Eine gute Partie

Savita marries Pran, a young man she barely knows. The lavish ceremony is not yet over when the bride's mother turns her attention to her next task: finding a good match for her youngest daughter. The beautiful Lata is already nineteen, but the suitable man must, of course, come from the right caste and also be fair-skinned. In this simple setup, Vikram Seth finds everything to present us with India, its dances and tears, its colors and fabrics, its joys and sorrows. "Seth possesses a natural storytelling talent, an organizing intellect, an overflowing imagination, and a virtuoso command of the English language.".