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A Suitable Boy, Vol. 2
A student, a shoemaker, a poet: three suitors fight for Lata. Meanwhile India, newly-independent, is struggling through a time of great turmoil as the agony of partition still throbs in people's minds - driving a wedge through friendships, families and political unions.
622 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
16 people are currently reading
696 people want to read
About the author
Vikram Seth
61 books1,711 followersVikram 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 12, 2023
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth is a sweeping and epic tale set in post-independence India that explores the lives and relationships of several families in the country. The novel, which is Seth's first and most famous work, is a sprawling, multi-generational epic that spans over 1500 pages and delves into the complex and rich fabric of Indian society and culture.
One of the strengths of the book is its vivid and detailed portrayal of India. Seth masterfully captures the country's rich history, diverse cultures, and changing social and political landscape. The book is a celebration of India's history, traditions, and people, and the reader is drawn into the world of the characters as they navigate the challenges and joys of life in post-independence India.
Another strength of the book is its rich and complex characters. Seth has created a cast of characters that are memorable, relatable, and deeply human. The characters are multi-dimensional, with strengths and weaknesses, and their relationships are complex and intertwined. This creates a rich tapestry of emotions and motivations that drive the narrative forward.
For readers who are unfamiliar with India or its history and culture, the book provides an excellent introduction to the country and its people. The book is a snapshot of India at a pivotal moment in its history, and it provides readers with a rich understanding of the country's social and cultural fabric.
In conclusion, A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth is a sweeping and epic tale that explores the lives and relationships of several families in post-independence India. The book is a celebration of India's rich history, diverse cultures, and people, and it provides readers with a rich and detailed portrayal of the country and its people. Whether you are a seasoned reader of historical fiction or a newcomer to the genre, this book is definitely worth a read.
One of the strengths of the book is its vivid and detailed portrayal of India. Seth masterfully captures the country's rich history, diverse cultures, and changing social and political landscape. The book is a celebration of India's history, traditions, and people, and the reader is drawn into the world of the characters as they navigate the challenges and joys of life in post-independence India.
Another strength of the book is its rich and complex characters. Seth has created a cast of characters that are memorable, relatable, and deeply human. The characters are multi-dimensional, with strengths and weaknesses, and their relationships are complex and intertwined. This creates a rich tapestry of emotions and motivations that drive the narrative forward.
For readers who are unfamiliar with India or its history and culture, the book provides an excellent introduction to the country and its people. The book is a snapshot of India at a pivotal moment in its history, and it provides readers with a rich understanding of the country's social and cultural fabric.
In conclusion, A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth is a sweeping and epic tale that explores the lives and relationships of several families in post-independence India. The book is a celebration of India's rich history, diverse cultures, and people, and it provides readers with a rich and detailed portrayal of the country and its people. Whether you are a seasoned reader of historical fiction or a newcomer to the genre, this book is definitely worth a read.
February 19, 2019
Predivno putovanje kroz Indiju sa dvije porodice koje se suocavaju sa promjenama u zemlji, ali i promjenama koje se odvijaju unutar njih samih. Da li su neki od njih spremni napustiti indijske obicaje koji postoje i prenose se generacijama vec stotinama godina,kako bi uspjeli u kapitalistickom svijetu koji im namece britanska vlast i americka preduzeca, ili su pak spremni odreci se mogucnosti napretka, kako bi sacuvali tradicionalne vrijednosti i svoje porodice na okupu, saznajte u nastavku ove trilogije. Nisam ljubitelj ovakvih tema i opcenito azijskih podrucja , ali ova knjiga mi je bila odlicna. Od mene preporuka za sve koji vole porodicne sage i drame 😊
November 4, 2023
How the novel "The Worthy Groom" is arrange
"Imagine what kind of thing Tatiana ran away with me. She got married. I did not expect this from her in any way"
A.S. Pushkin.
