Reason read: This was my TBR takedown from the 1001 list for March. It is the first book that I have read by this author. He is a British Pakistani author and the story is said to autobiographical. It is the coming of age of a mixed race boy who is growing up in Britain. He is British. His father is Indian and his mother is British.
I think the author did a good job of writing though I could have done without all the sexual explicit details that was included. It reads like a novel, not a lecture or a book that is trying to get all the right t's crossed. ( )

I read this for my Modern British Lit class in college. I must say, I remember liking it, but I also remember feeling very awkward talking about it in class because of all the sex. ( )

Not nearly as comic and provocative as I had hoped it to be. While the beginning had merit, this book went in a direction that was unexpected and not nearly as fun as the first part which is about the "Buddha of suburbia." Rathe than focus on the Buddha, the story focused on his son - a not very interesting character who wanders aimlessly through his life in London, New Your, and back again in London. There are supporting characters/caricatures of Indians living in London who add some comic relief. ( )

Very lovely ( )

Set in England in the 1970s, seventeen-year-old protagonist Karim was born to an English mother and Indian father. The first half of the book takes place in the suburbs and the second half in London. The novel is filled with 1970s pop culture references. It was a time of massive cultural change. It was also a time of emerging forms of self-expression, and Karim decides to become an actor. His friend, Charlie, decides to become a singer. His father, Haroon, is the titular “Buddha of Suburbia,” and Karim’s family dynamics play a key role in the story. It is told from Karim’s perspective, looking back on his youth.

This is a story of a search for identity. Even in multicultural London, Karim cannot escape racial stereotyping. The plot follows Karim’s struggle to fit into a society in which he sees himself as belonging (since he was born there) but is assumed to be “other” based on his appearance. Once he reaches his initial goal of living the city, he finds just as much narrow-mindedness as he encountered in the suburbs.

This book is well-written, witty, and, at times, bawdy. It is filled with irreverent humor. I was not sure I would like it at first since I do not usually have a high tolerance for graphic sexual content but ended up enjoying it immensely. I have never read anything quite like it.
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