Unlike anything you've ever read
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A fair and balanced review would conclude that if you are conservative minded, prudish, not interested in music/popular culture and too sensitive to palate Asians engaging in homosexuality and drugs then the Buddha of Suburbia will hold no interest and maybe even repulse.
However if you're progressive & open minded in outlook, have a sense of humour, appreciate pop music/pop culture while also interested in the socio/political climate of late 1970s Britain and beyond, then this is the book for you - regardless of whether you're a `self-proclaimed liberal' or anything else. (Reviewed by a British Asian who could in fact relate to the book).
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Don't waste your money...
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It's one of those books that's received more acclaim than it deserves, the reasons why it receives any acclaim at all leave me at somewhat of a loss. Whilst the book is averagely well written it lacks any insight and portrays a poor understanding of what growing up for ethnic children was like. The characters are poorly fleshed out and thoroughly dislikeable. The story line is weak to non-existent and the book is thoroughly pretentious throughout. I really can't see what attracted people to reading this at all. I think only those who are self proclaimed liberals and think there's something fashionable about being ethnic will enjoy this. Everybody else, stay away.
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A classy book about class
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A very well-written and interesting account on life in the late 70's London, seen through the eyes of Karim; half English, half Indian. It all starts with his Indian dad having an affair with Eva, a charismatic and bohemian woman from his writing group. This leaves Karim's family in ruins and as the story develops Karim tries to come to terms with it all. After all he likes Eva, and her rock star son, Charlie.
Karim is eager to explore life to the max through explicit living; sex, drugs and rock n' roll. He gets some kind of direction though when Eva introduces him to a theatre director and he embarks on an acting career.
Parallel to the story about Karim's family runs the story about Anwar's family. Anwar is an old friend of Karim's dad and runs a shop with his wife Jeeta and daughter Jamilla, who is very rebellious. But Jamilla is forced into a marriage with an Indian man, which doesn't develop as Anwar wishes.
All the characters are beautifully drawn and you feel a lot of warmth for them. The political struggle between the different classes is also very well portrayed via middle-class arty-farties and suburban activist groups. Kureishi succeeds in guiding the reader from flowery hippies to hard core punks without being judgmental.
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Not what I expected
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I have only just read this book, having missed reading it when it was first published. I wasn't expecting the story to be so funny and I giggled aloud several times while reading it. It tells the story of Karim, a young Asian lad trying to grow up in England. His attitude to his family, particularly his mum and dad, is really entertaining. I found the book more entertaining as it went on. Kureshi has a really informal writing style which could be under rated because it seems so casual and effortless. I found myself re reading some sentences and paragraphs several times because they had been so cleverly constructed - seemingly artlessly.
I would recommend this book for an uplifting, entertaining read.
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An exceptional novel
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The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi is truly an exceptional novel about the 70;s decade in London. This is the decade when the hip culture developed and immigrants settled in UK. The novel is beatifully narratted and gives the reader a real flavour of what life was like in the 70's. Hanif Kureishi is a talent writer, but I feel a little underratted.
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