A Suitable Boy, Vol. 1

by Vikram Seth

Vikram Seth's novel is, at its core, a love story: the tale of Lata's--and her mother, Mrs. Rupa Mehra's--attempts to find a suitable boy for Lata, through love or through exacting maternal appraisal. 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.

Genres: Fiction, India, Historical Fiction, Romance, Classics, Audiobook, Roman

678 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1993

About the author

Vikram Seth is an Indian poet, novelist, travel writer, librettist, children's writer, biographer and memoirist.

During the course of his doctorate studies at Stanford, he did his field work in China and translated Hindi and Chinese poetry into English. He returned to Delhi via Xinjiang and Tibet which led to a travel narrative From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet (1983) which won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award.

The Golden Gate: A Novel in Verse (1986) was his first novel describing the experiences of a group of friends who live in California. A Suitable Boy (1993), an epic of Indian life set in the 1950s, got him the WH Smith Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize.

His poetry includes The Humble Administrator's Garden (1985) and All You Who Sleep Tonight (1990). His Beastly Tales from Here and There (1992) is children's book consisting of ten stories in verse about animals.

In 2005, he published Two Lives, a family memoir written at the suggestion of his mother, which focuses on the lives of his great-uncle (Shanti Behari Seth) and German-Jewish great aunt (Henny Caro) who met in Berlin in the early 1930s while Shanti was a student there and with whom Seth stayed extensively on going to England at age 17 for school. As with From Heaven Lake, Two Lives contains much autobiography.

An unusually forthcoming writer whose published material is replete with un- or thinly-disguised details as to the personal lives of himself and his intimates related in a highly engaging narrative voice, Seth has said that he is somewhat perplexed that his readers often in consequence presume to an unwelcome degree of personal familiarity with him.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Tracy Telle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My bad. It was a BBC radio production, no wonder it sounded like a play instead of audiobook!

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Moira McPartlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Lessidisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

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. »

[Selma · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 :).

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Annanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a wonderful insight into the lives of post-independence Indians struggling to strike a balance between following their culture and values and adopting the Western way of life. It also depicts the torment that Lata goes through, torn between following her heart and being an obedient daughter. A great read!

[Persephonebook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un roman avec des personnages complexes et diversifié, une vrai fresques social de l’Inde post indépendante. Chaque personnage à sa propre identité et décrit et ceux même si il n’apparaît qu’une seul fois. De plus il traite de tellement de sujets différents ( culture, religion, conflits de religion, passé colonial et ses effets….). Je tiens à préciser que la série a l’heure actuelle rends assez bien hommage au livre. Hâte de lire le tome deux même si le fait que ce soit aussi long m’a parfois découragé car j’avais l’impression de pas avancé.

[Phoenix1000 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Ian Gillies · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you get when you kluge together the spirit of Jane Austen’s Emma, George Elliot’s Adam Bede, Charles Dicken’s David Copperfield, John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited and toss in a few stories with the sweep of those by James Michener, Pearl Buck, Amitav Ghosh, early James Joyce, and Margaret Mitchell. Answer – the magnificent A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth.

It’s difficult to imagine the passion and craftsmanship required to produce this massive 1447-page epic portrait of the lives of several intertwined Indian families living in the India of the early 1950s, shortly after the cataclysmic partition. It’s an enormous canvass to splash a story across.
The story is built upon one of the most basic of human dramas, the search for love in a complex and difficult world. Lata is the nineteen-year-old unmarried daughter in a westernized Indian family. Her mother, a widow with a vast and intricate web of family and social relationships, obsessively seeks a “suitable boy” for Lata. She does this in the traditional way by connecting with relatives and friends to find the match that will allow Lata to fulfill her destiny in sustaining the family story. Meanwhile, Lata, a university student eager to exercise her own powers, independently and untraditionally finds her own match through her circle of friends and fellow students. But he is a Muslim boy and Lata is high caste Hindu. The stage is set for drama.

It is a time of social and political upheaval in India. Independence from British colonial rule has recently been achieved, the forces of modernity are calling into question ancient traditions, religious and cultural institutions are both breaking down and fighting back, class and caste are alive but are unwell. And human nature, in all its beauty and ugliness pushes and pulls at all these elements to illuminate how the vast social forces are both shaped by and inform individual lives.

This interplay of individual characters with the social / historical context is expertly developed by Seth. For me, this is one of the many virtues of the book. The characters matter. They are real: loving, anxious, vulnerable, angry, awful, sympathetic, desperate, mad, sad and beautiful. You care about them, root for them, fear for them, despise them. This, combined with the skillful depiction of the larger forces affecting the characters, is what compelled me to eagerly turn each page.

