an equal music - vikram seth
I loved this one too, but regrettably its shine has become a little paler since reading Atonement, which was just that tiny bit more perfect. This was big, romantic, a real page-turner too, but Seth lost me on a couple of occasions when the protagonist is going slightly crazy.
I loved the variety in the characters, the upper-class Piers and Helen, Michael who doesn't really know where he belongs, Julia and her American husband, the child, the dog, the old biddy. And Venice, of course. Now that I think of it, there were an awful lot of people in the story, and I wasn't confused once about who was who. Surely a sign of a masterful writer. Maybe I would have loved it even better if I had more of a musical background.
And I guess I will give A Suitable Boy yet another try. I have started (and loved) it at least five times, but every time I get distracted and do not finish it...
25-05-2002
