A Suitable Boy: Alternatives
I recently finished rereading Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy, and as it has always done, it spun its magic and absorbed me into its world effortlessly. The love story between Kabir and Lata, the hysterics and histrionics of Rupa Mehra, and the trials and tribulations of the four extended families of the Mehras, Kapoors, Chatterjis and Khans melded with events that occur in a newly independent India, never disappoints.
However, as much as I will shout from the rooftops that getting through the 1500+ pages of this book is absolutely, always worth it, I fully recognise that not everyone is going to have the time, or patience, to persevere. In which case, I recommend reading one of the following (much shorter but not necessarily any less complicated) books instead.
The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh
In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry
The In-Between World of Vikram Lall by M.G. Vassanji
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie
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Looky Booky 
[…] Every couple of years, I feel the calling to revisit A Suitable Boy, so I make the time and cancel all unnecessary social obligations (something I look forward to with more than a little excitement). This time round, the book was just as good and just as absorbing as always, but fully cognizant that not everyone has the time, or energy, to get through over 1,500 pages, I did blog about some shorter alternatives…accessible here. […]
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