The Buddha of Suburbia
Pubished by Faber and Faber, 1990
This is the story of a teenager named Karim growing up in London in the 1970's. He is the son of
an Indian father and an English mother. His father, Haroon,
is the "Buddha" of the title. Haroon had
for years been happy to live like an Englishman but now sees himself as a New
Age guru. The book deals with race, marriage breakdown, class and sexual
orientation, as narrated by Karim. Can he define his
own identity?
In the opening chapter Karim
meets Eva, his father's English lover. This has major repercussions for Karim. He is besotted by her son Charlie, a singer who
later becomes famous in a punk band. Eva also introduces Karim
to important people in the theatre world. As an actor he is asked to play
Indian parts and is persuaded to fake a strong Indian accent, much to his
embarrassment. The book captures again and again the angst between East and
West. The characters are memorable and very well developed, e.g. Jamilla, who is a childhood friend of Karims.
Her father Anwar foists a husband named Changez on
her. The bizarre situation that develops is at times very funny.
The "Buddha of Suburbia" will not be to
everyone's taste. It is irreverent, "in your face", and cynical.
However, it deals with race relations in London during this period. It is modern, very
funny and thought provoking.
Reviewed by a local Book Club