SuitableBoy2024

The jeep, which was meant to accommodate two passengers in front and at most four in the back, was often crammed with ten or a dozen people, food, megaphones, posters, and all sorts of paraphernalia besides. Its horn blew unceasingly and it trailed impressive clouds of dust and glory. Once, when the radiator began to leak, the driver scolded it and mixed some turmeric into the water. This sealed the leak miraculously. #SuitableBoy2024

24 likes

Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

“…sudden and devastating events […] involved Maan; and as a result of them the family was never the same again.” Is this foreshadowing from 17.1 placed at the start of a slightly longer chapter in order to sharpen our interest in the saga that unfolds against the monumental undertaking of India‘s first general election? It worked for me.
#SuitableBoy2024

azulaco, Leftcoastzen, KathyR, bekakins, squirrelbrain, RebelReader, jlhammar, RaeLovesToRead, kassandrik

squirrelbrain This chapter was certainly a page-turner! 20h

jlhammar Worked for me as well! Gripping. Firoz received quite the revelation. Maan can be so charming, but his behavior in this section was inexcusable (and so disappointing). His poor mother. And I didn‘t like Saeeda Bai blaming herself and realizing her love for Maan after he had assaulted/injured her like that. Not okay. 19h

Lindy @jlhammar Saaeda Bai isn‘t to blame for Maan‘s drunken obsession and anger, but her lack of communication—protecting her big secret—has contributed to major misunderstandings. 19h

See All 6 Comments

Lindy @squirrelbrain Agreed! 19h

jlhammar @Lindy For sure! 18h

bekakins Loved this part! Maan‘s arc has been really interesting - all this secrecy is so sad that it‘s led to him attacking his friend… and poor Mrs Kapoor! Although I was worried it was going to be Firoz that perished 😬 3h

20 likes6 comments

Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

“Calcutta lights festoon Park Street;
And at a cricket match three suitors meet.”

I felt a readerly thrill when Kabir, Amit and Haresh sat down together. Also pleased that Savita took Arun to task about his rudeness towards Haresh. Poor Haresh, though: his chances with Lata don‘t look good.

#SuitableBoy2024

azulaco, KathyR, bekakins, squirrelbrain, RebelReader, jlhammar, RaeLovesToRead, kassandrik

squirrelbrain Yes, they‘re all drawing closer together now, aren‘t they? I still can‘t call it though…. Who is it going to be?! 1w

Lindy @squirrelbrain Seth maintains the suspense! 1w

jlhammar It really was thrilling to have them all together. And I can‘t call it either @squirrelbrain ! At this point it seems like none of them are quite right. She obviously has a passion and yearning for Kabir, more of an intellectual (and brotherly?) sort of connection with Amit and Haresh more a safe and comfortable fondness (yet also annoyance). 🤔 1w

See All 9 Comments

KathyR I thought that Seth managed to create a section, near the end of the novel, full of misunderstandings and chance encounters and missed opportunities (it reminded me of watching a classic comedic play) that ruled out all 3 suitors: Kabir from false info, Amit from a kiss that didn't feel romantic and Haresh from misunderstandings and a sense that they had nothing in common. 1w

azulaco I got bogged down in part 14 and now I‘m so behind 😩 1w

Lindy @azulaco Don‘t stress! Parts 15 and 16 are quicker reads. 1w

Lindy @KathyR That sums this section up nicely 😊 1w

KathyR @azulaco I agree with Lindy - Parts 15 and especially 16 are much quicker reads. Don't despair! 1w

bekakins The scene at the cricket match was so funny! And totally agree with @KathyR - it was almost Shakespearean in its set up with no one having the full picture & lots of crossed wires. I‘m rooting for Kabir (as long as Melati‘s news is just a misunderstanding!) or Amit - I really don‘t want Lata to end up with Haresh, although I do feel sorry for him. Only 3 weeks to go! 1w

