The Golden Gate

This book is one of a nearly extinct breed: a novel in verse. In that form lie its unique pleasures as well as its uncertain reception at some hands. The poet James Merrill, in his epic trilogy "The Changing Light at Sandover" has claimed that "forms what affirms". Does this mean that the satisfaction of the novel can only come if the line-breaks are reliably marginal? Linguists Whorf and Sapir have suggested that language constrains our thought - not so much in the realm of vocabulary as, again, in that of form. The radically different forms of, for instance, Hopi or Inuit constrain "what is relatively easy to say" and hence, what is said. Perhaps so. You'd expect that rhyming sonnets would constrain the voice of a novelist, but Vikram Seth has certainly shown here that is not necessarily the case. Chalk it up to a mastery of both form and story, though, not to versification. His technical skills extend to both realms. Moving, then, beyond form, we wonder about content of such a novel. Will the book wander (or waltz) into the deeply allegorical, the disconnected, the imagistic? After all, aren't those the consequences of poetic license? Have you read your Ashbery? Oddly, this poem is quite prosaic in that regard, it tells a tight, comprehensible story in a manner that is fluid but not embroidered. (By way of contrast, consider that you can easily find yourself spinning away in a vortex of magical metaphor in the latest Rushdie.) Novels, it would seem, are pretty much what we make of them. As one who has never really appreciated the modernist redesign of the novel, I found "The Golden Gate" to be a much more satisfying story - notwithstanding its several-hundred sonnets. The book is a well-textured story about a number of folks living their lives and relationships - apparently in the 80's. (Some reviewers have made much of the story's use of timestamped phraseology such as the use of "yuppie" and the like. Perhaps. But I'd imagine that the term "Okie" was equally a well-understood, sometimes overloaded, term of the 30's which we, nevertheless, can comfortably accept from Steinbeck.) The lives, loves and trials of these folks are presented with the careful painting and pacing of Anne Tyler and J. R. Lennon. Seth's verse in this book has been called "masterful". It is, indeed. Consider that the odd rhyme is hardly ever at hand for most of us, much less available when called upon, as he was, thousands of times. But Seth is more than a rhymer - something I noticed by contrast. I'm pretty sure the sonnet scheme he uses is the so-called "Pushkin rhyme." I only know this since I just struggled through a marginal translation of "Eugene Onegin" and noticed the similarity. But the sing-songy'ness of the Pushkin was gladly lacking in the Seth. He uses true poetic craft, line breaks and punctuation and word choice, to allow the reader to flow between a fluid, songlike verse and a more prosaic tale-telling. In other words, he uses the strengths of both forms when they serve, best, the needs of the work and the reader. So. Don't be afraid of the form. But also don't expect it to seem natural unless you have seen it before. I came to this book via a recommendation of Tom Disch in his essays in "The Castle of Indolence" (a 5-star plug there), and from a background in having sought out and read quite a number of long poems, epic poems and verse novels. If you taste this book more out of curiosity than experience, good for you! But grant yourself the time to bounce through the first dozen sonnets in the singy-songy phrasing that so many of us learned to be necessarily poetic many years ago. Then, as the story captures you, you will notice that the verse, with the help of Seth's subtle crafting, both lifts and disappears beneath the story. I'll read it again, and again.

