A Suitable Boy Reviews

A Suitable Boy is, if nothing else, an epic accomplishment. Seth has created and populated a world in such detail, astutely developed numerous characters and maintained a written style of rich eloquence throughout. The vastness of his purview results in the plot having a disjointed flow (no more evident than in the slightly brusque ending). But in the attempt to encompass so many factors of life and society - quite rightly demonstrating how in reality they pervade the daily life of a family - it would be incredibly harsh to criticise the book for a lack of an adequate crescendo. The quote by Voltaire, Seth includes at the beginning of the book ('the superfluous, that very necessary thing') adroitly highlights his belief that it was indeed imperative to include so much - I would in fact argue that he didn't include enough as there was a palpable sense of abruptness in the ending almost like he couldn't take it anymore or that he was increasingly worried about the word count. This by no means takes anything away from the enjoyment had by reading this book. Take your mind through the romanticism of India proffered by Seth in his gargantuan novel/substitute pillow!