23 likes9 comments

Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

So many different kinds of clashes in this section! The brutal murder of the 18-year-old Dalit when he returned to his village, the cricket match, the ideological clash & political manoeuvres within the Congress Party, the Hindu re-enactment of the battle over Sita‘s abduction, the Muslim observance of the battle of Karbala, the riots in the streets of Brahmpur, & the Raja of Marh‘s threat to Pran & the entire Kapoor family. 😳 #SuitableBoy2024

azulaco, Leftcoastzen, KathyR, bekakins, squirrelbrain, RebelReader, jlhammar, RaeLovesToRead, kassandrik

jlhammar Not to mention Meenakshi having “the miscarriage of her dreams.” I guess that takes care of that problem. The riots were terrifying. Maan was quite brave. And that threatening call to Pran! Very worrisome. It seems like Lata‘s heart may still be with Kabir. 2w

Lindy @jlhammar Oh yes! I forgot about the miscarriage. So much happened in this chapter. And we only have four more to go. 2w

KathyR I didn't really see this section as series of clashes but as a continuation or culmination of conflicts that have been going on from the beginning of the novel: conservatives/Agarwal vs Mahesh/secularists conflict in which the latter have been outmanoevered by the former; ongoing Hindu/Muslim conflict culminating in riots, etc. I saw the cricket match as only a venue in which we could see what characters were thinking about. 2w

See All 8 Comments

squirrelbrain @jlhammar - Meenakshi is so awful isn‘t she? 2w

squirrelbrain Only 4 more chapters to go, Lindy, but we seem no nearer the ‘suitable boy‘. I‘m beginning to wonder if there will even be one…. 🤔 2w

bekakins I struggled a bit with this section as I‘ve been poorly this week so concentrating has been a struggle! The riots were really scary, I loved the tension built when Maan & Firoz were trying to get to safety! And Meenakshi is terrible (although the sections with her in are some of my favourites) - I liked how the short, direct delivery of the miscarriage echoed her callousness rather than it been dwelled on. 2w

Lindy @squirrelbrain I‘m hoping there will be a suitable boy arranged, and that the final chapter will bookend the first with another wedding. But maybe it won‘t be Lata‘s wedding. 🤔 2w

Lindy @bekakins I hope you feel better soon 🌻 2w

29 likes8 comments

Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

Well, I learned waaaay more about India‘s early politics and governmental structure in Part 14 than I expected (coupled with internet research to supplement my big knowledge gaps). The will-he-or-won‘t-he aspects of Nehru, India‘s enigmatic first Prime Minister, added some welcome tension to this chapter. I cheered confirmation of my suspicion that Maan is bisexual; also pleased that his father has recognized his good qualities. #SuitableBoy2024

azulaco, Leftcoastzen, KathyR, bekakins, squirrelbrain, RebelReader, jlhammar, RaeLovesToRead, kassandrik

squirrelbrain I have to say I found the politics a bit much in this part - not my favourite chapter so far. But, yes, I loved that Maan was revealed as bi-sexual. 3w

jlhammar Yes, such a politics-heavy section this week! I confess to feeling somewhat less invested. And we‘ve passed the 1000-page mark - wow! 3w

Lindy @squirrelbrain I was reminded of a few earlier hints about Maan‘s sexual orientation, one in a conversation with Firoz when Maan had just returned from a month in the village, and the other when he gently rejected the rajkumar‘s advances. 3w

See All 9 Comments

Lindy @jlhammar Only 320 more pages to go (in my edition)! 😊 3w

KathyR I see this novel as much a social/political history of India's beginning as an independent country as I see it as the story of the search for a suitable boy so I think I enjoyed it more than others. The fight for independence was difficult but pales in the effort needed to build the united secular country that was envisioned. I think Seth does a good job of making the Hindu/Muslim divide real, both in political issues and at a personal level. 3w

