Reviews

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

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.

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

mmhj's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

If you read this book thinking it's a love story, you'll be disappointed because the book will keep getting in your way. The book is a realism (the book genre) exploration of what happened to Indians after their independence frrom UK. The independence happened in 1947, and this book is set in 1951/52. The book talks about everything from the politicians and laws, to changes between parent and children. Absolutely brilliant book, assuming you don't want a love story.

whimsyreader's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

all_piss_and_vinegar's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to explain why I loved this book so much  -  I just know it was 100% with the time commitment 

lostgwennel's review against another edition

Though I loved some of the characters, the cultural authenticity, historical setting, style, and romance, after 500 pages the story felt stagnant and like nothing was really progressing - it wasn’t holding my interest enough to justify another 1000 pages.

mcgovnhm's review against another edition

4.0

This book… was well written. I will say that. The characters had a lot of weight behind them, and were woven together well. But that ending….I was just not a fan. And it took a very long time to get to that ending which I was not a fan of. Maybe that’s realistic, or a great metaphor for the way that real life happens. But for me, I was disappointed in the choices of the main characters. There was nothing inherently WRONG with the ending I suppose, it just wasn’t at all what I had hoped would happen. The whole of reading this novel was enjoyable, but I think the destination is almost as important as the journey when it comes to novels, particularly novels of this size.

daniblue976's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book was massive. There were a million characters to keep track of and the ending wasn’t satisfying to me. I felt it did a disservice to Lata and felt rushed, which shouldn’t happen with such a large book. It didn’t feel like much was resolved. 

candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition

5.0

I read "A Suitable Boy" when it came out and loved it. I just re-read it, and actually loved it even more. The story is so engrossing, each character so completely developed, that is it hard to move on once you turn the last page. What else will give a reader such a sense of sitting in on a huge story with people you miss when the book is through? And then there are these questions: was Lata's choice the right one? What's going on between Maan and Firoz? Is the future going to be as tough on Saeeda Bai as it seems? What will happen to the Khans with the Zamindari act? Can Mrs. Rupa Mehra please have an admirer? She deserves something, and Jeez, she's only in her 40s.


Now I hear that Seth is working on a sequel (please pass on any additional info, fellow readers) Of course I'm filled with anticipation, but have a suggestion, Vik. Realize that you cannot wind up this story in a mingy 365 pages. You will need a large canvas to satisfy your readers and do your characters justice.

"A Suitable Boy" is recommended for anyone who relishes the transformative power of fiction and the joy of great storytelling.

Candace Siegle,
Greedy Reader