The time and place of the "Worthy Groom" is India, the beginning of the fifties. After independence, partition and the first Indo-Pakistani war, very little time has passed, the centers of mutual discontent between Hindus and Muslims are smoldering, from time to time flaring up with a massacre (this will be discussed in the novel), but in general life has entered a calm peaceful channel. How non-conflictual can the coexistence of a colossal number of people who even speak different languages be? In addition to Hindi, with which we habitually associate India, there is an excellent not only sound, but also the Urdu alphabet (in the novel there will be collisions associated with the difficulties of learning this language by one of the characters). And there is also Bengali, which, it turns out, was written by Robindranath Tagore, with whom the older generation of our readers associate almost all Indian literature. And nineteen more official languages only.
Vikram Seth unfolds the chamber story of the search for a worthy groom for a girl from a decent family against the background of interethnic, interfaith and social conflicts. The most important land reform for agrarian India is being prepared, which will affect the whole society. Political passions are boiling - dislike of politicians does not prevent us from recognizing that we all depend on their decisions, and the topic of elections with manipulation of public opinion is no less relevant in any "here and now" And here, among all this, the girl Lata, a student of philology of nineteen years old, must decide with whom she will connect her life.
Today, you and I would say, "Isn't it a little early?" But do not forget that there is the 50s and patriarchal India, where even today astrologers are consulted when entering into marriages (certainly not because of drowsiness). That's why it's just right. And since Lata is good-looking and her family is respected, and times are not the present, when everything is through the phone, then there are three candidates. Choose - but make no mistake! I told about the balance of forces with brief character characteristics in the "Guide to the Worthy Groom" - this is so that it would be easier for you to navigate in the romantic space.
Where in the pre-Internet era could a girl meet a young man? At work-study; among familiar relatives or relatives of acquaintances (relatives of new relatives, as an option, but this is if she has recently married brothers and sisters, Lata has); matchmaker - finally. And the latter will also be here, although in such a hybrid version - one of the grooms will turn out to be a distant acquaintance of a distant relative, who will act here as an involuntary matchmaker.
There are three candidates for the role of the groom: Kabir Durrati, Lata met him herself, she is in love with him, it is mutual, he is also studying at the university, the professor's son and could be a wonderful party if he were not a Muslim. Such a marriage will alienate the girl from the family. Amit Chatterjee, ten years older and already a well-known writer, from a very good family, his interest in Lata is rather due to the fact that it's time to get married, and the girl is nice, beautiful, educated, decent and relatives like it. Haresh Dhana, shoe manufacturing technologist, foreman with growth potential at a Czech factory, left home at the age of fifteen due to a conflict with his father and lived on his own for some time. He graduated from a technological college in England, but he is a simpleton for Armor, he can be very offended by some word thrown without intent, he used to love a Muslim girl with whom marriage was impossible and has retained tenderness for her to this day. Kind, reliable, open, can work not only with his head, but also with his hands.
Which of the three will give preference to Lata? What will win: passion, prestige, maternal recommendation? It's so external, encircling. Vikram Seth, who loves English literature and great Russians equally, places a Jane Austen-like story in Tolstoy's epic of folk life, seasoning it with Dostoevsky passions (there is also the story of Lata Man Kapoor's brother-in-law, which I have not told here, but it needs to be dedicated to a separate review), Dickensian sentimentality, and the sharpness of Thackeray.
Gifting the reader with a luxurious multi-figure novel that will help you escape from all this into a great story. To whom for a month, and to whom and until the new year will be enough.
#indian literature, modern classics, Vikram Set, big book, family saga, social prose, love novel, India of the 50s, encyclopedia of Indian life, translation by Lev Vysotsky, Ekaterina Romanova,Andrey Olear, Litres, Bookmate, ABC
"Imagine what kind of thing Tatiana ran away with me. She got married. I did not expect this from her in any way"
A.S. Pushkin.