Lindy @KathyR Your comments have really helped me appreciate those aspects of the novel. 😘 3w

bekakins Like @squirrelbrain I too struggled a bit with the politics in this part… I can‘t believe how far we‘ve come though! 3w

squirrelbrain I know @bekakins - we‘re on the home straight now! 3w

Lindy @bekakins @squirrelbrain 💪🎉 (edited) 3w

29 likes9 comments

Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

“A child is born; wise women come to look.” [Is Seth talking about Meenakshi & Kakoli? 😂]
“A cobbler writes. A poet mails his book.” — talk about understatement! Haresh & Amit seem to be the major players in Lata‘s love story so I was glad to see a lot of both in this chapter. Kabir is there too. Also glad we didn‘t have to wait to hear about Pran‘s health. In baby news, what will happen with Meenakshi‘s accidental pregnancy? #SuitableBoy2024

azulaco, Leftcoastzen, KathyR, bekakins, squirrelbrain, RebelReader, jlhammar, RaeLovesToRead, kassandrik

bekakins Drama drama with Meenakshi‘s pregnancy - she is awful but also one of my favourite characters! Also good to see the tension heating up with Kabir, Haresh & Amit - I wonder which one (if any!) Lata will end up with… 1mo

Lindy @bekakins “the tension heating up” — that‘s a good way to put it. I like the way that in this chapter we got more of a sense of competition for Lata‘s affection. And I also like that there continues to be new plot elements; Savita‘s desire to enter law; the robbery; and of course the drama surrounding Meenakshi‘s pregnancy. 1mo

jlhammar Substantial section this week. Welcome Lady Baby Uma! Love your wise women speculation 😂 That poor mother monkey 😢 I‘m not sure Haresh is the right match for Lata. I liked Kuku‘s argument for Amit “[He] has a lovely nature. Why, Cuddles bites him less often than anyone else.”😆 Glad Pran is okay for the time being and following doctor‘s orders. 1mo

See All 10 Comments

Lindy @jlhammar Lady Baby! Thanks for reminding me how funny I found that section. 😅 1mo

KathyR Can there be any doubt that the robbery is part of the story of Varun's mess of a life? Varun's drunk and blabs about the jewelry to his sketchy friends, and then turns pale when Arun tells him about the robbery, doesn't bother to talk back to him when he's yelled, just slinks into his bedroom. 1mo

squirrelbrain Oh yes, I agree @KathyR and there was a fair bit of ‘turning pale‘ in this section, with Billy hearing about Meenakshi‘s pregnancy too. 4w

squirrelbrain @jlhammar I‘m not sure about Haresh either. He seems like a nice guy, but maybe not sophisticated or book-smart enough for her, as snobbish as that sounds. It does feel like Amit is re-entering the fray now. 4w

Lindy @bekakins @jlhammar @KathyR @squirrelbrain Haresh seems like the safe pick (but boring for Lata); Kabir is the most dangerous pick in regards to Lata falling out with her family (but he‘s the most romantic pick); and Amit falls in the middle between them. An interesting field of candidates! 4w

KathyR Are there actually 3 suitable candidates? Given how much Lata has changed her views on the importance of family and her new-found respect for her mother's matchmaking (section 13.12) are Kabir & Amit really in the running? I think not. Amit has sent Lata a poem and book but he doesn't plan to do anything else till Xmas - not exactly a keen suitor. And Menakshi & Kuku's visit probably sealed the family's view of Chatterji unsuitability. 4w

Lindy @KathyR I‘m not ruling out Kabir, even though Rupa doesn‘t consider him suitable. She doesn‘t think Amit is suitable either, but this is fiction and Lata might end up with an unsuitable boy. 4w

23 likes10 comments

Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

Emotions run high & disparate narrative threads come together. Rupa‘s annoyance over being last to meet Haresh is overshadowed by everyone‘s concern for Pran‘s health. Are any of you reassured on his behalf by the words of Pran‘s masseur? Meanwhile, Kabir is near & Maan may have kissed Saeeda Bai goodbye by kissing someone else. (A good thing?) And what‘s the Nawab‘s secret in regards to Tasneem? I don‘t think Firoz will be found suitable for her.

