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The Buddha of Suburbia [Audiobook] (Audio Cassette)

by Hanif Kureishi (Author), Christopher Simpson (Narrator)

4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

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2 new from CDN$ 154.91 2 used from CDN$ 90.07

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Product Details

Audio Cassette
Publisher: Chivers Audio Books; Unabridged edition (August 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0754083829
ISBN-13: 978-0754083825
Product Dimensions: 23.3 x 16 x 6.1 cm
Shipping Weight: 567 g

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

There's quite a bit of activity in Buddha of Suburbia. A bureaucrat becomes a suburban guru who marries a follower with a son who's a punk rocker named Charlie Hero. Consequently, the guru's son is propelled from his bland life into a series of erotic experiences in London. All the while, Hanif Kureishi keeps the tone lively with wry wit. On the description of suburban life: "We were proud of never learning anything except the names of footballers, the personnel of rock groups and the lyrics to 'I Am the Walrus.'" He also bends cultures, classes and genders while blasting the racism of British life in this 1990 Whitbread Prize winner. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Midway through the first page of this delectable first novel by screenwriter Kureishi ( My Beautiful Laundrette ; Sammy and Rosie Get Laid ), the 17-year-old narrator--"My name is Karim Amir, and I am an Englishman born and bred, almost"--observes that the plodding existence he has shared with his Indian father and English mother is about to undergo a disorienting change. The catalyst is the father, a civil servant and self-proclaimed guru whose falling in love with one of his followers precipitates events that propel his restless son out of the suburbs and into the fast lane. Karim relates these developments in a series of erotically charged episodes no less charming for their undercurrent of desperation. Though continually yanked about among disparate cultures, classes, colors, even genders--"I felt it would be heartbreaking to have to choose one or the other, like having to decide between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones"--Karim never loses his capacity for affectionate mockery. Resembling a modern-day Tom Jones , this is an astonishing book, full of intelligence and elan. 25,000 first printing; first serial to Mother Jones; QPB alternate;author tour.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

24 Reviews

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Into the Trash, Jun 12 2003

By	"walkingondiamonds" (East Lansing, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddha Of Suburbia (Paperback)

I can say modern literature is surely on its way out of class and refinement. This book is sleazy and pointless as much of what is published nowadays. As a Buddhist, I bought the book thinking it may give light into Asian culture in the West and its positive impact it certainly has had. Instead I am exposed to degraded Indians and loopy British who do not have a clue of who they are or understand the symbolism of life.
What a shame to Buddha's name, who in actuality did nothing but bring light to the Indian people and to the world as to exactly who they are. And how inherently deep and symbolic every moment of life is.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, Dec 26 2002

By	Andrew Ross (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Buddha Of Suburbia (Paperback)

I studied the "Imperial Gaze" throughout this past semester and read some pretty interesting and varied stuff--The Satanic Verses, Kim, The Jewel in the Crown, to name a few. But I wondered why my professor would recommend this book to me without having us read it in class, so I picked it up and was floored. The Buddha of Suburbia isn't spectacular just because it handles important issues with such sharpness, but because it seems (and is) so relevant to our life here and now.

I was entranced while following the story of Karim. When you read about someone around your own age (not that this book isn't for all ages), but in an entirely new and different situation, and still feel a deep connection, you know you've just read a powerful story. The Buddha of Suburbia is a great example. It's told with such hard-hitting, direct prose that you can't help but know with heart-aching sadness that what happens to Karim throughout the novel actually does happen. Marriages fall apart, racism is real, etc and the confusion that swirls through Karim's head ensures that the reader will understand this. He doesn't have all the answers--noone does--but Karim tries to live through all the hardship, all the selfishness, and all the superficiality. Sometime's he's unsuccessful, but when he finally realizes what's important in life you see that he's going to make it through.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Joy Ride!, May 3 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Buddha Of Suburbia (Paperback)

I never wanted to part ways with the eccentric characters of this fast paced, hilarious novel. I loved Karim and his extra-ordinary family, flaws and all. And I cared for their welfare. Set in London of the 1960s - the author skillfully introduces the reader to the racist abuses, class and existential struggles of that era that are still true today most likely.
If you are tired of the predictable works of most contemporary authors and eager for something with a little snap, spice and depth, look no further. The language alone will STAGGER you.
I am in love with Hanif Kureishi.
Good Job!

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating
Welcome to a world constructed by genius, humour and frequent moments of radicalism. The Buddha of Suburbia was
awarded the Whitbread Prize for First Noel (1990) and what a... Read more

Published on Mar 19 2002 by johnewark

4.0 out of 5 stars A story of unraveling lives in an unraveling society.
The Buddha of Suburbia is set in London in the 1970's during the peak of the Punk Revolution. It is a time where the psychological impact of the reality of the loss of Empire is... Read more

Published on Feb 3 2002 by David J. Gannon

5.0 out of 5 stars The Zen Center of Chaos
Brilliant, funny, pointed and touching. Kureishi's "Buddha of Suburbia" is a look at race relations in England, the aspirations of youth and the problems of family. Read more

Published on Jan 12 2002 by umd_cyberpunk

5.0 out of 5 stars Cool
Cool and hilarious, a never boring story of the life and adventures of a hero, who has insights into western and eastern culture, and shares his experiences without taboos... Read more

Published on Aug 27 2001