Londonstani By Gautam Malkani

[Astro]

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5955/145/1600/london.jpg

"Londonstani", Gautam Malkani's electrifying debut, reveals a Britain that has never before been explored in the novel: a country of young Asians and white boys (desis and goras) trying to work out a place for themselves in the shadow of the divergent cultures of their parent's generation. Set close to the Heathrow feed roads of Hounslow, Malkani shows us the lives of a gang of four young men: Hardjit the ring leader, a Sikh, violent, determined his caste stay pure; Ravi, determinedly tactless, a sheep following the herd; Amit, whose brother Arun is struggling to win the approval of his mother for the Hindu girl he has chosen to marry; and Jas who tells us of his journey with these three, desperate to win their approval, desperate too for Samira, a Muslim girl, which in this story can only have bad consequences. Together they cruise the streets in Amit's enhanced Beemer, making a little money changing the electronic fingerprints on stolen mobile phones, a scam that leads them into more dangerous waters. Funny, crude, disturbing, written in the vibrant language of its protagonists - a mix of slang, Bollywood, texting, Hindu and bastardised gangsta rap - "Londonstani" is about many things: tribalism, aggressive masculinity, integration, cross-cultural chirpsing techniques, the urban scene seeping into the mainstream, bling bling economics, 'complicated family-related shit'. It is one of the most surprising British novels of recent years.

BUY THE BOOK + SUPPORT HIM.

Review -

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,923-2133091.html

kthnx ;|

[bonita]

malkani :eek: he's sindhi :dance3:

[Astro]

Yes he is.

[x_babytee_x]

sounds gud have u actually read the book?

[x_babytee_x]

Oi Oi!
ur weird u like creep out of nowhere!
how u been

[Astro]

sounds gud have u actually read the book?

It's not out as yet, but it'll be on the shelves very very soon.

He's a friend so Im just pluggin' the book :p

[x_babytee_x]

It's not out as yet, but it'll be on the shelves very very soon.

He's a friend so Im just pluggin' the book :p

understandable
well if im not broke like a joke in a few weeks ill pick up a copy :)

[nikefc7]

sounds like a cool book!

[That Bitch]

I LOVE this fucking book. I got it on Monday and am halfway through it already. So much that I came on here and did a search just to see if you guys had talked about it already! It is absolutely brilliant and I am about to put this Sidekick down so I can get back to reading!

A friend told me about it and I went and bought it right away; when trying to explain to my friends I've been raving to about it I say Ali G meets Menace II Society - sorta. Love it, love it, love it.

[Mz_Newyawk]

i saw this poster yday in the city
i was gona do some research on it today itself :yes:

[That Bitch]

Oh, and question - what is a ponce, exactly? Is it like a herb or a mark ass buster or what? LMFAO

I'm having a time with some of the slang cause I'm a New Yorker, but context clues have helped tremendously. Same with much of the Hindi and Punjabi (I'm black). Jas just uses that term so much that I'm curious about its exact definition though. Thanks!

[That Bitch]

i saw this poster yday in the city
i was gona do some research on it today itself :yes:

Are you in NY or London right now? If you're in NY, he'll be at Astor Place B&N on the 10th. I just found out by googling him to see if he had a website and I am sooo there.

I get so excited when I find an extraordinarly talented new author, the only bad part is having to wait for the next book! :)

[Mz_Newyawk]

Are you in NY or London right now? If you're in NY, he'll be at Astor Place B&N on the 10th. I just found out by googling him to see if he had a website and I am sooo there.

I get so excited when I find an extraordinarly talented new author, the only bad part is having to wait for the next book! :)
im in NY!
ill be honest im not too much into authors and stuff lol!
i jus read ne book that interests me!
i dont go too crazy abt authors!

[That Bitch]

LOL we'll I'm a literary agent and book editor so that is very pretty much my job. But this is definitely worth reading and discussing. I was particularly surprised at how the characters' attitudes parallel those of disenfranchised blacks, but the difference is that they are much more privileged!

I remember reading on here about the growing number of gangs, especially in Canada, and their lifestyles so similar to those portrayed in the book. I'm getting from it that while black culture and desi culture is quite different, the racism is the same and so is the resulting lashing out. I think the major difference is that their parents/grandparent chose to immigrate but blacks were stolen and then stuck here, pretty much unwanted (with Jim Crow and more subtle practices in effect now), after the end of slavery. So in that regard, Indians have had a higher jumping off point and less of the devastating effects associated with racism.

I'm very much looking forward to hearing the author's views. Come show some love if you can!

[Areez_UK_HUSTLER]

i So wanna ready this book! ...............

