I was actually looking for a book titled A Suitable Boy, written by Vikram Seth, but as I couldn't get it, I settled down for another book by the same author. The Golden Gate, written by Vikram Seth, is a novel narrated in the form of verses.
Each verse is written in the form of a sonnet. Writing a 307 page novel, the whole of which is in the form of a poem, with sonnets and ryhming words, is no mean task. Infact, the dedication and acknowledgement are also wriiten as a sonnet.
I was a bit skeptical about proceeding to read this book, as a mere glance made me feel this book would have complicated and superior phrases, which would make reading cumbersome. Nevertheless, I had an effortless read..
It was just like reading any novel, with the exception of appreciating the author with the turn of every page. The work is truly commendable, which I don't think anyone else has ever tried. ( as far as my knowledge goes ).
The story revolves around John, 26, who has everything, but is longing for a loving soul mate. He seeks help from his one-time girl-friend Janet, (now his best friend), who advertises calling for eligible girls for John, much against his wish. Thanks to the ad, he meets Liz Dorati, a lawyer and they develop an instant rapport for each other and after few dates, they decide to live together.
Parallely, the author gives a picture of Phil, (John's friend) who is estranged by his wife and is living with his kid. Phil gets involved in a relationship with Ed, Liz's brother, and this is unsurprisingly termed as a malformed and uncalled for sickening lust.
John and Liz, subsequently realise that they are not made for each other , as their tastes are poles apart, and they separate. Liz finds solace in Phil (who by now, comes out of the relationship with Ed) and they both get married.
John, left alone again, resorts to Janet for some affection, and she reciprocates with all love. They enjoy each other's company a lot. In an unfortunate accident, Janet dies, and John is left alone all over again. He wakes up in the midnight dreaming about Janet and misses her every moment. He ransacks her house, to find if there's any evidence that she's been in love with him and he locates a letter. He's left with memories for the rest of his life.
*A simple and touching story of untold love. What makes it special is the way its been narrated. It is certainly a must read for everyone. It would undoubtedly soften even the stone hearted people.
Here are some lines from the book which I found to be really worth-mentioning
.
@The author narrates Phil's feelings after the separation from his wife as follows
*''What made you leave me, Claire ? I guess
Disfiguring is what dreams are made for''
A single-parents's emotion cannot be captured better. He contemplates these things, when his son questions him about his mother's disappearance from family responsibilities.
@The strain in the love-life of John and Liz is narrated with simple incidents like John's dislike towards Liz's pet cat. He says
*''That mangy misbegotten cat,
I hate the beast and I can't fake it.''
Loving a person means, loving his/her dear possessions as well. This universal truth is brought out vividly by the author. If you don't respect your loved ones' dear belongings, that means you don't love them from the bottom of your heart.
@John frantically searches for some evidence to prove that Janet has always loved her and finds a letter...He consoles himself with these thoughts
*''She loved you undeludedly
Though-self-protectively derisive
Of love, Deluded and self-maimed
(Or unillusioned, as you claimed)''
HIs feelings are brought out in scuh a way, that we pity him so much for not identifying the person who loved him most, and who was very much near him, while he was searching and seeking for true love elsewhere. The story starts and ends with John being a lone man, though in the end he is a changed-for-the-better person.
The woes of marrying at haste and repenting at leisure is also brought out by the author. After reading few pages in the book, I was simply not able to put it down, as the method of narration is gripping. The hardships faced due to nuclear weapons is also touched in few chapters. The author off and on gets into a kind of conversation with the reader, outlining the way he's about to carry on with the story . That was like holding the reader's hand and taking him/her through somebody's life history.
(I borrowed this book from the library, price is marked as Rs.295)
