Golden Gate, The - Vikram Seth

The Golden Gate is simple, elegant, thought provoking, and moving. It is a great way to start reading or rereading poetry. Its straightforward plot unfolds in the form of sonnets in iambic tetrameter, defying all norms of what can and cannot pass as a novel and surpassing every expectation.

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To write a contemporary love story, intertwining the lives of 6 people that you and me can completely relate to, and delving deep into their everyday lives, struggles, loves and lamentation and to be able to do this entirely using sonnets and poetry simply unbelievable. This poem/story/work of fiction is a must read for anyone that bought poetry is hard to read or too hard to understand . The simple language, yet strong prose makes this book a delightful, magical read. you'll fall in love with janey and Liz and Phil and Ed not to mention the books protagonist, John!

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Book Review(from Meerut

Journal of Comparative Literature and Language, II, 2(1989), pp. 60-66.

Vikram Seth, The Golden Gate*,

Delhi: Oxford University

Press, 1989, pp. 307, Rs. 75/-

Vikram Seth(b. 1952) the Sahitya Akademi award winner for his The Golden Gate* was studying economics

at Stanford University, California when he composed this novel in

verse. His mother is a judge in Delhi High Court and the father is a leather

technologist in Calcutta.

Vikram Seth had his earlier education at Doon School.

He also studied at Corpus Christi College in Oxford

and after that he has selected Stanford in preference to Harvard and Yale for

his higher studies. He enrolled himself for doctoral degree on the demographics

of seven villages in China,

where he lived for two years. Thus, the novelist is well conversant with four

prominent civilizations of the world viz. Indian, Chinese, English and

American. Seth has published one travelogue entitled From Heaven Lake*(Chatto and Windus, 1983) about his experiences of

hitchhiking through Sin Kiang and Tibet

and a collection of verse The Humble

Administrator’s Garden*(now available in Three Crown series of Oxford

University Press, Delhi).

Seth says that he did not choose to study literature because a student of

literature has to read even if he does not enjoy reading a particular book

while as a general reader he has a freedom to put down any book he doesn’t

like.

The genesis(in the

limited sense of the term) of The Golden

Gate* according to Seth took place in a book-shop where he came across two

translations of Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse, Eugene Onegin*(1823-31). Out of curiosity, Seth says, he wanted to

compare both the translations. But, he could not continue with it for long

because the translation by Charles Johnston was quite fascinating and Seth went

on reading page after page without doing any comparison. Within a month Seth

read it five times and then said to himself, “Let me try using this stanzaic

form”. Thus, Pushkin has influenced him in the first place. Another formative

influence on Seth is that of Timothy Steele to whom the book under review has

been dedicated. Seth wanted to join a course in Creative Writing at Stanford

but because of a conflict in schedule could not. Therefore, he needed an

informal teacher. Of this need he came across Timothy Steele who is different

from many of his contemporaries in his use of traditional meter and rhyme. Both

Timothy and Seth are voracious readers of literatures and have memorized a

great deal of poetry so much so that when one falters the other can supply the

missing word. “Both men believe that modern poetry has foundered because it is

no longer accessible to the common reader: it has become, they say, too arcane,

too remote from everyday experience.”

The Golden Gate* has five hundred ninety three(including Acknowledgements.

Dedication and Contents) contiguous sonnets with a complex rhyming scheme of

a-b-a-b, c-c-d-d. e-f-f-e, g-g. Each sonnet like a Shakespearean one can be

divided into three quatrains and one couplet but unlike his predecessors he

uses the sonnet form for narration and not for expressing one single emotion(a

sonnet is basically a lyric) and also the couplet in Seth’s sonnet does not do

the summing up as it does in a Shakespearean sonnet. Unlike Shakespeare, Seth

does not employ iambic pentameter in his stanza but uses iambic tetrameter. To

maintain the rhyme and meter consistently for more than three hundred pages is

an arduous task indeed. Nowhere has the poet used prose narrative in the book.

Even the dedication, acknowledgements and contents have been given the sonnet

from. The following is the sonnet enumerating the contents of the novel:

1.

The world’s discussed while

friends are eating.

2.

A cache of billets-doux arrive.

3.

A concert generates a meeting.

4.

A house is warmed. Sheep come

alive.

5.

Olives are plucked in prime

condition.

6.

A cat reacts to competition.

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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

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,

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

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)

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When I first discovered that 'the golden gate' was part of my syllabus, I was more than depressed. A whole novel in verse? what could be more deadening boring that that!

But I was to be proven wrong. The verse, simple and easy to read, grabs you by the collar. You are literally 'whirlpooled' into the characters' worlds, and you live with them, like an invisible guest in their lives.

And through it all, seth makes you forget it's verse that you are reading. The inbuilt rhythm paces you like a strict coach, unputdownable till the end. but the beauty lies in passages that suddenly light up your reading... (the whole book is written in sonnets, end to end) ... a quaint ode to Night, a message from the author to the reader, where seth reminds you it's just a book about people he's created. And with the same ease that he switches between subliminal descriptions and quick-witted racy conversation, he pulls you back into the lives of his characters.

At the end of it, you feel like you've lived the lives of all the characters, you feel you've written gold gate with seth, gone through his ecstasy and frustration while writing it...

One of its kind.

If you are afraid of poetry, but willing enough to open a book in verse, this is your lucky day!

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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
r_auth/002-6164494-0344848

https://meghdutam.com

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Almost all Sahitya Academy Award winners are long,winding and even boring books.

thats exactly what I thought before I read this book.yea,this book is real good.this book isnt set in great descriptiveness(if thats even a word!) ala arundhati roy nor is there a complicated story.

but this book isfast and I mean real fast.its one of the best books ive read and ive read quite a lotta books.the story is very fast paced and the author steps into the story in between amost seamlesssly and then steps out again.the story revolves around a group of people who loosely know each other(sleeping with each other or just friends)and jumps around.its absolutely riveting.

although,if you are not a big fan of verse you can get tired half way through the book(just like I did).

note of caution:there is a bit if homosexuality vowen into the story so I would not recommend it to kids(under 16).but there is absolutely no sex.(even here the author just about says it all by saying literally nothing.

otherwise,its absolutely superb book.nothing can possibely done to the book to make it better-im not a huge fan of Seth's books though.

p.s. Id like to apologize for the mistake.Its been corrected.Big thank you to my fellow reviewers.

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