I will give Seth credit for his sublime ability to create believable characters, even across the cultural divide between me, a 70 something Canadian reading his book in 2024, and the setting for the book in 1950s India. You can sense you are in for this kind of ride when the book begins, before it’s first chapter, with four entangled family trees. Each character is believably built, almost pointillist style, from a few little features: place in family, temperament, gender, occupation, religion and so on, and then, continually over the course of the story, shaded in, layer upon layer. There are so many pictures in Seth’s gallery. Each character is a masterwork.

A few years ago, I visited India on a trip unfortunately cut short by the covid pandemic. We went to Varanasi (also called Benares), a city on the Ganges which has a deep Hindu spiritual significance. We also spent time in Calcutta (Kolkata). Many of the scenes in Seth’s book, published in 1993 but depicting the world in 1952, resonated with things we saw and heard. India seems to be a country in constant battle with its history. The tensions between Hindus and Muslims, a cause of the partition, are an important feature of India today as the governing Hindu nationalist party exploits religious factionalism to advance its interests. Tensions over Kashmir boil over from time to time. Caste is still alive and unwell. I suppose in the sweep of history 70 years is the blink of an eye but it’s a discouraging reflection on human nature that more progress has not been made on problems that cause great suffering for many.

A Suitable Boy did not leave me with any feeling of optimism about social progress or a positive bend in the arc of history, but it did offer some happy resolutions in the world of most of the leading individual characters. That made it a pleasure to read, which speaks, I suppose, to what we need to nourish our own human desires: the idea that things can turn out well in the end, that happiness is possible, that there are indeed virtues worth striving for and that sometimes, not always, virtue is rewarded.

[Helen Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was featured in ‘the reading list’ and I realised I had never read it. It’s a big book but quite brilliant and informative

[Nina Perišić · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Moushine Zahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several novels from Indian Seth Vikram. They're all good and each one is different from the other. I've read this very long novel, but it is amazing in its own way. The author depicts the Indian societies post independance and post partition through several families, living in different states/cities and different backgrounds.

The novel starts like a typical romance Bollywood movie, when a family barely married one daugther that it is already interested in marrying the next one. Through the search of a suitable young man for the would be bride, the author describes the lifestyles of many different categories of Indian families. Each family has a daughter and a son to marry and each searches for best party. However, the definition of a suitable man varies from one family to the next.

It is a 900 pages long novel. Each of the 9 parts is about one family and returns to the other. Therefore, despite being long readers do not get bored. Reading this great classic novel is the best way to learn about India.

[Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a friend who read it as she travelled through India. I stumbled upon a copy at a second hand store and immediately bought it. I read this as one volume and I loved every moment from start to finish. Whenever I find that I can see and taste and feel what the characters are experiencing, I know that I'm reading the work of a very skilled author.

Start to finish, I was captivated by the characters and their interwoven stories. I ended up keeping a notebook near the book, just to keep track of names which were a little similar.

I really can't say any more about my experience of reading this, since it's been a little while but definitely recommended.

[Ros · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply could not put this book down. I could taste, smell and hear India in this mammoth tome. I loved the poetry interspersed in the pages and the extra cleverly written contents pages. This is the best book I have ever read. You will not be wasting your money or your time investing in this treasure chest from Vikram Seth.

[Jude Keen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended - one of those books you never forget

[Tracey Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Syed Esa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lata, Mrs. Rupa Mehra, and their quest to find a suitable boy. It is a story that most Indian women would probably relate to. Personally, though, I fell in love with Maan for his infatuation and madness for Saeeda bai and I loved Firoz, for his calm, almost erotic nature. The poetry adds a layer of elegance to what is already a good piece of text and the story flows incessantly, providing no holes for the readers to fill.

Expect this book to leave you feeling a barrage of emotions. You find yourself feeling sad for Saeeda bai at one point, and her pain and loss become your own. And this, while recovering from the emotion, where you feel the improbable love that Lata felt for Kabir. You sympathize with Nawabsahib, with his guilt and his folly, and you pity Mrs. Mahesh Kapoor, for her only act of defiance.

The oh-so-subtle touch of homoeroticism between the guys was such a smart touch. Especially the way they meet after Maan is released. The subtext was so brilliantly written and it remains consistent with all the character pairings too! Be it Kabir or Amit with Lata, the subtle touches of romance, the inherent angst of poetry, and the slow pace of text leave you hooked.

The Patriarchal society is beautifully touched upon, without making it a glaring, in-your-face detail. The simple struggle of Lata finding a suitable boy takes many turns through many lives, arrives at a railway station, and ends with monkeys.

A very readable novel that had me hooked for a good 6 hours. Brilliantly put together, Vikram Seth has my respect for writing something so real. I still am riding the high that this book gave me, so forgive me if I sound really cheugy when I say that Firoz must look really hot with that scar and I kinda wish Mann and him had ended up together.

