Synopses & Reviews
This novel in verse about a group of California yuppies was one of the most highly praised books of 1986 and a bestseller on both coasts.
Review
"While the idea of a novel in verse may be initially off-putting, readers of this tour de force are in for a treat. Using the sonnet form throughout, and varying his language from lyrical elegance to timely vernacular, Seth's tale of four California Yuppies is as fully dimensional as a good novel, and twice as diverting....Seth's experiment is a resounding success." Publishers Weekly
Review
"At once a bittersweet love story, a wickedly funny novel of manners and an unsentimental meditation on mortality and the nuclear abyss. Always witty and still profound the book paints a truthful picture of our dreadful, comic times." Vanity Fair
Review
"A splendid achievement, equally convincing in its exhilaration and its sadness." The New York Times
Review
"The great California novel has been written in verse (and why not?): The Golden Gate gives great joy." Gore Vidal
Synopsis
"The great California novel been written, in verse (and why not?):
The Golden Gate gives great joy."--Gore Vidal
One of the most highly regarded novels of 1986, Vikram Seth's story in verse made him a literary household name in both the United States and India.
John Brown, a successful yuppie living in 1980s San Francisco meets a romantic interest in Liz, after placing a personal ad in the newspaper. From this interaction, John meets a variety of characters, each with their own values and ideas of "self-actualization." However, Liz begins to fall in love with John's best friend, and John realizes his journey of self-discovery has only just begun.
"A splendid achievement, equally convincing in its exhilaration and its sadness."--The New York Times
"Seth pulls off his feat with spirit, grace and great energy."--The New Yorker
"A marvelous work . . . bold and splendid . . . Locate this book and allow yourself to become caught up, like a kite, in the lifting effects of Seth's sonnets."--Washington Post Book World