A Fine Balance or A Suitable Boy?

[MiddleAgeMiddleEngland]

I have both sitting unread on my shelf. I've read other novels by both Mistry and Seth and enjoyed them all.

Which shall I read first? Any insights or suggestions welcome

These are both on my top 10 books list. A fine balance is probably a better read: brilliantly constructed story, well written etc, wonderfully constructed characters. So if i was recommending one it would be that. But something in me loves a suitable boy. the blurb on my copy of the latter says something like that when it ends its like saying goodbye to a friend or something and it is a bit like that. Mind you there is tons of stuff about indian politics post partition which is a bit of a schlep if you're not that interested (I am. but still). A new version is due, set in modern india 2 generations later: 'a suitable girl'. Still not out as far as I know though.

That's interesting, I didn't know about the Seth new book. Maybe I'll read A Fine Balance now and wait until the new Seth is out then read both A Suitable Boy and A Suitable Girl one after the other.

I loved Mistry's Family Matters and also Such a Long Journey, although not quite as much as the former. Also I love An Equal Music. I haven't read anything else by Seth.

If the two I mentioned originally are on your top ten, can I be nosy and ask what the others are? Just looking for more books to read. I read a lot of 'classics' and am now trying to fill in a few gaps in really good quality more recent literature.

I also love them both but agree that A Fine Balance has the edge, probably because the depth of characterisation - fewer main characters to focus on of course - means you feel very involved with each individual's situation. It made more of an impact on me than A Suitable Boy .. although ASB was really enjoyable to read.

Will have a think about what other similar books I can recommend OP

They are both fantastic. The Seth is a lot longer to read though, and (I think) much less bleak.

ASB was better than An Equal Music, I thought.

I too loved An Equal Music. I've recommended it to others over the years, but have never otherwise met anyone else who has read it.

I adore both....but agree with A Fine Balance being slightly ahead for all of the stated reasons! I am eagerly awaiting A Suitable Girl, but also nervous that it won't be as good as the Boy....

A Fine Balance is my all-time favourite book, and I'm that you have the pleasure of reading it for the first time.
I have A Suitable Boy on my kindle to read on my summer hols.

A fine balance definitely. Absolutely loved that book.

Both in my top ten too. A suitable boy is amazing, so has to be my recommendation. I loved an equal music too (but from a musical family so enjoyed the setting and nuances of the musical part)

A Fine Balance is an utterly brilliant book and gets my vote. Come back and tell us how you got on.

Oh God I loved A Fine Balance! Also love the name Rohinton. Never really got into A Suitable Boy but I don't think I gave it enough of a go. Have you read any Amitav Ghosh?

A fine balance is absolutely brilliant, but also quite astoundingly bleak and brutal and depressing.

A suitable boy is less emotionally taxing but quite an undertaking in terms of the length and breadth and detail. I got utterly absorbed and after weeks of reading it felt weird and bereft when I finished it. You definitely need to be in the right mood to pay attention to it or the political chapters might seem off putting. Rather like the Anna karenina farming sections.

I read both in quick succession a few years ago and both immediately went into my favourite books list.

Some very positive replies here - thank you everyone

I'll go to bed very soon and start A Fine Balance. Then I'll let you know how much I enjoyed it BackOnPlanetEarth

Jemima I know someone - also musical - who has read An Equal Music several times. She has worn out her first copy and is on her second!

Laquila yes, Rohinton is a fantastic name, isn't it? Not sure I'd choose it, though. I haven't read any Amitav Ghosh - do you have any recommendations about what I should start with?

Right, off to bed ....

Here is a list of other books that I would put in my top ten - very roughly.

Illywacker by Peter Carey

Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa

The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass

The War of Don Emmanuels Nether Parts / Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord / The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman by Louis de Bernieres

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs by Alexandra Fuller

Before the Knife by Carolyn Slaughter

English Passengers by Matthew Kneale

The Glass Palace if you're looking for some Amitav Ghosh

Ooh what a quality choice! Personally I'd go for A Suitable Boy - I have it on my re-read list for this summer - but either will be fab. I'm also going to re-read Midnight's Children, which I'm really looking forward to

Yep I'd agree with The Glass Palace. I think the sequel was The Hungry Tide but I preferred the first one. Ooh I might go back and reread it. I also enjoyed The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy, when I was in my Contemporary Indian bestsellers phase :)

Actually OP if you enjoyed AFB I bet you'd love The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende.

FWIW, my top ten includes (no particular order):

The Posionwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver

Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow, Peter Hoeg

Actually I'm now struggling for all-time favourites, although I have plenty I'd gladly read again. But I don't want to waste precious top ten places on potential non-contenders! I'd add Wolf Hall, maybe A Secret History.

OverAndAbove - I couldn't get into Midnight's Children and was a bit disappointed at myself - worth trying again??

Ooh also, The Map of Live, by Ahdaf Soueif - moves between past and present-day Egypt and NY. Such a gorgeous book.

You might also like Cloud Atlas, although it's a bit divisive!

Thanks PlanetEarth, am going to look up some of these! As you asked OP, others in my top 10 (includes some random things that I liked because of where I was/ what they remind me of) are:

White Teeth Zadie Smith
Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The god of small things - Arundhati Roy
The spirit catches you and you fall down - Lynne Fadiman
The New Girl - Emily Perkins (because it reminded me of being young. now I feel more like the mother character!)
Survival in The Killing Fields - Haing Ngor
Brother of the more famous Jack - Barbara Trapido
Once in a House on Fire - [damn who wrote this? leant it to a friend so not on the shelf!]

LOVE Barnara Trapido!! Frankie & Stankie is great.

Oh the glass palace! That's taken me back years. I miss holding big fat epic bops which make your wrists ache and ate unputdownable. I must revisit glass palace and ASB. Both excellent reads.

Epic books not bops! Although a good bop is fine too.....

Both are fantastic. But AFB is very sad. For lovers of AFB I would recommend Half of a Yellow Sun which I found totally absorbing in thesame way. Also the Balkan Trilogy and Levant Trilogy by Olivia Manning. Make you feel like you are in Romania and Egypt in the 50s and I didn't know what to do with myself when I finished them. So same as AFB and ASB.