Chicks On Lit discussion
This topic is about
A Suitable Boy
Archive 08-19 GR Discussions
>
Suitable Boy - summer chunky- with reading schedule
I finally received my copy and now I am traveling out of country. Don't think I will fly with this one, so it'll be a couple of more weeks until I am into the book. I will try and catch up then.
I just really liked this quote and wanted to share:Music is not a cheap spectacle -- not the amusement of the brothel, It is like a prayer.
Meg wrote: "I just really liked this quote and wanted to share:Music is not a cheap spectacle -- not the amusement of the brothel, It is like a prayer."
I love that! I'm not there yet...I'm running behind on this one.
me too, my vacation has really put me back!
Me three....my move to a new home has really put me way behind.
Is everyone feeling this? We can move the schedule back a week. Please let us know asap.
I am up to schedule. I am at the end of Part 7. We meet the Chatterji family in this section and I fell in love with this family. They are nothing like I expected from our knowledge of Manakshi. Forgive my spelling of these names.
Mod
Sometimes wisdom lies in not taking an ironical remark as ironical. Mrs. Mahesh Kapoor said: "no, quite the opposite. They want to fix the the date as quickly as possible -- and I don't know what to reply. If you read between the lines it seems that they even have some idea about -- well about "that" Why else would they be so concerned?
And an explanation of the politics:At nine o'clock he was explaining what he understood about the provisions of the Hindu Code Bill to farmers who were worried and resentful that their sons' right to land would be shared by their daughters (and therefore their sons-in-law) under the laws of intersate succession under consideration by Parliament in Delhi.
Mrs. Rupa Mehra is reminding me more and more of my mother.
Lol is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on your opinion of Mrs. RM...Just wait until I am in the grave, then you will miss me...
My heart! My sugar! My...!
How could you do this to your mother!
Endless worry about everything, always trying to force reality into her perspective of what it should be.
etc. etc.
This is my favorite passage so far: Mr Justice Chatterji had five children,..,,, none of them worked but each had an occupation. Amit wrote poetry, Meenakshi played canasta, Dipankar sought the meaning of life, Kokoli kept the telephone busy and Tapan, who was only twelve or thirteen, and by far the youngest went to the prestigious boarding school.
I am finding so much of this book chuckle inducing. The way so many characters are described, like this Chatterji family, are subtly sarcastic. I love it.
Me too. And there just some passages that are little jewels.
Hi all. Just wanted to let you know I am here and still reading though I too have fallen behind. I actually just started last week's reading. It has been a time issue for me this time around...not a lack of interest/understanding! I will keep trying to catch up.
We are being pretty loose on the reading schedule, although it seems we are all enjoying the book!
I know I am pretty late with reading this book along with the group. But I would like to join in, if this is ok
We would love to have you Veronica. Welcome!
Thanks! Heading to Barnes & Nobles today to pick up the book
Veronica, you might want to bring along a wagon. The book is a bit heavy to carry all the way to the parking lot without help. LOL!
Finished Part 8. What is a charboy? I love the way Seth introduces us to various elements of Indian life. By showing us rural India through Maan's eyes, Seth is able to describe unfamiliar elements of Indian life to the reader without breaking the narative.
Ok. I finally started the book. I know I am far behind and have a lot of catching up to do. The first few pages sucked my in immediately. I havent read that much to contribute to the discussion. However, I will do so asap.
Oh, on a light note. I am trying to figure out how I am going to bring this on the subway commuting to and from work. A wheelbarrow would look weird even for NYC. LOL. Just a little humor between the readings. Ok, back to your regular scheduled book.
Not sure this is a commuter friendly book, veronica. LOL
Irene wrote: "Not sure this is a commuter friendly book, veronica. LOL"LOL! Can you imagine? You know I am going to try anyway. LOL
how about a baby carriage? lol
As I read the Suitable Boy, I look up certain facts of the book such as some of the history and geography of the setting. One of the facts I found interesting about this book is that it's the longest novel published In a single volume in English literature. So far, many of the facts of the East Indian culture is on point. Living in NYC and in area where my neighbors are multi cultured ( East and West Indian, and Middle Eastern), I learned a lot. Even with the complexion, it is almost frowned upon to be too dark (though it's accepted). My 13 yr old daughter has friend who is Pakistan American and another from Suriname. They all have been friends since kindergarten. She learned a lot about their culture because they invite her to their events and vice versa. So it's nice to read a book where the history is colorful and accurate
Political views and women defined here:"For the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service the Government of India ma not select a woman candidate who is married and might require a woman to resign from the service in the event of her marrying subsequently...For the Indian Foreign Service a woman candidate is eligible only if she is unmarried or a widow without encumbrances(children) If such a candidate is selected she will be appointed on the express condition that she might be called upon to resign the service on marriage or re-marriage."
Comments?
That is really interesting. From what I understand the same is true in Japan. Our school has an exchange program with a school in Hokkaido, and there is this fantastic female diplomat who travels with the group from time to time. She is so bright and engaging and fun and has had to literally decide between having a career and marrying/having a family because she would lose her job if she were to do so. I think it may even be typical of non-government jobs as well though I am not 100% sure.
Is that still true today or just in the early 50s when this was written? If it is a 1950 thing, I would say that was true in much of the world. If it is still true, I would be very surprised because India has had female married heads of state.
Mod
She is also my favorite character (still) in the book although I do enjoy the parts around the mother too. I am also enjoying the political parts. I am also thankful it is an easy read!
I think we all have a mother or grandmother like Lata's mom, Mrs. Rupa Mehra. She is so dramatic. I love reading about her and her antics. Lata is good. But Maan's crush for the courtesan and singer, Saeeda Bai is hilarious. He has it bad for her.
I am enjoying all the story lines. Whoever is at the center of the narrative at any time could easily be my favorite.I just finished Part 9. The experience visiting the Sehgal home really upset me. I don't expect that this family is going to figure prominantly in the story, so why introduce this hint of something so ugly. (I don't want to say too much in case others have not reached this point, but I doubt it is critical to the story, so won't spoil anything). Is it just to let us know that everything is not as it seems on the outside? not individuals, not the political system, not commerce,nothing?
I was astounded by the court scene and how they overturned the verdict of guilty/hanging to it is true love. I am still behind.I was also chuckling about how poor the train system was
I forgot to post this one, I love the reason that Mrs. Mehra did not like the original seven men picked out for Lata:1. He lives with his whole family, Lata will always be compared to the daughters-in-law
2. Too tall
3. Too dark
4. Talked of the dowry immediately
5. Didn't speak English properly
6. Slightly deficient
7. Whiskey on his breath
Finished Part 10 and feeling badly for Rasheed. I see the tug between the desire for things to stay the same for the older generation and the idealism of the younger generation strongly with Rasheed. With Lata, it is told is a slightly frivolous way, but with Rasheed, we are seeing the impact on the wider society.
I have such a hard time understanding how a country as large as India having such poor transportation. First the railroad and then the bus.
I finished Part 11. Things are getting more tragic.As for the terrible transportation, I think India had to modernize rather quickly. The colonization by Brittan did not benefit India equally. Most of rural India was left in poverty and without any modern upgrades. The war with Pakistan and with India displaced many people. When India achieved Independance in the 40s, they were not prepared for it. A huge country, incredibly diverse in language, wealth, ethnicity, etc, trying to launch a democracy without widespread means of mass communication and with a large swath of the population still illiterate. Needless to say, that was a recipe for curruption of every sort. Upgrades on public works was conducted rather haphazardly, inspired more often by graft than by a master plan for the nation. Periodic uprising further destabilized the country spreading distrust and fear as well as more displacement. I think it is amazing that India has emerged as one of the leading economic powers of the 21st century.
Mod
I think we are all going slowly Sheila, but enjoying it.
Mod
No..sniff snifff..I'm still reading...I am...I'm just behind...I'm a bad chunky reader this time...sniff sniff..but I'm still reading...I am...I just feel like the kid in 3rd grade who is still reading the 1st grade books...I'M BEHIND! Boo Hoo Hoo...sniff sniff.
:o(
But I WILL catch up...I WILL...I WILL... I KNOW I CAN...I KNOW I CAN...I'M The Little Engine That Could! You'll just have to give me a week or two, and I can try to plow through my behindedness (is that a word???) and get caught up!
:o)
Mod
It is sad that a country this big would have such poor transportation. Doesn't India have a population of over a billion people? Is it because it is a poor country, with a huge portion of that population being poor, so they don't have the money to build reliable trains and roads and buses?
Sometimes I wonder if it is done on purpose. Do countries purposely keep their population poor so those that have will remain elite? I am seriously quesitoning this.I am behind too but I am moving along. The book is really good, just not understanding why he wrote so much!
Chicks On Lit
Books mentioned in this topic
The Little Engine That Could (other topics)The Arabian Nights (other topics)
A Suitable Boy (other topics)
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/200...
This too was interesting and more current
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-...