--- product_id: 64759837 title: "A Suitable Boy" price: "S/.249" currency: PEN in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.pe/products/64759837-a-suitable-boy store_origin: PE region: Peru --- # A Suitable Boy **Price:** S/.249 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** A Suitable Boy - **How much does it cost?** S/.249 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pe](https://www.desertcart.pe/products/64759837-a-suitable-boy) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description From the Publisher ‘You too will marry a boy I choose,’ said Mrs Rupa Mehra firmly to her younger daughter. Lata avoided the maternal imperative by looking around the great lamp-lit garden of Prem Nivas. The wedding guests were gathered on the lawn. ‘Hmm,’ she said. This annoyed her mother further. ‘I know what your hmms mean, young lady, and I can tell you I will not stand for hmms in this matter. I do know what is best. I am doing it all for you. Do you think it is easy for me, trying to arrange things for all four of my children without His help?’ Her nose began to redden at the thought of her husband, who would, she felt certain, be partaking of their present joy from somewhere benevolently above. Mrs Rupa Mehra believed, of course, in reincarnation, but at moments of exceptional sentiment, she imagined that the late Raghubir Mehra still inhabited the form in which she had known him when he was alive: the robust, cheerful form of his early forties before overwork had brought about his heart attack at the height of the Second World War. Eight years ago, eight years, thought Mrs Rupa Mehra miserably. ‘Now, now, Ma, you can’t cry on Savita’s wedding day,’ said Lata, putting her arm gently but not very concernedly around her mother’s shoulder. ‘If He had been here, I could have worn the tissue-patola sari I wore for my own wedding,’ sighed Mrs Rupa Mehra. ‘But it is too rich for a widow to wear.’ ‘Ma!’ said Lata, a little exasperated at the emotional capital her mother insisted on making out of every possible circumstance. ‘People are looking at you. They want to congratulate you, and they’ll think it very odd if they see you crying in this way.’ Several guests were indeed doing namaste to Mrs Rupa Mehra and smiling at her; the cream of Brahmpur society, she was pleased to note. ‘Let them see me!’ said Mrs Rupa Mehra defiantly, dabbing at her eyes hastily with a handkerchief perfumed with 4711 Eau de Cologne. ‘They will only think it is because of my happiness at Savita’s wedding. Everything I do is for you, and no one appreciates me. I have chosen such a good boy for Savita, and all everyone does is complain.’ Lata reflected that of the four brothers and sisters, the only one who hadn’t complained of the match had been the sweet-tempered, faircomplexioned, beautiful Savita herself. ‘He is a little thin, Ma,’ said Lata a bit thoughtlessly. This was putting it mildly. Pran Kapoor, soon to be her brother-in-law, was lank, dark, gangly, and asthmatic. ‘Thin? What is thin? Everyone is trying to become thin these days. Even I have had to fast the whole day and it is not good for my diabetes. And if Savita is not complaining, everyone should be happy with him. Arun and Varun are always complaining: why didn’t they choose a boy for their sister then? Pran is a good, decent, cultured khatri boy.’ There was no denying that Pran, at thirty, was a good boy, a decent boy, and belonged to the right caste. And, indeed, Lata did like Pran. Oddly enough, she knew him better than her sister did—or, at least, had seen him for longer than her sister had. Lata was studying English at Brahmpur University, and Pran Kapoor was a popular lecturer there. Lata had attended his class on the Elizabethans, while Savita, the bride, had met him for only an hour, and that too in her mother’s company. ‘And Savita will fatten him up,’ added Mrs Rupa Mehra. ‘Why are you trying to annoy me when I am so happy? And Pran and Savita will be happy, you will see. They will be happy,’ she continued emphatically. ‘Thank you, thank you,’ she now beamed at those who were coming up to greet her. ‘It is so wonderful—the boy of my dreams, and such a good family. The Minister Sahib has been very kind to us. And Savita is so happy. Please eat something, please eat: they have made such delicious gulab-jamuns, but owing to my diabetes I cannot eat them even after the ceremonies. I am not even allowed gajak, which is so difficult to resist in winter. But please eat, please eat. I must go in to check what is happening: the time that the pandits have given is coming up, and there is no sign of either bride or groom!’ She looked at Lata, frowning. Her younger daughter was going to prove more difficult than her elder, she decided. Review: Re-read after two decades and loved it! - “Re-read your favourite books at different stages of your life. The plot never changes but your perspective does.” I’m not sure who said this but the maxim resonated with me as I re-read Vikram Seth’s “A Suitable Boy” after more than two decades. The book is set in a newly independent India that is still recovering from the trauma of partition while also dealing with tough issues like land reforms and communal strife. The story follows four families for about eighteen months in the early 1950s – the Mehras, the Kapoors, the Chatterjis who are all linked through marriage and the Khans who are close friends of the Kapoors. The fictional north Indian town of Brahmpur along the river Ganga is the capital of the fictional state of Purva Pradesh, and this is where the Mehras, Kapoors and Khans live, while the Chatterjis are in Calcutta. A narrative thread that brings these families and the events in the book together is the search for ‘a suitable boy’ by Mrs. Rupa Mehra for her nineteen-year-old daughter Lata Mehra. Lata has three young men who are wooing her and she must “choose”. The story without doubt is appealing. But what really kept me engrossed is Vikram Seth’s writing. His easy yet eloquent prose, with just that right tinge of humour, is interspersed with lyrical verse. In fact, the contents page has rhyming couplets to mark the nineteen parts of the book. There’s an abundance of evocative detail for every scene, nuance, emotion - be it a romantic boat ride to Barsaat Mahal, a first kiss, crowds at the Pul Mela, breakfast banter at the eccentric Chatterji household, dusty villages of rural Rudhia, an intimate garden music concert, or the rough and tumble of India’s first general election campaign. The ambiance envelopes you each time, like you are actually there. The writing itself is never in a hurry yet the book is completely engaging, a page-turner. There are no heroes or villains just people who have hopes, expectations, vulnerabilities, and cannot be slotted into stereotypes. Seth’s engagement with his characters is empathetic, sensitive, and at times even fondly indulgent - as it often is with Rupa Mehra who easily swings from bouts of tearful self-pity to being determined and practical! Mahesh Kapoor is a balanced, well liked politician but pretty dismissive of his wife’s views. There’s the lively charming Lata trying to make sense of her own complex emotions and Maan Kapoor who is exasperating and endearing. Saeeda Bai is as independent and strong, as she is vulnerable. Lata’s three suitors, markedly different in their sensibilities, are all likeable young men. The Chatterji siblings are insensitive at times but the delightfully inane couplets they come up with every once in a while, simply to irritate or annoy each other, more than makes up for it! “Buy me before good sense insists, you’ll strain your purse and sprain your wrists”, says Seth to the reader in a rhymed ‘word of thanks’. The book did not strain my purse but holding up 1535 pages – my wrists certainly hurt and so did my neck. But I’m not complaining. I wish I was still reading ‘A Suitable Boy’! Review: Don't buy the Aleph edition - Beautiful book but publisher Aleph is so damn irresponsible. Pages are missing by the dozens! ## Features - Best Selling Book of vikram seth - Original Book A Suitable Boy - The book covers an engaging story that is set in the post-independence India. The story unfolds through four middle class families—Mehras, Kapoors, Khans and Chatterjis. It also describes India's caste system that has four main classes, which are further based originally on personality, profession and birth. However, the main plot of the novel revolves around Lata Mehra, a university student, who is under pressure of her mother Rupa and brother Arun for getting married. - The novel highlights how marriage in India becomes a family affair, where all members of a family play considerable parts. It also focuses on typical problems that were faced by India soon after independence. Some of the major issues mentioned in the book are tensions between Hindus and Muslims, empowerment of women and the zamindari system. - Divided into 19 parts, each chapter in the book is about different characters which keep inter-relating the stories and, at last reach, to one conclusion. For instance, in the beginning the book covers Lata’s life and proceeds further to explain about Maan Kapoor, a sex worker. The third story is again about Lata, whereas the fourth one focuses on Haresh’s life. The author has beautifully explained and intertwined the lives of all the characters in an extraordinary manner. