A Suitable Boy
2 journalers for this copy...
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth:
If you decide to wade through this one, pack a lunch. It’s 1474 pages full to the brim with minute detail about everything from the leather tanning industry in India, to insider politics, and on through fly-on-the-wall, long, intimate, family discussions, rife with convoluted, culturally-based codes of behavior. Vikram Seth assumes the reader has at least a basic understanding of Indian expressions and culture, so no explanations are given. If anything, this adds to the personal quality of the story, and readers will find themselves immersed in this so-very-different and complex culture, and most likely, completely fascinated.
Set in newly Independence India (early 1950s), the British have left, partition has taken place and Pakistan is a separate and mainly Muslim country. Within India there is unrest and turmoil as the new government tries to sort itself out, those in power struggle to stabilize the economy, and Hindus and Muslims attempt to live side-by-side without a third party to arbitrate. Society is heavily patriarchal, and young women must be married to a suitable boy, chosen for them by their elders. Marriage is the only acceptable lifestyle for both men and women, and while neither are ready to declare independence from ‘tyranny’ as their country has, you can see the seeds of change being sown.
This novel provides an insider’s view into the heart of a multi-layered culture, a step back into time, and an understanding of India as we see her now. If you have the time to devote, I’d recommend giving this one a try.
If you decide to wade through this one, pack a lunch. It’s 1474 pages full to the brim with minute detail about everything from the leather tanning industry in India, to insider politics, and on through fly-on-the-wall, long, intimate, family discussions, rife with convoluted, culturally-based codes of behavior. Vikram Seth assumes the reader has at least a basic understanding of Indian expressions and culture, so no explanations are given. If anything, this adds to the personal quality of the story, and readers will find themselves immersed in this so-very-different and complex culture, and most likely, completely fascinated.
Set in newly Independence India (early 1950s), the British have left, partition has taken place and Pakistan is a separate and mainly Muslim country. Within India there is unrest and turmoil as the new government tries to sort itself out, those in power struggle to stabilize the economy, and Hindus and Muslims attempt to live side-by-side without a third party to arbitrate. Society is heavily patriarchal, and young women must be married to a suitable boy, chosen for them by their elders. Marriage is the only acceptable lifestyle for both men and women, and while neither are ready to declare independence from ‘tyranny’ as their country has, you can see the seeds of change being sown.
This novel provides an insider’s view into the heart of a multi-layered culture, a step back into time, and an understanding of India as we see her now. If you have the time to devote, I’d recommend giving this one a try.
On its way to a BXer in CT.
Thanks hotflash! I'm looking forward to finally reading this book, though I expect it will take me awhile to finish it. :)