje sa jednim vjenčanjem. To je velik dan za obitelj Mehra, gospođa Rupa Mehra zadovoljna je svojim izborom supruga za kćer Savitu, osim nje ima i sina Aruna, koji je oženjen sa snahom Minakši, iz obitelji tamošnjeg uglednog suca Ćaterđija, živi u Kalkuti, a s njima živi i neoženjeni sin Varun, dok je najmlađa kćer Lata još uvijek s majkom.
  Nakon što je udala Savitu, gospođa Rupa Mehra ozbiljno planira izabrati prikladnog momka i za svoju mlađu kćer, Latu. Međutim, Lata ima i vlastite planove, ili bolje rečeno, vlastitu sudbinu, koja je natjera da se zagleda u studenta Kabira, ali s kojim ni na koji način ne može ostvariti ljubavnu vezu, jer je Kabir zbog svojih osobina definitivno neprikladan momak.
  U pozadini cijele priče autor nam neprestano prenosi događanja iz društvenog, političkog i vjerskog života Indije u tom razdoblju, 1952. godine.
  U konačnici, svidjelo mi se, imam još dva dijela za pročitati jer je ovo trilogija pod nazivom Prikladan momak, u ovom prvom dijelu bila sam zbunjena mnoštvom likova, puno je imena, puno događaja, kako ljubavnih tako političkih i vjerskih. Neki su me smarali, u nekim dijelovima sam uživala. U skorije vrijeme planiram pročitati i nastavke koji već dugo čekaju na mojim policama, ali trenutno mi treba pauza, mali odmor :).
• 
  Jude Keen

  Recommended - one of those books you never forget
• 
  Tracey Fraser

  One of my all time favourite books. Love it. Highly recommend.
• 
  Sandie

  What I assumed to be a story regarding the search of the proper husband also included a search for a suitable candidate in the burgeoning politics of India in the late 1940s, early 50s.
  I have to say I learned much more about the politics of that time than I ever wanted. I also got a view into the homelife of the Indian culture and importance of religion in everything they did and planned.
  It would not have been a book I would have chosen for myself. It was imperiously long and I considered giving up several times, but the bright, realistic characters kept me moving on. I just had to find out how they fared in their personal relationships. If the book had not included all that political meandering, it would have been much easier to read and would have rated a 5. The story was riddled with beautiful poetry from every turn and tended to be written with poetic language that made many exquisite passages linger long after being read.
  I wish there had been a glossary so I could refer to and better understand names and places. I struggled with the huge amount of names and how they were connected until I finally figured out that many people were referred to by several different names and that some homes had names and weren't cities or towns at all! That really had me confused throughout.
  Would I suggest this book? Not unless the reader had a firm desire to learn more about the country, people, and politics of India.
  That being said, I really did not like the rather abrupt ending.
• 
  Shreyashree

  I have read all three books in this series and will be posting my review concisely for the entire story. The plot of the story is set in post-partition India in three distinct locations: Brahmpur, Calcutta, and Rudhiya. Rupa Mehra, a widow has married off her eldest son to a promiscuous Meenakshi Chatterji belonging to a Bengali family of high court judges and her eldest daughter Savita to a political family of the Kapoors. Next in the line is Lata, a graduate university student, beautiful and indecisive about whom to choose from the myriad of suitors as a life partner. The plot explores several social issues like rifts and love between Hindu-Muslims post-partition, the tyranny of zamindars, and their fate after subsequent abolishment of the Zamindar Bill in 1951, the life of social outcasts like Saaeda Bai and their servitude towards the local elites and the English inclinations of the then Calcutta intellectuals. I love the way this book preaches communal harmony even in a period of heavy unrest. The technique of political story-telling wrapped in the gold foil of Lata's romantic journey to marrying a shoe-maker called Haresh is a treat to the senses of all readers. Above all, most importantly, and once again, the way he builds up and portrays the rainbow shades of the Hindu-Muslim relationship is astoundingly beautiful!
• 
  Marcos Sobrinho