azulaco, Leftcoastzen, KathyR, bekakins, squirrelbrain, RebelReader, jlhammar, RaeLovesToRead, kassandrik

Lindy #SuitableBoy2024 1mo

tpixie Great reading challenge! 1mo

jlhammar I‘m very worried about Pran. Seems like Maan may not have matured all that much in his time away. Though sabotaging that relationship might be for the best. Glad that Bhaskar is doing well. 1mo

See All 10 Comments

Lindy @tpixie It‘s been a great experience all along 😁 1mo

Lindy @jlhammar I‘m worried too. Pran is such a good guy. And speaking of Bhaskar, why can‘t his grandfather recognize the boy‘s mathematical genius? 1mo

tpixie @Lindy 🌸🌸🌸 1mo

KathyR @Lindy Mahesh does recognize Bhaskar's genius for numbers, but the question of which constituency to run in is not solely about stats. While Rasheed's hometown has the right demographics, it is also an area in which the zamandari will theoretically lose land as a result of Mahesh's legislation. Bhaskar understands numbers but not politics, which is why Mahesh ignores his advice. 1mo

bekakins I‘m really worried about Pran too 😬 especially with Savita about to give birth at any moment! The structure of this challenge is really helping to build the tension for me too as normally I would just fly through to find out what happens but have managed to restrain myself so far! 1mo

Lindy @KathyR Good point! I hadn‘t thought of that. 1mo

Lindy @bekakins It‘s okay to fly ahead now. I‘m eager to find out what happens with Pran too. 😊 Some momentum may help to get through the next section, which is 111 pages in my edition. 🐝 1mo

21 likes10 comments

Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

Old landlords sue the state to keep their lands.
Crushed corpses rot upon the holy sands.

Holy smoke! Momentous moments in this chapter! I don‘t usually get on with courtroom drama but Vikram Seth managed to make even that compelling. But little Bhaskar is my main concern. I hope we don‘t have to wait to long for an update.
#SuitableBoy2024

azulaco, Leftcoastzen, KathyR, bekakins, squirrelbrain, RebelReader, jlhammar, RaeLovesToRead, kassandrik

jlhammar So tragic. “Within fifteen minutes more than a thousand people were dead.” 😭 I was so relieved when Bhaskar was found. Hoping he recovers. 1mo

Lindy @jlhammar Yes, so very tragic. @KathyR mentioned elsewhere that Seth based this incident on a real event in 1954 at the Kumbh Mela: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_Prayag_Kumbh_Mela_stampede 1mo

KathyR Even though Bhaskar is a minor character, I was impressed with the way that Seth made him stand out as a lovable & talented kid whose disal 1mo

See All 7 Comments

KathyR Oops. ...whose disappearance put me on edge, his possible death was a heartbreaking thought. Kabir is the hero of the day, in recognizing him, contacting Mahesh, and convincing his father to visit regularly, but nobody present know what Lata & her mother know about his feelings for Lata. 1mo

bekakins Poor Bhaskar - that chapter had me with my mouth hanging open, thank goodness he was found! 1mo

squirrelbrain Only just caught up today - #camplitsy spreadsheets mean no time for reading. Such a terrible episode, even more so that it is based on a true story. 1mo

Lindy @KathyR @bekakins Yes, Bhaskar is a good example of the way Seth describes and deploys his minor characters to maximum effect. These people seem real to me. 1mo

31 likes7 comments

Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

I could feel the boredom, heat and elasticity of time that Maan experiences in village life, and yet there‘s so much drama in this chapter too, not least of which is the wolf hunt. If Maan can control his temper, perhaps politics would be a good career path. But I am most curious and concerned about Rasheed‘s future.

