A poem of life. Review on Golden Gate, The - Vikram Seth

One of the most common things that links people together is a common language. Mr.Seth?s much lauded novel in verse, ?The Golden Gate? is written in the universal language of human emotions, and reading this book is an experience of life in current times, specifically the last 2 decades of the twentieth century.

Acclaimed to be a typical Californian novel when first published in 1986, the settings and characters easily fit modern youth in almost every part of the developed world. Above all, the book bears the warmth and touch of humanity that identifies Mr.Seth?s inimitable style of writing.

The plot is simple and straightforward, lucidly composed in a sequence of sonnets in iambic tetrameter ? The main protagonist John is a successful corporate engineer, who feels lonely with his mechanical life. His one-time girlfriend Janet places an ad in a personal column on his behalf and through it, John meets Liz Dorati, an elegant and warm-hearted lawyer.

An instant attraction brings them together, and they set up home only to drift apart due to opposing views on politics and social ethics, the process accelerated by John?s hatred of Liz?s pet cat Charlemagne.

John?s colleague Phil who forsakes a lucrative corporate job to keep up with his anti-nuclear principles forms another thread of the story, and reflects the changing face of modern youth, concerned about the world and threats to the environment.

The affair between Phil and Liz?s brother Ed is depicted in a poignant manner that makes the reader feel sympathetic, rather than repelled, such relationships being forbidden in many sections of society even today. Ed?s religious beliefs cause him to break up with Phil, and the arguments between the two vividly portray changing values and morals, and the confused state of today?s youth in a world that is as transient as their views.

In a surprising turn of events, Phil and Liz get married, while John tries to cushion his jilted pride in wine and women and the story goes on with a few more twists and turns to a sad and sentimental finish, that nevertheless is likely to bring a lump to the throat of most readers.

The disastrous consequences of nuclear weapons are driven home albeit in a refreshing manner. The book makes one reflect about the current trends observed in society regarding life, the world, relationships, family, friends, love and much more. In this respect, it strikes a parallel with Elizabeth B Browning?s brilliant classic ?Aurora Leigh? where the main protagonist questions an individual?s freedom and role in society, making one feel that idealism is an integral part of all great poetry.

The verse and the story support each other, and the sequence of sonnets enhances the flow, rather than hamper it. A variety of topics ranging from the healthiest diet for a pet iguana, the method of pickling olives, to an invocation to St.Francis are handled with equal veracity. The characters speak in ordinary language, even slang that makes it easy to identify with them. The humour woven into the book makes it an absolute delight, and reveals a tongue-in-cheek satirist who perceives the comical angle in even the most tension-ridden situation.

Mr.Seth makes his presence felt, subtly and otherwise in each sonnet and one gets the feeling of having taken a fascinating journey along with him, a feeling that persists long after the book is finished. In one stanza, he mentions that he was inspired to write this book after reading Charles Johnston?s translation of Pushkin?s ?Eugene Onegin?, and fervently recommends it to the reader ? It would hardly come as a surprise if ?The Golden Gate? inspires an author (or more) to create another masterpiece as a tribute. History as we know has long had a tradition of repeating itself?

Note: I had posted the same review at amazon.com and https://meghdutam.com quite sometime ago.

https://amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/cm/member-reviews/-/A1U2XV0TWUAZF2/1/ref=cm_c
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