A Suitable BoyCompact Disc, 15 May 2018

A Suitable Boy' is Vikram Seth's epic love story set in India. Funny and tragic, with engaging, brilliantly observed characters, it is as close as you can get to Dickens for the twentieth century. The story unfolds through four middle class families - the Mehras, Kappoors, Khans and Chatterjis. Lata Mehra, a university student, is under pressure from her mother to get married. But not to just anyone she happens to fall in love with. There are standards to be met and finding a husband for Lata becomes a family affair in which all the members are to play a part. A beautifully composed story which is an affirmation of family and friendship. The characters struggle, they try to buck the system, to break free of restraint, of interference - but ultimately their strenth and sense of being comes from their family and friends. It is a celebration of ordinariness. In his sweeping epic, Vikram Seth has created an entire world filled with warmth, humour, pathos, tragedy - in short, life. Recorded on location in India, 'A Suitable Boy' is made by the production team of the award-winning 'Bleak House' and 'The Handmaid's Tale'.