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A Suitable Boy- This is the longest English
novel based on a single story. Seth has crafted his characters well, most
of his characters are different from each other, and relate well to people
we see in our daily lives. The story moves well, although it does become
monotonous at some times, Seth quickly and cleverly switches scenes. I
found the development of Latha's character intriguing. The ending
is Ok, but it seems as if everything becomes very goody goody in the last
chapter except for Kabir. The description of rural India, and the socio
political state of India in the 1950's is excellent. The author has done
a lot of research on the prevailing state of India just after its independence and
has put a lot of time and effort on a descriptive narration.
On the whole a well written book and a nice read, although I took about one and a half months
to complete it. Completing it though, gives some sense of accomplishment: you join a select group of
readers who had the patience to read over 1300 pages.
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An Equal Music- A nicely written tragedy, but
it becomes extremely passionate and unrealistic at times. Not a very
complete flow of events, some events go unexplained and out of realism.
Music is handled extremely well, Seth goes into numerous details some of which
are become a little too much for the reader who is unaware about music. But Seth's ability
to research his subjects in great depth are once again evident.
Descriptions of Venice are very nice to read, particularly if one has been to the city. Ok to read though I wouldn't strongly recommend. |
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Two Lives- This is about the story of two people, Seth's uncle and aunt, who lived through
the twentieth century. It gives us a detailed and direct view of the lives of two ordinary, commonplace people who lived
through the marking events of the 20th century: the conditions in Berlin before, during, and after the
Seconds World War, the Holocaust, and the later half of the century in Britain. The brilliance of the story
is in the fact that it exposes the reality of the lives of ordinary people, caught in the effects of war and
destruction. It shows the remarkable side of the human character: of friendships that show their value in the
most difficult times, when your own and close people choose their own paths. The book also potrays an inside
into the marriage of two people, from two totally different cultures, ultimately settled in a country they
were neither born in or brought up at. A remarkable experience from a historical point of view. Good read.
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