Fellow readers, we have only 9 parts left to go! #SuitableBoy2024

azulaco, Leftcoastzen, KathyR, bekakins, squirrelbrain, RebelReader, jlhammar, RaeLovesToRead, kassandrik

tpixie Oh! A big classic!! 2mo

Lindy @tpixie Yes indeed! Have you read it? 2mo

bekakins Rasheed is a really interesting character - also enjoyed Maan trying to control his rage - this was a good section! 2mo

See All 11 Comments

mcctrish A buddy read of this is brilliant 2mo

Lindy @bekakins I think we are witnessing Maan‘s maturation from boy to man (even though he‘s already in his 20s.) 2mo

Lindy @mcctrish Agreed! It‘s been a fantastic experience so far and we are only halfway through. 2mo

squirrelbrain Only 9 parts to go - wow! We‘re doing well, but it‘s such a fascinating read it‘s the opposite of a slog. Poor Rasheed - we feared for him when he changed the deeds and it seems we were right to do so. 2mo

Lindy @squirrelbrain It feels easy to keep motoring through because I haven‘t been bored yet. 😊 2mo

jlhammar Yes, very concerned for Rasheed! I liked getting more of his backstory. It does seem like we are seeing Maan mature and come into his own. I find the music snobbishness that surfaced again (from Sandeep Lahiri) really interesting. “Good music is good music.” Good=western classical. Can‘t believe we are so far through already! Reading one part a week has been fantastic. 2mo

Lindy @jlhammar I‘m glad you mentioned the music snobbery. I noticed the Western authors also (EM Forster, for example). 2mo

KathyR I thought that the preference for classical music over traditional Indian music was one of many examples of the trumpeting of English & Western superiority (in language, music, literature, food, etc) in the novel. Colonial administration has been replaced with an independent Government, but the attitude of English/Western superiority remains, now promulgated by the Indian upper classes and castes. 2mo

34 likes11 comments

Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

“A desperate mother ventures to deploy
Fair means or foul to net a suitable boy.”
The more I get to know Haresh, the better I like him. He remembered Bhaskar‘s question! He was smart to hold back on his impulse to immediately propose to Lata, however. She needs time to warm up to him… if he is indeed the right man. Meanwhile, I fear for Rupa‘s cousin‘s daughter Kiran. Her father is evil. Kiran needs to hop a train and get away from him.

azulaco, Leftcoastzen, KathyR, bekakins, squirrelbrain, RebelReader, jlhammar, RaeLovesToRead, kassandrik

Lindy #SuitableBoy2024 2mo

squirrelbrain Just realised, when I saw your post, that I haven‘t read this week‘s instalment! 🤪 Been too busy with work - I shall try to read it this evening. It‘s a slippery slope if you fall behind! 2mo

Lindy @squirrelbrain ⏰🐇😁🍀 2mo

See All 8 Comments

jlhammar So evil! This part was quite distressing. Lata having to fend off Mr Sahgal and poor Kiran. I enjoyed seeing Mrs Rupa Mehra through other eyes—hadn‘t realized earlier just how good-looking she is! 2mo

Lindy @jlhammar Maybe Rupa will find a suitable man? 2mo

squirrelbrain Phew - I caught up last night! I agree @jlhammar - rather an upsetting section. Poor Kiran - I hope we hear the end of her story, as long as it‘s a positive ending for her. 2mo

bekakins I too was quite distressed by the chapters with Mr Sahel - what an awful man! Like @jlhammar I enjoyed the revelation that Mrs Rupa Mehra is very attractive - and a big fan of Haresh! 2mo

Lindy @jlhammar @squirrelbrain @bekakins Over on Voxer, in our concurrent discussion, @KathyR pointed out that Lata‘s bad experience with Mr Sahgal might colour her overall view of the trip, including her feelings about Haresh. It‘s entirely possible. 2mo

21 likes8 comments

Welcome to Litsy!

Trending Hashtags

Trending Books