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racheljane96's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
oftalone90's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Much too long!
A book set during an interesting period of Indian history. Plot rather thin for a book of this length. Girl needs a husband; meets 3 and eventually marries the safe choice!
Thank god for Audible because I’d have never got through it otherwise!
A book set during an interesting period of Indian history. Plot rather thin for a book of this length. Girl needs a husband; meets 3 and eventually marries the safe choice!
Thank god for Audible because I’d have never got through it otherwise!
norimee's review against another edition
2 stars, because it is well written and shows a plethora of well rounded characters and a view into an important time in Indian History.
BUT: what really made my blood boil and wanted me to give it even negative stars is how the author handled telling the story ark of Saeeda Bai and Tasneem. The way he just didn't give any importance to the violence against women in his story.When Maan attacked first Saeeda Bai and then Firoz, him strangling her nearly to death and her persistent injury and the effects on her voice (her livelihood) is only mentioned in passing. There is no remorse or guilt described in Maan, while the guilt and worry for Firoz nearly eats him up and is described in detail. Not even at their next meeting, the only focus is on how he might have fallen out of love with her and no word about what he had done to her and what she had actually done for him in pretending it never happened and lying for his sake to the police. But even worse was how Seth wrote about the issue with Tasneem. The big scandal being that she was the Nawab Sahib's illegitimate daughter and Feroz's half sister while the fact that Feroz's father actually FUCKING RAPED 15 YEAR OLD SAEEDA BAI AND GOT HER PREGNANT is only mentioned in passing. If there wouldn’t be a child, this would literally not have been an issue. No reason to feel bad about or for any of the characters to acknowledge it, after they learned about it. The widely respected Nawab Sahib drunkenly raped a 15 year old child and 15 years later Maan Kapoor nearly strangled her to death out of jealousy.
These facts shouldn't be treated so nonchalantly as if that's a normal part of life and the way you just treat women. Normalising violence against women is not okay today and it wasn’t okay in 1993 when this book was published.
BUT: what really made my blood boil and wanted me to give it even negative stars is how the author handled telling the story ark of Saeeda Bai and Tasneem. The way he just didn't give any importance to the violence against women in his story.
These facts shouldn't be treated so nonchalantly as if that's a normal part of life and the way you just treat women. Normalising violence against women is not okay today and it wasn’t okay in 1993 when this book was published.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Rape, Misogyny, and Death of parent
arzoosingh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
anjalisudarsan's review against another edition
4.0
It felt like I spent a lifetime reading this book. I thought it was way too long, but the descriptions made it worth the experience. My mind was living out a life in post-independence india, where people were just coming to terms with their new identity.
I found Mrs Rupa Mehra to the most annoying, peskiest character in the book! What a selfish woman - although I get that she cared about her children and their families, I really couldn’t stand her personality. “Let me find you a suitable boy” - a suitable boy FOR HER. Personal bias, perhaps, but she was the worst
I found Mrs Rupa Mehra to the most annoying, peskiest character in the book! What a selfish woman - although I get that she cared about her children and their families, I really couldn’t stand her personality. “Let me find you a suitable boy” - a suitable boy FOR HER. Personal bias, perhaps, but she was the worst
alexandre_rl's review against another edition
5.0
Il est difficile de s'imaginer la quantité de travail nécessaire à l'écriture d'un roman comme "Un garçon convenable". Il en impose non seulement par sa longueur (593 674 mots dans l'édition originale), mais aussi par la qualité de son écriture, délicate, raffinée, précise et poétique à la fois. Que Vikram Seth ait pu donner vie à près d'une centaine de personnages est en soi un tour de force, mais qu'ils soient tous aussi vivants, aussi authentiques et complexes relève du pur génie.
Depuis trois mois et demi, j'ai l'impression de voyager chaque jour dans l'Inde des années 50, de mieux comprendre ses traditions, la complexité de sa mosaïque sociale, les méandres de son système politique... "Un garçon convenable" est si riche, si foisonnant, si entier qu'on en sort transformé. On s'attache aux personnages comme à de bons amis qu'on ne veut jamais quitter. Même les plus détestables d'entre eux. Personne dans ce livre n'est banal ou inintéressant.
Il y a certainement ce que l'on pourrait appeler des longueurs; des pages et des pages de politique indienne post-séparation qui testeront la patience de bien des lecteurs. Mais au final ces quelques moments de relatif ennui n'ont aucun poids dans la balance. On quitte le roman de Vikram Seth avec la certitude d'avoir lu un chef-d'oeuvre intemporel.
Depuis trois mois et demi, j'ai l'impression de voyager chaque jour dans l'Inde des années 50, de mieux comprendre ses traditions, la complexité de sa mosaïque sociale, les méandres de son système politique... "Un garçon convenable" est si riche, si foisonnant, si entier qu'on en sort transformé. On s'attache aux personnages comme à de bons amis qu'on ne veut jamais quitter. Même les plus détestables d'entre eux. Personne dans ce livre n'est banal ou inintéressant.
Il y a certainement ce que l'on pourrait appeler des longueurs; des pages et des pages de politique indienne post-séparation qui testeront la patience de bien des lecteurs. Mais au final ces quelques moments de relatif ennui n'ont aucun poids dans la balance. On quitte le roman de Vikram Seth avec la certitude d'avoir lu un chef-d'oeuvre intemporel.
enbylievable's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really special and unique experience and I'm glad I read this, even if it took me a couple years to get over my intimidation at the 1400+ page count. I did get quite a bit burnt out from reading this -- if I could do it again, I'd have taken a couple breaks partway through to read something else and come back (but we're also watching the 6-episode TV series to supplement). What an amazing slow-burn of a love story, and sooo immersive too. I feel like I learned a lot about India and Hindu culture. I didn't get the resolution I wanted from the ending but I'm really happy I gave this book a shot
jess_mango's review against another edition
5.0
THIS. This is the book that made me fall in love with Indian literature. It is a massive tome but VERY much worth the read. Highly recommended!
amallard's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Kabir <3
Wow, I do not like how that rendered.
This was dense. There were pages in the law courts where my eyes filmed over. I didn't care much for what's-his-name the prodigal son.
But. But. As a woman with South Asian heritage raised in a White country - third generation, utterly divided from my history, ashamed of my ethnicity and hesitant to disclose it - this was the book that made me fall in love with myself. I was proud. I was fascinated. I could not be parted from these pages and I would read them in the gym. I realised in bittersweet surprise that this might be how White people felt all the time, when they read. These people felt like my people. This was the first book that gave my history humanity and feeling.
I do wish he'd made more of the love story. I wouldn't have minded an additional fifty pages of fluff. The missing 1/4 star is for that, and not the legal talk.
Wow, I do not like how that rendered.
This was dense. There were pages in the law courts where my eyes filmed over. I didn't care much for what's-his-name the prodigal son.
But. But. As a woman with South Asian heritage raised in a White country - third generation, utterly divided from my history, ashamed of my ethnicity and hesitant to disclose it - this was the book that made me fall in love with myself. I was proud. I was fascinated. I could not be parted from these pages and I would read them in the gym. I realised in bittersweet surprise that this might be how White people felt all the time, when they read. These people felt like my people. This was the first book that gave my history humanity and feeling.
I do wish he'd made more of the love story. I wouldn't have minded an additional fifty pages of fluff. The missing 1/4 star is for that, and not the legal talk.
paristexas's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0