A SUITABLE BOY

'''A Suitable Boy''' is a novel by Vikram Seth, released in 1994. At 1349 pages (1488 pages softcover) and 591,552 words, the book is the longest novel ever published in a single volume in the English language.^[1][2].

Contents

Plot introduction

Characters in ''A Suitable Boy''

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links

Further reading

Plot introduction

''A Suitable Boy'' is set in post-independence, post-partition India. The novel follows the story of four families over a period of 18 months as a mother searches for a suitable boy to marry her daughter.
The 1471-page novel alternatively satirically and earnestly examines issues of national politics in the period leading up to the first post-Independence national election of 1952, inter-sectarian animosity, the status of lower caste peoples such as the jatav, land reform and the eclipse of the feudal princes and landlords, academic affairs, inter- and intra-family relations and a range of further issues of importance to the characters.
A suitable boy centres on Mrs. Rupa Mehra’s efforts to arrange the marriage of her younger daughter, Lata, with a “suitable boy”. At the heart of the novel it is a love story, set in a young, newly independent India. The fictional town, Brahmpur, along with Calcutta, Delhi, Kanpur and other Indian cities, forms a colourful backdrop for the emerging stories.
Lata is a 19 year old college girl, vulnerable, yet determined to have her own way, and not be influenced by her strong mother and opinionated brother, Arun. Her story revolves around the choice she is forced to make between her suitors, Kabir, Haresh and Amit.
The novel is not simply based on one story. This epic novel covers the various issues faced by post-independence India, including Hindu-Muslim strife, abolition of the Zamindari system, land reforms and empowerment of Muslim women.
The novel is divided into 19 parts, with each part focussing on a different story (and eventally coming back round again). For example part 1 is about Lata's story; part 2 is about a courtesan (the beginning of a major subplot featuring Maan Kapoor); part 3 is about Lata again; part 4 is about Haresh; part 5 is about the Brahmpur political scene etc. Each part is described by a rhyming couplet on the contents page.

Characters in ''A Suitable Boy''

The four main families mentioned in the novel are:
The Mehras - Mrs. Rupa Mehra, a mother searching for a suitable boy for her daughter. Arun, Savita, Varun and Lata - Mrs. Mehra's four children. Arun is married to Meenakshi Chatterji, Savita to Pran Kapoor.
Lata - Mrs. Rupa Mehra's youngest child. A large portion of the novel as well as the title describes her mother's determination to marry Lata off to "a suitable boy."
The Kapoors - Mr. Mahesh Kapoor, Mrs. Mahesh Kapoor and their 3 children Veena, Pran and Maan.
The Khans - Nawab Sahib of Baitar and his 3 children Zainab, Imtiaz and Firoz.
The Chatterjis - Mr. Justice Chatterji and Mrs. Chatterji and their children Amit, Meenakshi (married to Arun Mehra), Dipankar, Kakoli and Tapan
Four family trees are provided to help readers keep up with the complicated interwoven family networks.

Awards and nominations

★ 1994 - Best book, Commonwealth Writers Prize

★ 1994 - WH Smith Literary Award

See also

★ The Golden Gate

★ An Equal Music

★ Two Lives

References

1. Vikram Seth at contemporarywriters.com
2. Randomhouse interview with Vikram Seth

External links

★ Author interview with Vikram Seth at HarperCollins

Further reading

★ Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy : Search for an Indian Identity, , Shyam S., Agarwalla, Prestige, 1995, ISBN 81-85218-97-8