indianfiction

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 4d

tpixie Great reading challenge! 3d

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. 3d

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Lindy @tpixie It‘s been a great experience all along 😁 3d

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? 3d

tpixie @Lindy 🌸🌸🌸 3d

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. 3d

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! 3d

Lindy @KathyR Good point! I hadn‘t thought of that. 2d

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. 🐝 2d

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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. 1w

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 1w

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 1w

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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. 1w

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

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. 1w

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. 1w

30 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!! 2w

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

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

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mcctrish A buddy read of this is brilliant 2w

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

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

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. 2w

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

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. 2w

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

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. 2w

34 likes11 comments

squirrelbrain

A Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

Went out last week to an Indian street-food restaurant. (Not in India - we were on holiday in the English Lake District!).

The food was fabulous (the owner / chef had spent some time in India), dogs were welcome and, best of all, I got to try nimbu pani!

Their version was a mix of lemon and lime juice, with a hint of spice. I could definitely taste cumin in there - delicious!

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

kassandrik *writing myself a note to make Nimbu Pani once I am back to Finland 😀 1mo

jlhammar Yum! Sounds like a great place. 1mo

squirrelbrain Have you been here yet Jess? @jhod It‘s called Barua and is in LRB from Weds - Sat evenings. Definitely worth a visit! 1mo

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fredthemoose Sounds fabulous! 1mo

bekakins Oooh amazing!! I‘m in the lakes in a few months so may have to check it out! 1mo

TrishB Sounds fab! 1mo

squirrelbrain @bekakins - it‘s in Keswick, at Lake Road Brunch. You‘d have to book - we only just squeezed in, and it was still low season. 1mo

Lindy Nimbu pani! That‘s exciting. 😁 1mo

Tamra Lucky you! 1mo

LeahBergen Yum!! 1mo

jhod No, thanks for the tip! X 1mo

Megabooks Yum! And look at Henry being a good boy! 1mo

75 likes12 comments

Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

The Chatterji family at breakfast presented a scene of cordial conflict. It was an intelligent family where everyone thought of everyone else as an idiot.
#SuitableBoy2024

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Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

Like magpies cackling over baubles—or discovering occasional gems and imagining them to be baubles—the excited guests chattered on. Despite the fact that they were shovelling in a great deal of food, everyone managed to shovel out a great many words. #SuitableBoy2024

marleed I once watched a magpie repeatedly dive bomb my father‘s cat. The cat kept running and crouching lower to the ground. When the cat was essentially moving in trench warfare, it waited for the next magpie pass, flipped on her back and met the magpie claws with her own clawed paws. The magpie flew off. It was truly amazing to watch this bit of nature. (I was perched on a deck with no ability to assist the cat.). 1mo

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Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

“And tell me,” continued the woman, “does it take you long to think of a book? I‘m dying to read your new book.”
“So am I,” said Amit.

(I can see why reviewers have pegged Amit as a stand-in for the author, Vikram Seth.)

#SuitableBoy2024

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

squirrelbrain Makes perfect sense! 1mo

kassandrik Now, when you mentioned it, Lindy, Amit definitely stands out among the rest of characters with his calm nature and wit comments. I can see Vikram Seth in him, for sure. 1mo

Lindy @squirrelbrain @kassandrik Would Seth make himself the most suitable boy? 🤔 1mo

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squirrelbrain He may indeed, although I‘m sure there‘ll be a lot of ups and downs, ins and outs, before we get there. 🤔 1mo

Lindy @squirrelbrain Ups, downs, ins, outs and all around the block. I‘m not done Part 7 yet, but we‘ll be at about 30 per cent of the book by Saturday. 1mo

squirrelbrain I‘m away at the moment and didn‘t bring ASB with me. (Small campervan, big book! 🤣) I tried to read ahead for this week but these last two parts have been really long so I still have a bit to catch up on, and I may be a day or two behind. 1mo

Lindy @squirrelbrain No worries. Enjoy your holiday. Part 7 is outstanding! 1mo

JuniperWilde I love this book 1mo

bekakins Enjoying reading this so much!! 1mo

Lindy @JuniperWilde Me too. It‘s my first time reading it. 1mo

Lindy @bekakins 🎉🎉🎉 I will post a Part 7 summary later today when I get home. 1mo

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Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

“A baby kicks; a bloodshot Raja yowls.
A young man speeds downhill; a father growls.”
Music and languages are highlighted in this chapter. I love how minor characters introduced in earlier chapters come to the fore, deepening themes of cultural, religious and sociopolitical changes happening in India. What about that parakeet? Is it a minor character who will further the plot as well? #SuitableBoy2024

