A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

A Suitable Boy is one of the most influential books I've ever read.

When you see A Suitable Boy outside, you are going to be scared, trust me. Its about 1500 pages, a thumping huge book that is hard to even carry - and which you will hesitate to even look at. But as the author himself warns in an introduction to this book - buy this book before you think and come to the conclusion that this book will "sprain your wrists and strain your purse." And you better do that, because this book is worth each and every rupee, all the weight lifting that you will have to do, and all the sleepless hours you are going to spend on it, because A Suitable Boy is one of the best books I have ever read (and ever hope to). In A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth spins a delightful tale of family, love, and life - but more than that, he manages to map developing India and all the various things - good and bad - that make us who we really are. 

The story is set in 1950s in India, and maps the struggle of one mother to find 'a suitable boy' for her daughter among a variety of interlinked families - and is, in fact, a story of these families and all the struggles that go on around them. But in the end, there is so much in this book that even me, living in 2010 in India, could identify with - and so much that everyone, no matter where they live and when, will find in common with it, mostly because of the author's superb skill in fleshing out the characters that we've all seen. I mean who hasn't seen a hypochondriac, meddling, perfectionist mother like Mrs. Rupa Mehra? Who hasn't seen a boy like Maan - a little good for nothing, living on his father's money, and yet good at heart? And who hasn't seen a person like Lata, the main character of this story - sweet, and intelligent and maybe not ready to marry just yet? If I had to name one thing that lifts this story beyond 1500 pages of boredom and makes it as lively and as beautiful as it is - well - it has to be the characters. They're beautifully etched, the kind of characters we've all seen somewhere or the other in our lives, and who fill us with joy. I've actually laughed out loud and cried while reading this book - a feat not easily achieved by any book. 

The setting is wonderfully done - in an imaginary state of Bharampur in India, where the political struggles, the disasters, the religious turmoil is all original - and yet so easy to identify with. The story, as one reviewer describes it, is 'a pilgrimage into India', and I agree totally. This is a story that takes you into the heart of India, into the pulsating core of what makes it what it is, and everyone will find something in this book to satisfy them and touch them - either the politics, the family struggles, or the state of the peasants, the state of the evicted landlords, the religious struggles, or just the discovery of self that forms the basis of this book. 

Incidentally, this is the kind of book where you will soon fall in love with most of the leading characters - a lot of whom are on opposing sides, and is the kind of book where some will lose and some will win - and where you will be tantalized by the beautiful poetry that is in the index that tells you about the chapter (the last chapter, for example, has "One person, five, and thirty thousand choose - some win, some draw, and as must be, some lose" - and by about half way through I not only knew what this meant but I was rationing the book so I didn't reach this chapter too fast). The ending might indeed not be to your satisfaction (it certainly wasn't to mine - I wont give you any spoilers but I don't particularly like Lata's choice), but I swear the journey is worth it. So don't be intimidated by the size of the book - even spraining your wrist and straining your purse will be totally worth it. 

Final thoughts: There are just two words really - read it. Now. Beautifully etched characters, excellent writing, wonderful portrayal of India - a book to warm your heart and change your life. 

Other thoughts: I have many, many more reviews planned - expect a review of Jane Austen's Emma sometime next week, and keep giving me recommendations of good books to read.      

The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer

The Prodigal Daughter is my favourite Archer book.

It is odd that of all the books I'm reading right now (I'm currently reading 4 at once, which explains the lack of book reviews here - and which also means I'm probably going to finish them all together and have a lot of reviews by the end of the month) the one I finished first was the one I'd already read. (I read it an awfully long time ago, though. It struck me while re-reading the book that there is a scene in the book where Florentyna, the main character, doesn't know what a virgin is - and when I read the book for the first time, I didn't really know what it meant either.) Anyway, I recently borrowed this book from the school library and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it even after so many years.

The Prodigal Daughter may be described as a sequel to Archer's wildly famous Kane and Abel, and is essentially the story of Florentyna Rosnovski - the daughter of Baron Abel Rosnovski of the original novel. Florentyna is an amazing character. She's intelligent, witty and kind - except when she rolls her fingers into a fist, which is when you have to watch out. And as it happens, she falls in love with one Richard Kane (son of William Kane in the original book) who just happens to be the son of her father's worst enemy. This book details everything that happens in her life - from her formative years to her years in college, to finally her affair with Richard and the subsequent drama that follows, and finally ends with her campaign to be the first female president of the united states of america.

The book, like every other Archer book, is extremely well-written. There is not a single dull moment, the dialogues are memorable, and the writing is very clean and masterful. The cast of characters is large (since this details the past and future of two families) but since each character is so unique (though not often very uniquely named) that is quite easy to keep them straight. Archer does not fall into the trap of having children with the exact characteristics of either parents and practically the same life, and therefore the book has a touch of realism that is really very useful. All in all, this book is masterfully plotted, the story is very interesting, and despite the large scale of the events the book is so delightfully human (and here the role of Florentyna as a character cannot be denied) that one cannot help but feel like the book is very human.

Final Thoughts: Excellently plotted, well-written, and with some of the most wonderful characters ever written - a book that no one should miss, though I recommend reading Archer's Kane and Abel first.

Other thoughts: Sorry for the long delay guys. But I'm almost through with New York, half-way through The Color of Magic, and also simultaneously reading some other books, so you can expect a lot of reviews in the near future. Until then, happy reading. :)