Vikram Seth Ordre des livres (chronologique)

Vikram Seths ungewöhnliche und mutige Reise durch ein geheimes China1981 reiste Vikram Seth per Anhalter durch die abgelegenen Randprovinzen Chinas: vom »Himmels-See« Tianchi im Nordwesten schlug er sich fern der etablierten Routen nach Süden durch – bis ins Tibet. Seine Erkundung unerforschter Gebiete schloss er mit der Heimreise nach Indien über Kathmandu ab.

TWO LIVES tells the remarkable story of Seth's great uncle and aunt. His great uncle Shanti left India for medical school in Berlin in the 1930s and lodged with a German Jewish family. In the household was a daughter, Henny, who urged her mother 'not to take the blackie'. But a friendship developed and each managed to leave Germany and found their way to Britain as the Nazis rose to power. Shanti joined the army and lost his right arm at the battle of Monte Cassino, while Henny (whose family were to die in the camps) made a life for herself in her adopted country. After the war they married and lived the emigre life in north London where Shanti, despite the loss of his arm, became a much-loved dentist. During his own adolescence in England, Vikram Seth lived with Shanti and Henny and came to know and love them deeply. His is the third life in this story of TWO LIVES. This is also a book about history, encompassing as it does many of the most significant themes and events in the 20th century, whose currents are reflected in the lives of Shanti, Henny and their family: from the Raj and the Indian freedom movement to the Third Reich, the Holocaust and British postwar society.

Pocas veces un debut novelístico levantó tanta expectación ni consiguió un éxito tan deslumbrante: una monumental novela que la crítica comparó a Guerra y paz y a las obras mayores de Dickens. La señora Rupa Mehra le dice a su hija Lata que se casará con quien ella decida, lo que inicia la búsqueda de un buen partido para Lata en la India de los años cincuenta. Este contexto histórico, marcado por las heridas de la independencia y la Partición, presenta un país donde los esfuerzos modernizadores chocan con tradiciones ancestrales y donde los matrimonios se concertan por intereses familiares. A través de Lata, una joven práctica y vivaz, y su madre, la sentimental señora Rupa Mehra, se despliega una rica galería de personajes que representan el tejido social de la India: nawabs, rajas, campesinos, intocables, académicos, y más. Entre ellos, Lata debe elegir entre tres pretendientes: el atractivo Kabir, el dinámico Haresh y el soñador Amit. Con un estilo poético y sutilmente irónico, Vikram Seth ofrece una verdadera tranche de vie donde los personajes viven, sienten y luchan por alcanzar su destino. La historia de amor se entrelaza con la política, y los prejuicios religiosos coexisten con la tolerancia, en un relato que explora la lucha contra la injusticia.

"Ho sempre desiderato andare in Tibet, tuttavia so che questo desiderio èdovuto in gran parte al fascino che circonda l'ignoto. So molto poco sullaregione del Tibet e conoscerò per esperienza diretta il suo clima e la suageografia. Non ho amici tibetani. Una foto del Potala, danzatori tibetanivisti nel Darjeeling, un articolo o due sul Dalai Lama rappresentano tutto ilmio bagaglio di conoscenza; di simili frammenti è formata la mia idea delTibet. E in un certo senso il mio intento non è quello di fare un viaggio inTibet, ma semplicemente di attraversarlo."

In Vikram Seth's third novel, the violinist Michael Holme grapples with dissatisfaction in both life and art, feeling overshadowed by his beautiful girlfriend and colleagues in the Maggiore Quartet. A chance encounter with Julia, a pianist he once loved in Vienna, brings him joy, but her troubling situation threatens their reunion. Despite its smaller size compared to Seth's previous work, the novel offers rich complexities and emotional depth. Michael's realization of the inadequacy of his words to express his feelings for Julia adds a poignant touch. The story also explores the dynamics of musical collaboration, as the Quartet navigates tensions and joys, likening their experience to various forms of relationships. The narrative emphasizes the significance of music, with the length of Schubert's Trout Quintet and the discovery of a rare Beethoven piece holding deep meaning. Michael's longing for Julia parallels his attachment to his borrowed Tononi violin, symbolizing unattainable desires. Seth masterfully weaves a tale filled with suspense, from the Quartet's encore to the reasons behind Julia's departure from Michael's life. As the love story unfolds across cities like London and Vienna, readers are drawn into its emotional resonance.

Un visage aperçu à la fenêtre d'un bus, une lettre qui n'aurait jamais dû être lue, un musicien qui vit avec le secret espoir de retrouver son premier amour... Quatuor est le roman de l'amour pour une femme, perdue, retrouvée puis à nouveau perdue. Le roman de la musique ou comment la passion de la musique peut être la passion d'une vie. Le roman de Michael, de Julia et de l'amour qui les unit.