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

squirrelbrain Ooh yes, the parakeet…I wonder?! 😃 I‘m enjoying Ishaq‘s story and was pleased that it seemed to be taking a positive turn. 1mo

Lindy @squirrelbrain Oh, me too. I was sad about Ishaq‘s wrists and glad how the chapter ended for him. 1mo

jlhammar Yes, music and languages - fascinating! I also liked how the chapter ended. And it seems like there could be some drama once that parakeet starts speaking. Oh, and Maan seems to have a lot of maturing to do. Interested to see what comes of his time away. 1mo

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bekakins You‘re so right - music and language! Also early enjoying Ishaq‘s story and Maan‘s arc - I wonder if he‘ll learn some lessons in the village?!? 1mo

Lindy @bekakins @jlhammar Yes, what will happen to Maan in the village?? Rasheed‘s family doesn‘t sound hospitable, especially not to the son of the minister responsible for the zamindari bill. 1mo

Leftcoastzen I‘m behind this week , hope to get on track next week ! 1mo

Lindy @Leftcoastzen Be prepared: Part 7 is a longish chapter (126 pages). 🍀 1mo

26 likes7 comments

Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

The novel takes place in 1950 and Vikram Seth has skillfully woven into his storylines the political and cultural background of India at the time. In Part 5, the prior information we‘ve gleaned about the Nawab Sahib (a Muslim and one of the largest landowners, and his old friend Mahesh Kapoor (a Hindu, the Minister of Revenue) comes to a head with passing of the legislative bill to end the zamindari system. What‘s the fallout? #SuitableBoy2024

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

jlhammar Very political section! I did feel like I could use a bit more context so thank you for that. So much going on in this novel already and so many characters. Really enjoying it so far. Poor Priya feeling like a prisoner and so miserable living with her in-laws. And that mention of “rats that bite off your hair at night if you don‘t wash the oil off”—eek! 2mo

squirrelbrain I agree @jlhammar - a lot of politics in this part. I was fascinated by the zenana, and by Zainab having to speak to Murtaza Ali from behind a sheet; how brave of her to do this. 2mo

bekakins Loving the additional context - I didn‘t find this part quite as engaging as the others but I enjoyed the introduction of Begum Abida Khan & Zainab! Also felt very sorry for Priya 2mo

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Lindy @jlhammar @squirrelbrain @bekakins I am always curious about women‘s lives, so the parts with Priya, Veena, Abida and Zainab really captured my attention. I hadn‘t been paying as much attention to the political stuff mentioned in previous chapters, so I went back and reviewed passages from them to help me understand Part 5. 2mo

bekakins @Lindy that is a really good idea - I might have to go back and revisit some bits as think it‘ll enhance my enjoyment of the book! 2mo

KathyR My reading so far is that nearly all of the female characters we have been introduced to have restrictions on their behaviour and mobility. Zainab is on the far end of the continuum but I was reminded of the Saaeda Bai's concert where only men were in the audience while most of the women were behind a screen looking down on it. Many of the restrictions are not physical but cultural - what is proper - but they are as effective. I have read that poor Indian women are not restricted indoors - they must work. 2mo

azulaco @KathyR Isn‘t that always the way? All the debate about “women‘s place is in the home” in the US over the last 150 years…the women in my family never had that choice, they all worked from necessity. But of course in India these are low caste or no caste women, so I wonder if they are even considered human :( The author has been mostly silent about caste. I‘d like to hear more about that and less about land reform. 2mo

azulaco I didn‘t realize we were going to get a lesson in Indian politics and history of the 1950s, but since I know so little about what was going on, I‘m here for it. 1950s India is quite a contrast to 1950s America, isn‘t it? 2mo

Lindy @azulaco Regarding caste as portrayed in this novel: we have seen mostly khatri (merchant) and jatav (leatherworker) castes in the story so far and the contrast between them has been made very clear. Also, Meenakshi‘s family is some higher caste than Arun‘s — I don‘t remember if we have been given more detail about that yet. 2mo

azulaco @Lindy oh yes, it‘s clear that we‘re seeing a range of castes, and some of the issues have been touched on. I would be interested in more direct coverage of the subject, the way he‘s gone into more detail on the religious divide or the land reforms. This is an awfully long book, so maybe he will get there! 2mo

Lindy @azulaco I hope that Seth has more in store on this topic too. In the meantime, have you read this excellent nonfiction book?

