4 stars. I believe Vikram Seth set out to write a novel that described and represented India after British colonization and occupation, examining the changes in culture, language, and, quiet simply, the humanity of people, after the first few years of independence. To do all of this, Seth diligently created a plethora of characters that experienced hardships and tragedy, and love and prosperity. Without such characters, each so fleshed out and alive, this novel would have deteriorated. They were the driving force for me to continue this book. I became so interested and entertained with their daily lives that I couldn’t stop reading. As I mentioned, the scope of this novel was quite large, and to encompass what was necessary to describe India post independence, Seth spent a lot of time, and pages, dealing with the politics that were happening in the country. And while some of it—I would argue only the first part that deals with politics—is necessary, the others just aren’t. During the parts where politics are discussed, argued, and explained, the novel slows down to an incredibly boring pace. The writing is seemingly more dull, we drift away from the characters were attached to, and we’re almost forced to listen while lawyers and politicians argue over whether or not bills are constitutional or not. While I can understand why they were important, overall it did drag the novel down a bit for me. However, it was still a lovely read.