Life isn't all ha ha hee hee (edition 2000)

An excellent blend of chiclit and serious literature. The book is not a "light read" but is disguised as one, with the way it encompasses topics of typical chic lit fiction (love, adultery, dull marriages, girl friends, midlife crisis, dysfunctional families) with profound insight and realism -- no sugar coating, but no hyperbolic drama, either. The combination of three women, very different but intimately bound together, makes for a good read.
Even though my own journey is so different from theirs, there were many times when the descriptions used to identify their situations spoke exactly to something I have felt. The author is spot on with her characters and their emotions. And she explains them thoroughly but concisely.

There's so much material in this book, it would be perfect for discussion groups. ( )

I liked it, but I had trouble identifying with the main characters. It seems that growing up South Asian in London is quite different from growing up South Asian in the U.S.! Also, I expected the book to be much funnier than it actually was. Instead of making me laugh, a lot of it just made me feel sad. ( )

This is a complex, deep and thoughtful book that portrayed three childhood friends as they grew up. Yes, it's about women but this is not chick lit or light. I marvel at the psychological depth and the tension conveyed in their relationships. I appreciated that the context was the UK and that that had its cultural overlay in the storytelling and the social commentary. I was pleased by the depth and complexity of the characters, all told in the first person. The author intermittently included the voices of neighbors, passersby, etc. and they added insights but it felt somewhat out of place somehow. In conclusion, I readily and happily recommend this book. ( )

hilarious black british version of sex and the city but MUCH much better. Meera Syal has just an incredible humour! ( )