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

2mo

KathyR My guess is that Seth has intentionally set this novel at a time of great change in India and that the social and political issues that come up will be those that had an impact in 1950, like the fight for land reform and the friction between the Hindu and Muslim communities after Partition. I think he's going to focus on the 4 upper class families that he's provided trees for. So far, caste has only come up when it is a factor in the issue that is affecting them, eg shoemakers' strike. 2mo

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Lindy

Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth

Various new characters are introduced—Haresh, Jagat Ram, Dr Durrani—and it‘s a delight to get to know them through their interactions with people we‘ve already met. I‘m struck by Seth‘s ability to give his characters complexity, such as Kedernath‘s attitude: he‘s not anti-Muslim, but against religious zealotry in general, despite what happened to him and his brother when they left Lahore. Question: Is Haresh a suitable boy?
#SuitableBoy2024

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

squirrelbrain I had exactly the same thought as you - I love how the author carefully introduces new characters so we don‘t get overwhelmed, and we learn more about the existing characters in the process. 2mo

squirrelbrain As for Haresh, I‘m not sure yet…. On the surface he seems like a good hard-working man, but I feel there may be something we don‘t yet know, that would make him another unsuitable boy. 2mo

Lindy @squirrelbrain yes, Haresh himself doesn‘t seem open to the possibility of anyone other than his unrequited sweetheart. 2mo

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KathyR I'm not sure about that; after spotting her at the train station he nearly went over to have himself introduced. But, given that Haresh is a not a Hindu, would her mother consider him a suitable boy? 2mo

jlhammar Hmmm, I‘m not sure about Haresh. Interesting character though. That tannery they visited seemed like a terrible place to work. Young Bhaskar with his passion for mathematics was charming. 2mo

Lindy @KathyR Is Haresh not Hindu? I missed that. Did he get his Hindu name from his foster father? Have you read ahead? 2mo

Lindy @jlhammar I totally agree about the charming section about Bhaskar and I hope we haven‘t seen the last of Haresh. 2mo

bekakins I‘m enjoying the slow introduction of characters also. I am hoping we get a return to Arun & Meenakshi soon though! 2mo

KathyR Lindy, you're probably right. I don't know how I got that idea about Haresh... 2mo

Lindy @KathyR Maybe because he was being teased about a Sikh girl? 2mo

Lindy @bekakins Well Rupa and Lata are boarding a train in their direction… if there aren‘t many side tangents, we should be back to Arun and Meenakshi soon. 🚂 2mo

Leftcoastzen A fun section indeed! Tanning leather is such an awful task.Despite the violence in this period between Muslims & Hindus, you can tell the younger people with education might be more tolerant of differences? But most still have elders that they have to deal with. 2mo

Leftcoastzen Still thinking of Lata & Kabir.😄 2mo

Lindy @Leftcoastzen Yes, young people give me hope too. Who knows, maybe there‘s still a chance for Lata and Kabir. 2mo

KathyR Lindy, now I remember why I thought that Haresh is a Sikh. In section 4.9, after Haresh tells Jagat Ram that he will be going through Ken. (rather than dealing with Jagat directly), Jagat curses blood-sucking middlemen. "First the Muslims, now these Punjabis who had taken their place." Since Ken. was not from the Punjab I assumed he was talking about Haresh, and I assumed that if he was Punjabi he was Sikh. 2mo

KathyR As for Lata & Kabir: At the end of part 3, Lata feels that she never wants to see Kabir again. I think he deeply disappointed her in not willing to elope, to live up to his words of love. I think that that infatuation may be over. 2mo

Lindy @KathyR Kedarnath is from Lahore, which is the capital of Punjab province in Pakistan, so I think Jagat Ram was referring to him, not Haresh. The Indian state of Punjab has a large Sikh population, so there are several understandable avenues of confusion. 2mo

KathyR Thanks for the clarification. 2mo

KathyR For readers interested in learning more about the life of the very poor in India, I highly recommend the U.S. National Book Award winner, "Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity" by Katherine Boo. It is a book of narrative non-fiction that reads like a novel but is based on the reporting done by Boo between 2007 and 2011 in a settlement in the shadow of luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport. 2mo

Lindy @KathyR Excellent recommendation 👍 2mo

jlhammar @KathyR Yes, Behind the Beautiful Forevers - fantastic read! 2mo

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