Product Description

The winner of the Whitbread Best First Novel 1990, this is the story of Karim Amir, "an Englishman born and bred - almost", who lives with his English mother and Indian father in the South London suburbs. It is written by the author of "My Beautiful Launderette" and "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78139 in Books
• Published on: 1991-04-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Customer Reviews

A search for identity crossing the boundaries of hybridity.
Hanif Kureshi introduces us to the world of Karim, who, as a Seventeen year old boy with an English mother and an eccentric Indian father, is searching for his own identity. Karim is more of an English youth than the exotic Indian boy as everyone percieves him to be. Indeed, his English step-brother is more exotic than him. Karim experiments with new ideas in his search to find himself, he is not pinned down to any place or group of people. Instead, he is able to mix with anyone, and move around in any social circle in 1970s London. It is his hybridity that allows him to do this. He is neither one thing or another.
A very amusing and thought provoking novel. It opens the world up, and at the same time it makes it seem more familiar to us. We learn a great deal about ourselves through it.

zeitgeist of late 70s society, music and parental divorce.
A humerous, intellectual and very observed insight into the growing up of a British Indian, his sexuality, viewpoints, career and family life. Based in the late 70s it encompasses wonderfully all the pains and joys of school to adulthood from the perspective of the voyeur, or should that be involved observer?

an interesting thought provoking book
It was only pure chance when I picked up this book, I had very little idea of what the book was about and how wonderful a writer Hanif Kureishi really is. Karim is a typical teenager with some problems growing up, especially when his family insist on throwing interesting challenges at him which he has to deal with along with the troubles of being a teen, for example his yoga loving father leaves his mother for another woman whose son really turns Karim on. It was very interesting to read what Karim does and how he faces his problems. Very satisfying to read the last page.