• sahitya-classes
• January 17, 2025
• 0 Comment

Follow   Follow Subscribe   Follow    Follow WhatsApp Group Join Now

If you are preparing for the UGC-NET English Literature exam, you must have read the works of Vikram Seth, who is commonly known for his work, A Suitable Boy. If you are taking online UGC-NET classes or offline classes at the best UGC-NET coaching in Delhi, Sahitya Classes, you must have been introduced to this prominent Indian author in great detail by Prof. Vineet Pandey. Let us meet our author of the day, Vikram Seth! 

Who is Vikram Seth?

Vikram Seth (b. 1952) was born in Calcutta and educated in Dehradun. Initially pursuing a Mathematics (Honours) course at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, he later opted not to join and instead won a scholarship to study at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. There, he graduated in 1975 with honours in philosophy, politics, and economics. In 1977, Seth moved to the United States to pursue a Master’s degree in economics at Stanford University and began working on a doctoral dissertation titled Seven Chinese Villages: An Economic and Demographic Portrait. His research took him to China for two years at Nanjing University.

His debut book of poetry, Mappings (1982), published by Writers Workshop in Calcutta, was a collection of poems in English alongside translations of Indian poets. Seth’s second book, From Heaven Lake (1983), which recounts his overland journey through Sinkiang, Tibet, and Nepal to India, won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. His second poetry collection, The Humble Administrator’s Garden (1985), won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize for Asia and the Alice Hunt Bartlett Award for Poetry.

Seth’s The Golden Gate (1986) marked his foray into novel-writing, and it was written entirely in sonnets. This remarkable work, which even features acknowledgements and dedication in sonnet form, won several awards including the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, the Sahitya Akademi Award, and the American “Book of the Month Club” New Voices Award.

In 1990, Seth published All You Who Sleep Tonight, a third collection of poetry that won critical acclaim. His 1991 book Beastly Tales from Here and There is a collection of narrative poems that retell animal fables from various cultures including India, China, Greece, and Ukraine, with a playful tone reminiscent of the “land of Gup”. Seth also published Three Chinese Poets (1992), a collection of translations.

His first conventional novel, A Suitable Boy (1993), became famous even before its release due to the large advance it received from its publisher. The novel offers a panoramic view of life in a north Indian town shortly after independence. The central story revolves around Lata, a young girl who falls in love with a boy of a different religion. Despite divided critical opinion, the novel’s vivid portrayal of social life in post-independence India garnered praise, though some criticized it for lacking depth. At 1349 pages long, A Suitable Boy became a bestseller and is being adapted into a 500-part television series in English and Hindi.

Seth’s latest novel, An Equal Music, departs from his Indian-centred works and is set entirely in the West, particularly in London, Vienna, and Venice. The novel focuses on Michael, a violinist in a string quartet, and his unrequited love for Julia, a fellow music student. Unlike the straightforward narrative style of A Suitable Boy, An Equal Music features a slow and intricate prose, with extensive descriptions of classical music that may challenge readers unfamiliar with the subject.

Vikram Seth’s works have traversed various genres, from poetry and travel writing to expansive novels, and he continues to be a prominent figure in contemporary literature, noted for his lyrical style and deep exploration of human emotions.

Literary Works by Vikram Seth

Poetry Collections:

1. Mappings (1982): A collection of poems written in English, along with a few translations of Indian poets. It marked his debut in the world of poetry.
2. The Humble Administrator’s Garden (1985): This collection won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize for Asia in 1985. It features poems that express a variety of themes and emotions, with a particular focus on the natural world.
3. All You Who Sleep Tonight (1990): A collection of poems that gained critical acclaim for its thoughtful exploration of love, loss, and human connection.
4. Beastly Tales from Here and There (1991): A collection of simple narrative poems with regular meter and rhyme, which retells fables and stories from different cultures, including India, China, Greece, and Ukraine.
5. Three Chinese Poets (1992): A collection of translations from classical Chinese poets, showcasing Seth’s ability to engage with and translate works from other cultures.
6. The Rivered Earth (2000) – This collection of poetry, published a few years ago, is a significant example of Seth’s poetic craft. The poems in The Rivered Earth are reflective, drawing on themes of travel, nature, relationships, and the emotional landscapes of the human experience. While not a novel, Seth’s poetry continues to garner acclaim.
7. The Elephant and the Tragopan (2013): It is a collection of poems that explores the relationship between two seemingly different creatures. The elephant, a symbol of strength and power, is juxtaposed with the tragopan, a small bird known for its colourful plumage. Through his poetry, Seth delves into the complexities of their relationship, highlighting the ways in which they complement each other despite their differences. The elephant, for example, provides protection for the tragopan, while the bird’s beauty and grace serve as a source of inspiration for the larger animal. “The Elephant and the Tragopan” is a thought-provoking work that encourages readers to consider the ways in which seemingly disparate elements can come together to create something beautiful and meaningful. The elephant and the tragopan are two animals that hold great significance in Indian culture. The elephant, with its majestic size and strength, has been revered as a symbol of power and wisdom. In Hindu mythology, the god Ganesha is depicted as having the head of an elephant, and is worshipped as the remover of obstacles and the god of new beginnings. Elephants have also been used in religious processions and festivals, such as the famous Mysore Dasara festival in Karnataka. The tragopan, on the other hand, is a bird that is native to the Himalayan region of India. The bird is known for its striking plumage and distinctive call, and has been celebrated in Indian folklore and literature. In the state of Himachal Pradesh, the tragopan is considered a sacred bird and is protected by law. It is also the state bird of Nagaland. Vikram Seth’s work explores the relationship between these two animals, and how they have come to represent different aspects of Indian culture. Through his writing, Seth highlights the importance of preserving these animals and their habitats, and the need to protect them from threats such as poaching and habitat destruction.

