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On Balance, an Autobiography
by
Leila Seth
The first woman chief justice of a high court in India, the first woman to top the bar examinations in London 73 years old Leila Seth has led a full life. With candour and wit, she tells of her taking up law studies because this could be combined with caring for her husband and son, Intertwining family life with professional, the author describes the years after her father
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Community Reviews
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Apr 16, 2012
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rated it
5 of 5 stars
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Vikram Seth fans, lawyers or wannabe ones, anyone who values intellect
Some books march uninvited into the room tooting their own horn. They bellow loudly and rhetorically about their greatness while all you are trying to do is enjoy a horrendously sappy Hindi movie or search for that lost bookmark that you had stolen from a friend. In between the sounds of loud cymbal clashing, the book will boast that the New York Times called it "a real tour de force" or a "prophetic novel celebrating the triumph of righteous dissidence". If you stay adamant, the book will play
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When I told my Mum that anyone who does not read this book would be a fool of first waters, her first question was,
"How is it even possible for a biography to be that good?"
Yes, more often, it is not possible for a biography to be that good. In fact, I am not a fan of the genre at all but maybe, there is something about the Seths that makes them the best biographers/memoir-writers in the world. Maybe they are just born that way!
Ok! Enough gushing-over the Seth family. Coming to the book and ...more
"How is it even possible for a biography to be that good?"
Yes, more often, it is not possible for a biography to be that good. In fact, I am not a fan of the genre at all but maybe, there is something about the Seths that makes them the best biographers/memoir-writers in the world. Maybe they are just born that way!
Ok! Enough gushing-over the Seth family. Coming to the book and ...more
This brilliant autobiography fully deserves all the praise it's got. Leila Seth's claim to fame is being the first woman Chief Justice of an Indian state (Himachal Pradesh). She topped her Bar exams at London (she was the fist woman to do that, too). Here's a small vignette from the book:
Leila had just been appointed a Judge in the Delhi High Court (she was their first woman judge). There was a lot of discussion on how to address her in court. Should it 'My Lady' or the usual 'My Lord'? She wa ...more
Leila had just been appointed a Judge in the Delhi High Court (she was their first woman judge). There was a lot of discussion on how to address her in court. Should it 'My Lady' or the usual 'My Lord'? She wa ...more
This book is a treat not only for law students but for aspiring, ambitious women of our nation. Ex-Chief Justice Leila Seth has been an 'Outlier' all her life-from being the first woman topper in law from Oxford way back in 1952, the first woman Judge of the Delhi High Court to being the first woman Chief Justice of a High Court in India. She has even openly acknowledged the bisexual orientation of her son thereby creating a precedent for candor exhibited by a celebrity and a new platform for th
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I won't add to the several excellent reviews of this book here, but only recall a wonderful evening spent with Justice Seth and her wonderful husband and a large group of American seekers who had been led on the "Footsteps of the Buddha" tour of Northern India by her son Shantum. I had been a great fan of her other son Vikram and had enjoyed his talk at the British Library in Singapore when he received the Commonwealth Prize for
A Suitable Boy
, but it had not occurred to me that it would be his
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Poignantly delightful book about a life well lived and well loved. Justice Seth's account of her life as she sincerely balanced the many roles she played on both professional and personal front has filled me with inspiration and admiration. Wish I had picked this book earlier in life :)
Well, better late than never.
Well, better late than never.
I always thought of Mrs. Leila Seth as Vikram Seth's mother, and was amazed by her good fortune to call this prodigy her son. Only now, after reading this beautifully penned autobiography do I realise the extent of her accomplishments, both in her professional and personal life.
The book's title has been chosen most wisely, for it not only acts as a subtle reference to the scales of justice, her chosen field of expertise, but also reflects on how she managed the various elements in her life astu ...more
The book's title has been chosen most wisely, for it not only acts as a subtle reference to the scales of justice, her chosen field of expertise, but also reflects on how she managed the various elements in her life astu ...more
This was quite an engrossing read. Seth has lived through so many interesting times and observed quite a great deal of historical changes--including, of course, her own list of firsts as a lawyer and judge in India. At the same time, the prose is a bit disjoined as she shifts from one moment to the next as there are many movements in the text that are not as smooth as they could be. Still, there is a great deal of value in this book and there is so much to admire and respect in this woman who wa
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This one took a bit of getting used to. Justice Seth has a neat sense of decorum even when she writes. But it is when you get used to it, that she really starts talking to you...Loved part 3 in particular.
Unputdownable! Such a remarkable woman and an absolute delight to read her life story. May her kind grow, thrive and flourish!
I felt proud of myself for knowing that Bata(where Vikram Seths dad worked) was not an Indian company. My first introduction to Buddhism and Thich Naht Hahn through Shantum. My first introduction to the Full Circle (Hello, West Delhi) And the first time, surprisingly, I read about Vikram Seth being gay. I remember the reviewer said that he would have gifted a copy to his daughter if she hadn't discussed that bit.
As a big fun of a Suitable Boy myself, I've been longing to read her book. She explains a glimpse of the scene in which Vikram Seth writing the story, setting up characters in line with the events in 1950s. Also, I love her writing with the sense of her sophistication and warm reagrds for others.
I think this is a fascinating memoir written by the first female judge on an Indian high court. Full disclosure - I know her, and her sons, Vikram and Shantum. If you are interested in Indian culture and/or global womens' issues, hers is a very interesting life.
She is so much more than Vikram's mum. Absolutely wonderful, and "sausages over the sink" remains with me as great imagery and capturing a life as a law student.
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Born in Lucknow to an engineer of the railways in British India, Leila Seth joined the Bar in 1959. She was the first woman to top the London Bar exams in 1958. She handled a large number of Tax matters (Income Tax, Sales Tax, Excise and Customs), Civil, Company and Criminal cases as also Matrimonial suits and writ petitions. In 1978, she was appointed as the first woman judge on the Delhi High Co
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