[Майя Ставитская · Rating 5 out of 5]

Путеводитель по "Достойному жениху"
Тебе, читатель, чьи дела
С моими связаны столь тесно:
Не дрогнет пусть твоя рука
Достать монет из кошелька!
Это Викрам Сет, который, еще учась в Оксфорде, вдохновился "Евгением Онегиным", написал "Золотые ворота" - свой вариант романа в стихах онегинской строфой. По признанию многих, дающий англоязычному читателю наиболее полное, точное и адекватное представление об "энциклопедии русской жизни" Это сейчас к тому, что писатель нам совсем не чужой, а его колоссальный роман, который сравнивают с "Войной и миром", корнями уходит куда глубже в русскую классику.

"Достойный жених", пожалуй, главное книжное событие российской литературной жизни 2023, связанное с Индией, несмотря даже на обильную представленность страны в нашем сегодняшнем пространстве. В романе, сочетающем масштабность эпопеи с камерностью истории о выборе жениха, острую социальность с сериальными страстями, панораму языковой и религиозной Индии середины века с технологией обувного производства, криминальной драмой, студенческой постановкой "Двенадцатой ночи" и лужайкой под газон, которую не выравнивают, чтобы в сезон дождей любоваться из окна на серых цапель - в этом романе есть весь мир и пара коньков в придачу. Про коньки не ради красного словца, герои то и дело упоминают о катке, конечно, роликовом.

Однако именно об этой долгожданной книге, которая может подарить читателю примерно месяц знойной Индии взамен промозглого среднерусского ноября - именно о ней на данный момент практически ничего: молчат критики, блогеры, а читательские отзывы пугают многофигурностью и необходимостью гуглить по два раза на каждую страницу. По поводу второго, успокою: большинство незнакомых понятий спокойно берется из контекста, достаточно среднего бэкграунда читающего человека. А что до обилия персонажей и неясных отношений между ними - у вас есть я! Рецензии на двухтомник "Достойного жениха", в помощь друзьям-читателям сделаю в формате: Книга 1 - "Кто есть кто в романе"; Книга 2 - собственно рецензия. Поехали?

Итак, в центре повествования девятнадцатилетняя девушка по имени Лата Мера. Младшая дочь в семье Мера, она учится в университете, мы бы сказали "на филфаке". Роман начинается свадьбой ее старшей сестры Савиты (стальной стержень под внешностью нежного цветка), теперь Лата девушка на выданье и главный предмет переживаний матери, госпожи Рупы (чуть больше сорока, красивая обеспеченная вдова, неинсулинозависимый диабет). Есть также старший брат Арун (топ-менеджер англо-индийской фирмы, заносчивый сноб, англоман с авторитарными замашками). С женой Менакши и дочкой Апарной живет в Калькутте); и второй брат Варун, неуверенный неудачник, временно проживает в семье Аруна, старший совершенно его зашпынял. Семья Мера принадлежит к верхушке среднего класса, есть еще дедушка, вдовый врач с совершенно несносным характером, женатый на своей медсестре Парвати, десятью годами моложе падчерицы, госпожи Рупы, но его участие в повествовании минимально.

Старшая сестра Латы Савита выходит замуж за преподавателя кафедры английской литературы в университете Латы Прана Капура (худощавый астматик, поклонник Джойса, заботливый муж), сына Министра налогов и сборо�� Махеша Капура (соратник Джавахарлала Неру, принципиален и неподкупен, женат на госпоже Капур, но вообще-то - на работе, вследствие чего не самый заботливый муж и отец). Старшая сестра Прана Вина (любит музыку, мужа и сына, тяготится домостроевскими порядками в доме свекрови) замужем за Кедернатом (из обеспеченной семьи, чьи владения после обретения Индией независимости и раздела страны, оказались на территории нынешнего Пакистана; потеряв все, занялся обувным бизнесом, честный, но не слишком успешен). Девятилетний сын Кедерната и Вины Бхаскар с зада��ками математического гения. Младший брат Прана и Вины Ман обаятельный раздолбай двадцати с небольшим лет, держит магазин тканей, помолвлен с девушкой из провинции.

Старший брат Латы Арун женат на заносчивой гламурной красотке Менакши, дочери судьи Чаттерджи. Там чрезвычайно рафинированная, светская и образованная семья англоманов достаточно свободных взглядов, которые к тому же все время говорят рифмованными двустишиями, сами они называют это како-куплетами по имени взбалмошной и милой младшей сестры Каколи (20 с небольшим, море поклонников). Самый старший в семье сын Амит (около тридцати, известный поэт, пишет свой первый роман); средний Дипанкар (пока не нашел себя, мечется между духовными исканиями и необходимостью подхватить переданную отцом эстафету управления семейным бизнесом); младший тринадцатилетний Топан, красивый подросток, которому не повезло сделаться объектом преследования старшеклассника в закрытой престижной школе, куда семья Чаттерджи отправляет учиться сыновей.