Novels:

1. The Golden Gate (1986): A unique novel written entirely in sonnets, this book was Seth’s first work of fiction and received widespread acclaim. It won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize and the Sahitya Akademi Award, among other accolades.
2. A Suitable Boy (1993): This is Seth’s most famous work, a sprawling novel set in post-independence India. The novel follows the life of Lata, a young girl torn between family expectations and her own desires. The book is over 1300 pages long and explores themes of family, love, religion, and politics. It was adapted into a 6-part television series.
3. An Equal Music (1999): This novel is set entirely in the West, with a focus on the world of classical music. It tells the story of Michael, a violinist, and his lost love for Julia, a fellow musician. It explores themes of love, music, and the passage of time.
4. A Suitable Girl 

Other Works:

1. From Heaven Lake: Travels through Sinkiang and Tibet (1983): A travelogue that recounts Seth’s journey overland from China to India. It won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award and gives readers insight into the landscapes, people, and cultures of the region.
2. Two Lives (2005): A biography and memoir that chronicles the lives of Seth’s great-uncle and his wife, recounting their love story and their experiences in 20th-century Europe and India. It also explores themes of history, family, and identity.
3. Riot at Misri Mandi (1995): An extraordinary account of the political upheavals afflicting newly independent India.
4. Arion and the Dolphin (1994): This pictorial book is a retelling of the ancient Greek legend of a young Corinthian musician who, having won a gold prize for his singing, is thrown overboard by greedy sailors. He befriends a dolphin who becomes his rescuer and protector. Jane Ray’s luscious, evocative paintings culminated in a text, creating a wonderful mixture of verse and prose adapted from Vikram Seth’s libretto for an opera commissioned by the English National Opera.
5. Summer Requiem (2015): Summer Requiem traces the immutable shifting of the seasons, the relentless rhythms of a great world that both ‘gifts and harms’. Luminous, resonant and profound, these poems trace the dying days of summer, ‘the hour of rust’, when memory is haunted by loss and decay. But in the silence that follows, as the soul is cast adrift, there is also reconciliation with the transience of all things; the knowledge that there is a place, ‘changeable, that will not betray’.

Translations:

1. The Last Labyrinth: A Memoir of the End of the World (2011): A memoir of his experience with the challenges of his family and their history.
2. The Hanuman Chalisa (2024): Seth spent some years translating this beloved classic into English, in rhyme and metre. The result is a flawless translation which has the magical incantatory quality of the original Awadhi. This elegant bilingual edition has the original verses in Devanagari and Roman script alongside the English translations.

Seth has achieved critical and commercial success, with his works being translated into several languages. His deep understanding of human emotions, his rich descriptions, and his lyrical style make his writing stand out in contemporary Indian and global literature.

For strategic UGC-NET English exam preparation, you may also consider joining the best UGC NET coaching institute, Sahitya Classes. At Sahitya Classes, you will not just explore works of famous writers but you will also learn some fascinating and controversial facts about authors and their works from the two-times JRF holder, Prof. Vineet Pandey. Prof. Pandey is known for his fun-filled pedagogy wherein he uses day-to-day experiences of life to make you understand certain literary concepts or literary theories so that you can remember them easily while giving the exam. He will often focus on covering every aspect of the UGC-NET English Literature syllabus. While helping you understand the literary texts, he will cover the historical, political, and other contexts relevant to the texts. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of the literary texts.

You will also receive UGC NET notes for English literature along with exclusive UGC-NET online classes. Our new offline batch will start on January 27, 2025 onwards. So, what are you waiting for? Join Sahitya Classes now! 

to receive personal guidance from Prof. Vineet Pandey, please fill out the form!

Join UGC NET Offline Batch 2025 – Enroll Now