The time and place of the "Worthy Groom" is India, the beginning of the fifties. After independence, partition and the first Indo-Pakistani war, very little time has passed, the centers of mutual discontent between Hindus and Muslims are smoldering, from time to time flaring up with a massacre (this will be discussed in the novel), but in general life has entered a calm peaceful channel. How non-conflictual can the coexistence of a colossal number of people who even speak different languages be? In addition to Hindi, with which we habitually associate India, there is an excellent not only sound, but also the Urdu alphabet (in the novel there will be collisions associated with the difficulties of learning this language by one of the characters). And there is also Bengali, which, it turns out, was written by Robindranath Tagore, with whom the older generation of our readers associate almost all Indian literature. And nineteen more official languages only.
Vikram Seth unfolds the chamber story of the search for a worthy groom for a girl from a decent family against the background of interethnic, interfaith and social conflicts. The most important land reform for agrarian India is being prepared, which will affect the whole society. Political passions are boiling - dislike of politicians does not prevent us from recognizing that we all depend on their decisions, and the topic of elections with manipulation of public opinion is no less relevant in any "here and now" And here, among all this, the girl Lata, a student of philology of nineteen years old, must decide with whom she will connect her life.
Today, you and I would say, "Isn't it a little early?" But do not forget that there is the 50s and patriarchal India, where even today astrologers are consulted when entering into marriages (certainly not because of drowsiness). That's why it's just right. And since Lata is good-looking and her family is respected, and times are not the present, when everything is through the phone, then there are three candidates. Choose - but make no mistake! I told about the balance of forces with brief character characteristics in the "Guide to the Worthy Groom" - this is so that it would be easier for you to navigate in the romantic space.
Where in the pre-Internet era could a girl meet a young man? At work-study; among familiar relatives or relatives of acquaintances (relatives of new relatives, as an option, but this is if she has recently married brothers and sisters, Lata has); matchmaker - finally. And the latter will also be here, although in such a hybrid version - one of the grooms will turn out to be a distant acquaintance of a distant relative, who will act here as an involuntary matchmaker.
There are three candidates for the role of the groom: Kabir Durrati, Lata met him herself, she is in love with him, it is mutual, he is also studying at the university, the professor's son and could be a wonderful party if he were not a Muslim. Such a marriage will alienate the girl from the family. Amit Chatterjee, ten years older and already a well-known writer, from a very good family, his interest in Lata is rather due to the fact that it's time to get married, and the girl is nice, beautiful, educated, decent and relatives like it. Haresh Dhana, shoe manufacturing technologist, foreman with growth potential at a Czech factory, left home at the age of fifteen due to a conflict with his father and lived on his own for some time. He graduated from a technological college in England, but he is a simpleton for Armor, he can be very offended by some word thrown without intent, he used to love a Muslim girl with whom marriage was impossible and has retained tenderness for her to this day. Kind, reliable, open, can work not only with his head, but also with his hands.
Which of the three will give preference to Lata? What will win: passion, prestige, maternal recommendation? It's so external, encircling. Vikram Seth, who loves English literature and great Russians equally, places a Jane Austen-like story in Tolstoy's epic of folk life, seasoning it with Dostoevsky passions (there is also the story of Lata Man Kapoor's brother-in-law, which I have not told here, but it needs to be dedicated to a separate review), Dickensian sentimentality, and the sharpness of Thackeray.
Gifting the reader with a luxurious multi-figure novel that will help you escape from all this into a great story. To whom for a month, and to whom and until the new year will be enough.
#indian literature, modern classics, Vikram Set, big book, family saga, social prose, love novel, India of the 50s, encyclopedia of Indian life, translation by Lev Vysotsky, Ekaterina Romanova,Andrey Olear, Litres, Bookmate, ABC
July 10, 2021
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!
August 30, 2022
La fin est émouvante c’est un vrai conte de fées mais certaines intrigues ne sont pas résolues, ça se voit qu’il en a eu marre, il a dit, allé, là ça suffit, je fais le dénouement. Normal, l'histoire est sympa mais 1800 pages c'est beaucoup trop long ça prend littéralement des mois à lire ! Autrement c'est une histoire bonne humeur.
« "- Oui, George VI est mort, les drapeaux sont en berne, et qu'est-ce que ça a à voir avec moi ?
- Ils ont arrêté le dépouillement.
- Ils ne peuvent pas faire ça !
