Vikram’s Seths A Suitable Boy is an example of how a thick book should not put a person off reading. Indeed it is the thickest book written in the English language but it is flowing and takes no time to finish. I read the book in 2003 thinking that it would take me two months to finish off and within two weeks I was ready from it.
As the title states the book revolves around Lata and her mother’s search for a suitable husband. However this is just one plotline. The book is not akin to a plate of spaghetti where there are many different strands and they need a fork to twirl them together. You could say that Lata’s choice for the right husband serves this purpose.
A Suitable boy is THE indian novel. Seth goes into details about traditions, social classes religion and history of India. The book is also set after the partitioning and we see how the four main families mentioned in this book face this change.
Ironically enough I’m finding it difficult to actually write a lot about such a thick book but if I do it will spoil the depth that this novel carries. A beautiful panoramic novel like this needs to be read and experienced and you’ll feel more learned afterwards.
The Bobsphere 