A review by irina_maria
The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is the kind of book you pick up again right after being finished reading, just so you may try and understand how the author pulled such a stunt. I didn't really enjoy it at first, but the depth of this story crept up on me and I found myself unable to put it down. It's irreverent, witty, puzzling and touching. It manages to strike the fine balance between investigating the construction of British Indian identity and making you feel seen (and called out) as a reader. It's full of rich cultural references, the city of London is a character in itself (along with its suburbs) and, perhaps most movingly, it mirrors the aggregating complexities of one's coming of age in a most pleasurable manner.
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