  Comecei extremamente apreensivo. Depois me apaixonei pelos personagens, e aí mudou de capítulo, e tudo mudou. Muitos personagens, muitas histórias, o contexto histórico político da India como pano de fundo.
  Eu estava amando, mas no meio da história, senti que o autor perdeu um pouco a mão, e o contexto politico, apesar de muito interessante, não se conectava de uma forma significativa a espinha dorsal do livro.
  E mais a frente nem mesmo os outros capítulos, conseguiam se prender direito, e eu nem mesmo lembrava qual era a espinha dorsal, pois os personagens da história são citados, mas só voltam a ter sua história abordada novamente no meio do Ultimo capítulo.
  Enfim, acabei me sentindo em vários momentos, lendo livros diferentes, e até agora não entendi porque a história da Lata é apresentada como principal, se por diversas vezes ela some da história, e acaba não tendo implicação em nenhuma das outras histórias contadas...
  Percebe-se que vai ter uma Continuação da história, mas poxa, cadê o final interessante? Senti falta de um gancho para o próximo livro, porque o final foi tão aleatório, quanto as histórias do meio, que andaram, andaram e não levaram a nada.
• 
  Shambhavi Singh

  "Sensitive people are usually the most insensitive to others."
  A suitable boy is a story of an Indian girl who struggles to find a suitable match for her. Where she stood in between her mother's choice and her own. It was a story which gave a beautiful rendition to romance and passion. The story showed the religious biases the country had during the time, needless to say the situation remains the same in more than 70 year old independent India. The prejudices prevalent during those times where status, firm job, money, and a good family background were given importance to in the story and that was gripping to read.
  
  Overall it was a refreshing read!!!
• 
  Katie Christian

  Never in my life have i seen or read a book 1600 pages. Idk why goodreads thinks it's 600!
  its not. Maybe its 3 books in one?
  
  This epic thoughtful meandering Indian drama of 4 families in the 50s was intricate and VERY VERY Indian! Many words i wasnt sure if they were a name or a place or an event or a religious festival.
  The only reason i gave it 4 is bc i learned such about indian culture and Muslims/Hindus, caste, money, POLITICS ! Too many ministers of this and that, Congress meetings and a big one : zamhindar(land owners). Idk why i plugged on but im glad to see it through to the end where i was satisfied. Only took me about 6 months!😅
• 
  Betsy Berman

  I read this book since it figured in “The Reading List” a work of fiction centered around a series a troubled characters who live near and depend upon their local library in a suburb of London.
  I listened to an audiobook version that featured indian actors and lots of Indian music. Set in 1950s indian there was Lots of classism, Indian ideas of the place of women and arranged marriages. Lots of manipulative characters to love and hate.
  I did have some trouble with the accents and names because I was listening rather than reading the text. It was a good story. I understand there is a BBC version too
• 
  Manan Sheel

  I have watched the first 2 episodes of the BBC web series 'a suitable boy' (so, Volume 1 is done). I am enjoying it. Some scenes are the purest poetry. Colors are beautiful, subtle details are taken care of lovingly and assiduously. I am lost in the musical atmosphere of it. Every character has something to contribute.
  
  I will also read the book and then, will update the Goodreads edition for the complete book. For now, I have enjoyed something tremendously and I want to make it a part of the colorful museum of my mind, a part of Goodreads books.
  
  - Manan sheel.
• 
  Wiktoria ☕

  W koncu to skończyłam, gdyby było krótsze z pewnoscia lepiej by sie czytało. Ksiazka przedstawia rok z życia czterech indyjskich rodzin. Rok 1950, cztery lata po odzyskaniu niepodległości przez Indie. Nadal świeże sa wspomnienia o rzezi muzułmańsko-hinduskiej. Mamy tu wiele bohaterów, w rożnym wieku, płci i stanie społecznym. Sa to historie zwykłych ludzi, a same Indie sa bardzo dobrze opisane, wiec mozna poczuć klimat tego miejsca.
• 
  Shaz Davis

  I gave up on this book, but in fairness I've given it a 4. I'm not a time and place novel fan and I found the characters and time and place annoying... and I don't really have the time and headspace to concentrate on a novel this involved or long. I borrowed the three in one version from the library...
• 
  Harshill

  i think that this book is less about the actual love story as seth says.
  It is more about-
  indian business activities- how haresh khanna visits the leather tanning and the chit system
  indian classical musical- how elaborately and beautifully it is explained.
  generational gaps between meenakshi and her mother in law
  
• 
  Katie

  A rich opener to this trilogy, we are introduced to many hilarious and intriguing characters in this story which I think is not so much about love as it is about each character's relationship with their passions.
• 
  Sylvana Zarb

  This tooke me 3 months to read 😳 I might be a bit of a lazy reader yet 1535 pages required their time to! 😄 Worth the read - at times certain details felt boring and never ending - yet I enjoyed reading most of it and got to learn more about India ! ❤️