Title: A Suitable Boy
Author: Seth, Vikram
Published by: Phoenix, London
Year: 1994
First published: Phoenix, 1993
Date reviewed: 06.98

This book is an impressive achievement. Despite its length, Seth keeps his reader engaged throughout. Every character in the complex, interwoven story is finely observed and detailed with sensitivity and gentle humour. The book covers a period of a little over a year at the time soon after India’s independence, and spans Indian society from top (Nehru makes an appearance as a character) to bottom. Having finished the book I feel I know far more about Indian society and culture than before – and I suspect that even so I have only just scratched the surface.

My only quibble with the story is the ending, where the main story of the title which unfolds through the book seems to be resolved rather hastily compared with the careful and detailed development of this and the sub-plots in the main body of the book. It would be unkind to think that Seth suddenly tired of his subject, or became worried about the length of the book, but Lata’s final decision on her "Suitable Boy" seemed to me inexplicably hasty. I was left speculating over the possibility of her choice somehow reflecting a move towards a new era in India’s development, but this still feels unsatisfactory. Perhaps I need to read the last part again.