Vikram Seth, A Suitable Boy - anyone here read it and willing to share their personal opinions regarding it? I liked it a great deal, thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
It may be that the satisfaction I need depends on my going away, so that when I’ve gone and come back, I’ll find it at home ~ Rumi
Read it but didn’t like it. Too many words for nothing.
Sabah
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif
Maybe the parts regarding the shoe industry and that guy’s factory business could have been done away with, but I loved the parts about Lata especially in the beginning between her and her family.
Seth’s come out with another book most recently - can’t remember its title right now, but I wonder how it is.
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Originally posted by Nadia_H:
*Vikram Seth, *A Suitable Boy - anyone here read it and willing to share their personal opinions regarding it? I liked it a great deal, thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
**
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Nadia
Dont say you know rapid reading?
With you on the chowk so often ,& must be in College too How caould you finish reading so many books including this 5 lbs weighing encyclopaedia Suitable Boy ??
Vikram Seth is very smart himself with both his parents being smart lawyer administrators .But i could not bring myself to read such descriptive writer .Besides i just realised that i may be little dyslexic ,not to like written material so much as opposed to visual medium.
Have you read Chitr Banerjees Devkurnian Arranged Marriage & smthing "spices" or A.Roys God of Small things ?
Bik Gaya Jo Woh Kharidar Nahi Ho Sakta
Check out Bharti Mukherjee's "Desirable Daughters". It's in Barnes and Noble.
A Suitable Boy should be made into a film like Monsoon Wedding. It maybe a hit. I never expected Monsoon Wedding to be such a hit in US.
Some other good books
The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri
Video (Pantheon). A book by Meera Nair
A Fine Balance and Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry
The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru
Masterpiece by Yasmine Gooneratne
I have read it and liked it. I think I could enjoy it more because the background of the book is Eastern India same as mine.
One good read is Salman rushdie's Midnight Children.
AK
1400 pages!! the size is quite intimidating for me...i just cudn't convince myself to start such an immense book. But i have read some very good reviews about the book so i think i'll give it a try some day....inshallah:--)
Nadia - have you read An Equal Music by Vikram Seth? I really enjoyed A Suitable Boy but can't get into An Equal Music at all. I always get to the same point in the book before getting bored with it.
Durango - A Suitable Boy has been made into a radio play, I think its on Radio 4 on Monday lunchtimes.
I was reading it and then I had to come to hell also known as Waterloo. Now, I don't have time to eat much less read an encyclopedia-sized book.
It's a good book from my impressions thus far but as someone mentioned above it is too wordy at times. And it was good to see a Hindu girl falling for a "Musla" for once unlike what Bollywood would like us to believe.
Sambri, Why do you have to bring religion in everything ? And why was it good to see that a hindu girl falling for a muslim ?? Did you get any satisfaction out of it ?? Also,just to keep you happy, If you didn't know half of the Khans of Bollywood are married to Hindu girls.
AK
H.Roshan, I think I read the book two years ago over summer; mostly read at night when I become an insomniac. I couldn't put it down to be honest because I really wanted to find out whether or not Lata and Kabir would marry. Just try it, if even just the first chapter:) I don't think you'll be able to resist it either:) No, haven't read the first book you mentioned, but read Arundhati's "God of Small Things." Superb book, I thought, very thought-provoking. One of those books that I can read again and again without getting bored. How did you like it?
Durango, Many thanks for that list, will definitely check them all out.
Shahreen, I read average reviews regarding "An Equal Music." I confess I haven't touched the book, so can't comment on it. hmm what precisely don't you like about it?
Asif_K, the descriptions of Eastern India made me want to pack my bags and hop on the next plane to India. You are extremely privileged to be familiar with the place; wish I was.
It may be that the satisfaction I need depends on my going away, so that when I've gone and come back, I'll find it at home ~ Rumi
Even though I am getting sick of having to explain myself to you and AQ, I will answer your questions.
Yes, religion is pretty important to me more so because it gives me an identity that bonds me to a community. The rest is obvious.
Plus, I could not care less about what the Khans of Bollwood are upto. I have better things to do with my time than follow what these celebrities choose to do with their lives. They do not represent anybody.
Sister Nadia, I think Vikram Seth himself is also born in a Bengali family and was very familiar with that culture. Also If you ever decide to visit India, Please let me know If I can be of any help.
Sambri, No need to explain anything to me. According to me Religion is a very personal thing and I couldn't understand why it made you happy to see a Hindu girl falling for a Muslim boy. Anyways, my apologies.
AK
Re: A Suitable Boy
i loved the book but thought the end was a bit of an anticlimax. and a lil incomplete too. seemed like vikram seth was in too much of a hurry to finish it off after havin written so much already. the author leaves the fate of less important characters in the book like saeeda bai and meenakshi's fate to the imagination of the reader which is not sthg i appreciated.
as nadia pointed out one reason i didnt put the book down was to see if lata and kabir ended up together and that is why it was such a disappointment.
other than that i oved the book for all its intricate details abt the politics of the time, law,gardening,both hindu and muslim religion, different cultues andnot to forget SHOEMAKING.
Re: A Suitable Boy
I havent read it completely , but he is good. I have also met him on one of "an equal music" book reading in london.
Re: A Suitable Boy
yeah nice read. interesting character Daagh.
Re: A Suitable Boy
awesome book! i skipped bits though (like the passing the bill stuff and the shoe business.. ) but it was nonethelss an awesome read
i loved the parts with Lata, Kabir (that was his name yeah?) and Mann.. i hated the ending though, but then thats life yeah
i got his other book 'an equal music' which is soooo hard to get into.. i geuss cus i have no clue about musical instruments or i dunno.. but its just boring...
Re: A Suitable Boy
I didn't like the ending only because I wanted Lata to be w/Kabir. I didn't skip anyhting, even the shoe business part. I thought it was interesting, good read.