- Si - ils le peuvent. Ils avaient commencé en retard - la jeep du chef de district était tombée en panne - et ils n'avaient donc pas fini à minuit. Et à minuit on a suspendu le dépouillement - en signe de respect." La cocasserie de la chose fit glousser Badri Nath de plus belle.
Le Pr Mishra, lui, ne trouva pas ça cocasse le moins du monde. L'ex-empereur-roi des Indes n'avait pas à mourir en ce moment. »
« Il restait plusieurs urnes à vider.
Dans certaines, on trouvait un peu de poudre rouge et quelques pièces de monnaie. Probablement des paysans pieux qui, en voyant le bétail sacré représenté sur l'urne, avaient glissée une offrande en même temps que leur bulletin. »
🇮🇳
« "- Oui, George VI est mort, les drapeaux sont en berne, et qu'est-ce que ça a à voir avec moi ?
- Ils ont arrêté le dépouillement.
- Ils ne peuvent pas faire ça !
- Si - ils le peuvent. Ils avaient commencé en retard - la jeep du chef de district était tombée en panne - et ils n'avaient donc pas fini à minuit. Et à minuit on a suspendu le dépouillement - en signe de respect." La cocasserie de la chose fit glousser Badri Nath de plus belle.
Le Pr Mishra, lui, ne trouva pas ça cocasse le moins du monde. L'ex-empereur-roi des Indes n'avait pas à mourir en ce moment. »
« Il restait plusieurs urnes à vider.
Dans certaines, on trouvait un peu de poudre rouge et quelques pièces de monnaie. Probablement des paysans pieux qui, en voyant le bétail sacré représenté sur l'urne, avaient glissée une offrande en même temps que leur bulletin. »
🇮🇳
March 30, 2022
Took me forever and I got in trouble at the library because I got water on it.
The politics parts were boring at the time but definitely added to make it more memorable after the fact.
No spoilers but glad I read to the end to find out which chap she ended up with!
The politics parts were boring at the time but definitely added to make it more memorable after the fact.
No spoilers but glad I read to the end to find out which chap she ended up with!
May 9, 2022
Well apparently the Kindle edition that downloaded was actually Volume 1 and 2. So I have now finished both, so need to take credit for them both as it took a few days.
See my review of Volume 1 for both volumes.
See my review of Volume 1 for both volumes.
August 26, 2021
Skipped a lot of the political stuff.
January 10, 2023
4 / eh je suis grave triste de quitter le livre. Ça me fait bizarre de me dire que j’aurais plus de nouvelles de tous ces personnages 😭.
C’est vrai que j’ai mis du temps à le lire et il y avait des moments de longueurs dans le livre, notamment les moments où ils parlent de choses juridiques et politiques, c’est compliqué à tenir.
Mais les personnages wshhh 😭 ils me manquent déjà… je suis trop triste.
C’est vrai que j’ai mis du temps à le lire et il y avait des moments de longueurs dans le livre, notamment les moments où ils parlent de choses juridiques et politiques, c’est compliqué à tenir.
Mais les personnages wshhh 😭 ils me manquent déjà… je suis trop triste.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2023
Got terribly bored of Seth's "gurgling prose". No inclination to finish this endlessly happy saga, after reading 1000 pages.
December 28, 2020
The plot continues but sometimes there is too much detail in the supporting characters' stories, and it can feel a bit long at times. No less interesting or rich of a read than Vol 1, but takes more commitment.
March 22, 2015
The sage continues. It's like a soap opera, but better and not as stupid.
July 17, 2012
Almost as good as the first volume...makes me travel!
Read
October 5, 2014Actually abandoned ship about 15% in due to lack of time at this time!!!
May 31, 2015
I loved spending time in India, with this amazing book and lovable characters! A must read.
February 23, 2016
One of my all time favourite books. Love it. Highly recommend.
November 13, 2019
one of the best books I have read .. storytelling that draws a foreigner into.tbe cusp of Indian culture, life, family and everyday life..
August 30, 2020
Onward to volume 3. I am still loving reading this. I will miss it when it's over.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews