Plot summary, “A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth in 5 Minutes - Book Review

“A Suitable Boy“ is a novel by Indian author Vikram Seth, first published in 1993. The book is set in post-independence India, in the early 1950s, and follows the lives of four families as they navigate the complex social, cultural, and political landscape of the time. At the heart of the novel is the story of Lata Mehra, a young woman who is being pressured by her mother to find a suitable boy to marry. As Lata explores her options and tries to assert her own independence, she becomes involved in a web of relationships and encounters a diverse range of characters, including political activists, intellectuals, and members of the country’s aristocracy. The novel is notable for its sprawling, multi-generational narrative, which spans across several years and covers a wide range of social and political issues, including the tension between tradition and modernity, religious conflicts, and the challenges of building a new nation in the aftermath of British colonialism. The book has been wid