For Vikram Seth's, The Golden Gate, a novel set in verse, I stayed up late and found it to be anything but terse. His style of writing, quite exciting, kept me in my seat. I found myself begin reciting to his funky beat. While not all styles of poetry are easily construed, his fluid verbal mastery was elegantly brewed. I knew I'd write, with keen insight, my thoughts in metered rhyme; although this isn't what he'd want, it's all I could opine. His story opens with the tale of John, a lonely single male, who's risen in the rank and file but pines for one to walk the aisle. His empty life seems filled with strife, compelling him to find a wife. Now here comes Janet, once an ex, now just a friend (they don't have sex). She helps him rise above the fray with sage support and, by the way, suggests he posts his personal, through which comes Liz, quite capable of keeping John from all that's dull and end his heart's persistent lull. Romance is lit, so now we flit to others in our growing skit of friends, lovers, sons and mothers, activists and nuclear druthers. All the while, the humor builds, injected by the writer's skills, not to distract from all the glory of this now climactic story, but rather to have fun with style and maybe just to make you smile. Through all the threads that Seth does weave, a tangled web of lives do cleave when, one by one, with damage done, our lovers break up; tears do run. The bigger picture that he paints will make you see the many saints that linger in our lives each day but ne'er we thank them, ne'er we say "I love you," until death may stray onto their path. They go away and leave you crying as you pray for one more chance, just one more way, to hold them, touch them, make them stay... In my conclusion, I will say this gets five stars, without delay. Through Golden Gates do souls depart. In San Francisco lays my heart.

Written in Puskin stanzas, this novel in verse is a compelling read. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. It may change the way you think about life. I bought this copy to give to a new friend. A true treasure.

Vikram Seth's The Golden Gate captivates with its clever use of verse to tell a compelling story of love and friendship amidst 1980s San Francisco. The rhythmic structure enhances the narrative flow, making it both accessible and engaging. Seth's ability to weave complex emotions and societal reflections into poetry creates a reading experience that is as thought-provoking as it is enjoyable.

As a relative newcomer to the genre of verse novel, I can not recommend Vikram Seth's masterpiece enough. Taking the Pushkin sonnet to new heights, Seth gives his audience a snapshot into early 80s San Fransisco, the Cold War, nuclear research in America, and the very earliest days of the AIDS epidemic. Seeing not only a gay male character but a male bi-sexual character as well is extremely endearing as one who identifies as such. There is something at once preeminently timeless and classical about Seth's verse novel which should draw readers for generations. Never have I seen a poet use poetic formalism in such a conversational way as Seth does in his multi-Pushkin sonnet/stanza scenes. It boggles the mind to see such masterful craft at work. This verse novel defines the genre for a modern audience, and redefines the form first set forth in Alexander Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin" nearly two hundred years ago. Please read this book and learn what poetry is capable of and its way of presenting life and love and identity.

In der gesamten zeitgenössischen Literatur einzigartiges Lesen-Entzücken - für Anglophile! Versromane mag es geben - aber keinen, der sich so humvorvoll, geistreich, amüsant, sprachwitzig und formvollendet (Sonnette!) mit den jungen Erwachsenen (meine Generation) der 70er Jahre des letzten Jahrhunderts befasst. Für alle ehemaligen Blumenkinder, Hippies, 68er etc. eine wunderbare Erinnerung. Wer will sich an die Übertragung ins Deutsche wagen? (Ich.)

An English novel in verse written by an Indian. The author, Indian by birth an upbringing is trying to present the thoughts, feelings and socio- cultural attitudes of a few representatives of the american whites. His command over the language and the verse form is superb.

I originally picked this book up from a library on a whim, thinking that it might be an interesting experiment. I then pretty much read it from cover-to-cover without stopping! Such is the fluidity of the verse and the beauty of the language that you cannot help but be carried away by the rhythm. Not many books have the power to make you smile, think, laugh and cry but I defy anyone not to shed a tear as the final chapter begins. I've now bought six copies of this owing to the fact that I keep telling people they should read it and then have to combat their scepticism by lending them my copy which I never see again. This book really is a thing of beauty and should be essential reading not just for Seth fans but for anyone who enjoys the written word.

Recommendation to everyone. 200 plus pages of masterful poetry in prose form.

This quick note of commendation Is for the tome soon in your hands. It’s an aces celebration Of living and its strange demands. The setting, California, Enjoying a euphoria As Silicon Valley takes the stage At the dawn of the Yuppie age. Seth, of course, is a genius, So this outpouring from his heart Is to me a true work of art, Inducing joy and giddiness. A novel in which to immerse, All in Pushkin’s favoured verse.