В романном пространстве важную роль играет еще семья мусульман (не забыли, что в Индии лишь половина населения индуисты), не связанная родственными или брачными узами с Мерами, но дружная с Капурами. Собственно важны только олигарх в наших понятиях наваб-сахиб Байтана и его сын, многообещающий молодой адвокат Фироз, лучший друг Мана. И дополнительно, певица-куртизанка Саида (35, редкая красавица, дивный голос), живет с сестрой прекрасной юной Тахминой, чистоту нравов которой тщательно блюдет, несмотря на не самую строгую нравственность собственного образа жизни, и нанимает для нее преподавателей: урду Рашида (социалист, сын землевладельца заминдара), и музыки Исхака (талантлив, переселенец из Пакистана, на нем заботы о матери и братьях, болят руки - психосоматика как результат постоянного стресса).

Есть еще лучшая подруга Латы, уверенная в себе, дивной красоты студентка-медик Малати; влюбленный в Лату не без взаимности, но совершенно неподходящий ей в качестве жениха по причине принадлежности к мусульманам Кабир Дуррати (студент, спортсмен, талантливый игрок в крикет), сын профессора математики. И выпускник Манчестерского технологического колледжа Хареш Дхана, он как раз подходящий, из хорошей семьи, принадлежит к той же касте кхатриев (хотя я всегда думала, что кшатриев). Небогат, не знаменит и не престижен, но энергичен, амбициозен, много помогает людям и обязательно пробьется в жизни.

Теперь у вас есть путеводитель по книге, и можно не бояться заплутать, а сама она появилась не только в бумажном, но и в электронном формате на Букмейте и Литресе. И этот мегалит среди романов совершенно точно стоит того, чтобы расцветить индийскими красками нашу осеннюю хмарь.

#индийская литература, современная классика, Викрам Сет, большая книга, семейная сага, социальная проза, любовный роман, Индия 50-х, энциклопедия индийской жизни, перевод Елены Калявиной,Екатерины Романовой,Андрея Олеара, Литрес, Букмейт, Азбука

[Sandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the books listed in Sara Nisha Adams novel "The Reading List", this book, or rather, the audible book version that I listened to, was the hardest one to follow because it was done in the style of an old radio show.

But it was done so well, it was more like a movie, with background music and noise, but the screen was black.

No doubt I would have been able to follow along better if I had a better understanding of who was talking and where each scene was taking place.

I believe I get the jest of it, although I'm not 100% sure about the names.

And sadly, I'm exactly sure how it ended. I do know it was all about family. And let's be honest. Traditions and families, especially in some cultures, religions, and heritages, can get sticky and messy.

I wish I knew for sure how this book ended. No worries. I will search online for answers.

I think I would recommend others read the book and not listen to the audio book.

[theromantasynerd (adnan)]

I'm not done reading this book yet, but I just needed a space to document my experience, so here it goes:

---9% into Vol.1---
I'm only about 50 pages into this mammoth of a book which has nearly 1500 pages (Vol. 1 having approximately 550). This book is so different from any other book I'm reading at this point. I would describe it as "low stakes, high cozy vibes".
All the books I have read recently or am currently reading have such superlative emotions or high stakes that this book feels like a warm hug in comparison. The prose is calm and beautiful like a flowing river and I am in no mood to rush the current. I'm going to take my sweet time reading it... maybe a year -- mostly because of its length but also because it feels good to be reading something so different and I'm not ready to let that feeling go anytime soon.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Will Basil Cox allow Bentson and Price, taking into account the claims history of Persian fine teas being hundred and fifty two percent of premiums for the last three years at a premium of five anas, and wanting to renew the insurance for a shipement at the same tariff through their customs warehouse at Khorramshahr, agree to remove the theft pilferage and non delivery clause or to raise the premium to eight anas, or as the agent in Calcutta warns - will be lost to commercial union? I will never know because I abandoned this book due to too much turgid detail - that’s without even going into the tediously long passages about the local shoe industry.

[Katie Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am rating this 2.0, and honestly wanted to rate it lower, but I feel that is a because I listened to this via the library's Libby app. The only audiobook available was a BBC radio production and so the story was told in vignettes with different actors and a lot of background sounds. I hated it. It was hard to follow and I felt like there really must be a lot more to the story that was not being read in order for so many people to love this book. It is not worth it to me to seek out a full copy and read it again.

Content FYIs: Set in 1950s India there were some socially incorrect language for today's audiences, no swears, some mentions of sex, no violence.