Product Description

Set in London in 1989, the year of the fatwah and the fall of the Berlin Wall, this is a thriller with a background of raves, ecstasy, religious ferment and sexual passion. By the author of "The Buddha of Suburbia" and "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31365 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 276 pages

Customer Reviews

Some strong elements in the book which are unsustained.
The life experiences of young second generation British Asians are rather familiar Kureishi territory and sad to say this book panders to stereotype rather too much, especially in the depiction of the extremist Muslim characters which are crude and one-dimensional. The dialogue too is sometimes clumsy and unbelievable, and the novel's discussion of literature borders on the pretentious. On the positive side, however, the various clashes evident in Shahid's personality are drawn out for all they are worth and it is clear the author has real insight into the problem of confused cultural identity, which allows for an interesting examination of the psychology of Shahid's tentative rejection of Western values.

NK

An intelligent amusing book about cultural identity
I loved this book and found it well written and pertinent to many of the issues of a multicultural society. It addresses the problems of growing up as a British Asian and the tension between traditional and liberal values. It is very relevant to these days of cultural antagonism and also very amusing and touching. I think everyone should read this book. The plot is not confusing and the story is relevant to our times.

The readers ignorence takes away from this book
This book is about issues which are very alien to most western readers. Islam is seen by the west to be linked to terrorism and violence, but this book deals with the effect of islamic fundementalism in a different way. I read this book when i was in iran and the choices which the main protagonist must face between the 'free' western hedonistic attitude as represented by dedee, and the opposing islamic ideals seem very real. The fall of the Berlin Wall has nothing to do with this idea and personal struggle, the islamic reveloution in iran, which Kureshi mentions in the book is one of the 'current issues' which is most important in the influence of the idealistic chracters. This is a story about being muslim, and more importantly being a muslim who has grown up with fundimentally western attitudes and ideas. The style may seem confused at times, but is only seems to be reflecting the confusion felt by almost every one of it's charaters, through the clash of an increasingly hedonistic west, verses the upheval and re-exploration of islam in the modern world.