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #104,439 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #2,179 in Indian Writing (Books) #3,273 in Contemporary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 4,538 Reviews | ## Images ![A Suitable Boy - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71MQpt0wCkL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Re-read after two decades and loved it! *by S***A on 27 March 2021* “Re-read your favourite books at different stages of your life. The plot never changes but your perspective does.” I’m not sure who said this but the maxim resonated with me as I re-read Vikram Seth’s “A Suitable Boy” after more than two decades. The book is set in a newly independent India that is still recovering from the trauma of partition while also dealing with tough issues like land reforms and communal strife. The story follows four families for about eighteen months in the early 1950s – the Mehras, the Kapoors, the Chatterjis who are all linked through marriage and the Khans who are close friends of the Kapoors. The fictional north Indian town of Brahmpur along the river Ganga is the capital of the fictional state of Purva Pradesh, and this is where the Mehras, Kapoors and Khans live, while the Chatterjis are in Calcutta. A narrative thread that brings these families and the events in the book together is the search for ‘a suitable boy’ by Mrs. Rupa Mehra for her nineteen-year-old daughter Lata Mehra. Lata has three young men who are wooing her and she must “choose”. The story without doubt is appealing. But what really kept me engrossed is Vikram Seth’s writing. His easy yet eloquent prose, with just that right tinge of humour, is interspersed with lyrical verse. In fact, the contents page has rhyming couplets to mark the nineteen parts of the book. There’s an abundance of evocative detail for every scene, nuance, emotion - be it a romantic boat ride to Barsaat Mahal, a first kiss, crowds at the Pul Mela, breakfast banter at the eccentric Chatterji household, dusty villages of rural Rudhia, an intimate garden music concert, or the rough and tumble of India’s first general election campaign. The ambiance envelopes you each time, like you are actually there. The writing itself is never in a hurry yet the book is completely engaging, a page-turner. There are no heroes or villains just people who have hopes, expectations, vulnerabilities, and cannot be slotted into stereotypes. Seth’s engagement with his characters is empathetic, sensitive, and at times even fondly indulgent - as it often is with Rupa Mehra who easily swings from bouts of tearful self-pity to being determined and practical! Mahesh Kapoor is a balanced, well liked politician but pretty dismissive of his wife’s views. There’s the lively charming Lata trying to make sense of her own complex emotions and Maan Kapoor who is exasperating and endearing. Saeeda Bai is as independent and strong, as she is vulnerable. Lata’s three suitors, markedly different in their sensibilities, are all likeable young men. The Chatterji siblings are insensitive at times but the delightfully inane couplets they come up with every once in a while, simply to irritate or annoy each other, more than makes up for it! “Buy me before good sense insists, you’ll strain your purse and sprain your wrists”, says Seth to the reader in a rhymed ‘word of thanks’. The book did not strain my purse but holding up 1535 pages – my wrists certainly hurt and so did my neck. But I’m not complaining. I wish I was still reading ‘A Suitable Boy’! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Don't buy the Aleph edition *by S***L on 16 October 2025* Beautiful book but publisher Aleph is so damn irresponsible. Pages are missing by the dozens! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Story of Good Old Days *by K***R on 21 September 2024* This is a unique book.It touches upon the society and political set up of those times and the personal lives of three individuals namely Lata Kabir and Haresh who represent different personalities.The end is extremely subtle It is a novel some what like Gone With The Wind.The author deserves full appreciation. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pe/products/64759837-a-suitable-boy](https://www.desertcart.pe/products/64759837-a-suitable-boy) --- *Product available on Desertcart Peru* *Store origin: PE* *Last updated: 2026-05-25*