I heard about it a year ago and saw and interview with Gautam......... I think most RDers will be able to relate to this book!............ we should all make an effort to read it, and then compare notes! ;-)

[That Bitch]

You will love it!! I can't say enough good things about it, Malkani is going to be receiving several awards for this and they will be well-deserved. The main character is so smart and endearing and his cohorts are HYSTERICAL. I have been in stitches for the past two days, it's one of those you are hesitant to read on the subway (or "tube" LOL) cause you know you'll be LYFAO and everyone will be looking at you, or interrupting to ask what the book is about! :lol

It's set in Hounslow - the way it is described reminds me of the neighborhood of Jasminder's family in Bend It Like Beckham. Is that correct? I especially remember her sister and father working at the airport, the community and stores where they shopped, and the planes taking off and flying right over their house in one scene. It gave me much more of a visual and I would LOVE to see that director (whose name escapes me) OR Meera Nair bring THIS to the big screen!

[mr photographer]

Are you in NY or London right now? If you're in NY, he'll be at Astor Place B&N on the 10th. I just found out by googling him to see if he had a website and I am sooo there.

I get so excited when I find an extraordinarly talented new author, the only bad part is having to wait for the next book! :)

i got my book coming out on the 17th of this month ;)

[nikefc7]

i got my book coming out on the 17th of this month ;)

oh whoopee another sequal to add to my spot the dog collection!

[mr photographer]

oh whoopee another sequal to add to my spot the dog collection!

lets face harsh reality and facts - u are and will always be a loser :dance3:

it's going to be a goddam miracle if you ever achieve any kinda success in your life, be a damn miracle if you get through university. be a miracle if any corporate hires you :wavey:

so think twice next time before throwing an insult

http://images.ratedesi.com/gallery/94762_1151450909.jpg

and dude ... seriously pick up a copy of GQ .. it only costs £3.40 :rolleyes:

[That Bitch]

LOL I remember you, Photographer! What's your book about and where can I get it over here? You know I'll check it out. :)

[nikefc7]

lets face harsh reality and facts - u are and will always be a loser :dance3:

it's going to be a goddam miracle if you ever achieve any kinda success in your life, be a damn miracle if you get through university. be a miracle if any corporate hires you :wavey:

so think twice next time before throwing an insult

and dude ... seriously pick up a copy of GQ .. it only costs £3.40 :rolleyes:

dont take this personally but i choose not to take lectures about success from someone who actually boasts and thinks a BTEC National Certificate in Art & Design is actually an achievement. lets face it a being a photographer is no real achievement! let alone be enough worthy to claim any prestige whatsoever

as for you insult about me not making it anywhere i'll take blind eye to because you haven't a clue! as a matter of fact i wouldnt even bother acknowledge simply because there are some people in this world who choose not to flash what they have and have not achieved every oppurtunity that they find!

but since you did bring up the topic maybe i could take a few pointers on how the fuck someone with a face like that managed to land himself a job in the all so great field of..... wait for it.... photography!:p :p

http://www.sohailanjum.co.uk/index_files/solly01.jpg

[paulie walnuts]

Oh, and question - what is a ponce, exactly? Is it like a herb or a mark ass buster or what? LMFAO

I'm having a time with some of the slang cause I'm a New Yorker, but context clues have helped tremendously. Same with much of the Hindi and Punjabi (I'm black). Jas just uses that term so much that I'm curious about its exact definition though. Thanks!there is a glossary at the end of the book.

[mr photographer]

LOL I remember you, Photographer! What's your book about and where can I get it over here? You know I'll check it out. :)

it's called A Divine Destruction and it's a coffee table book on the Kashmir Earthquake - i will post up more information closer to the time

:wavey:

[mr photographer]

dont take this personally but i choose not to take lectures about success from someone who actually boasts and thinks a BTEC National Certificate in Art & Design is actually an achievement. lets face it a being a photographer is no real achievement! let alone be enough worthy to claim any prestige whatsoever

as for you insult about me not making it anywhere i'll take blind eye to because you haven't a clue! as a matter of fact i wouldnt even bother acknowledge simply because there are some people in this world who choose not to flash what they have and have not achieved every oppurtunity that they find!

but since you did bring up the topic maybe i could take a few pointers on how the fuck someone with a face like that managed to land himself a job in the all so great field of..... wait for it.... photography!:p :p

http://www.sohailanjum.co.uk/index_files/solly01.jpg


if i was a woman id fuck this guy twice over more than someone with a face like yours. no sense of style, no personality and still a monkey spanker

Sorry, i think your mistaking me with yourself because i did A Levels and then a degree so i dont know where you got the BTEC from.

So are you telling me that David Bailey aren't achievers or Mario Testino, the most prestigous award is the world press photo awards - so please don't talk out of your anal passage - but then again being from birmingham u wouldnt know any better.

thing is because u havent achieved anything so therefore you can't boast - therefore you dont really have anything to be proud of - oh and a face with someone like mine worked to get where i am today :dance3:

[jus_me]

i cant normally read stuff written by indian authors..i dont know why but it just seems so boring but i read brick lane recently and it was pretty good, its probably because it reminded me of my mum in parts but yeah..read it!

i saw this book in the library and didnt get it because of my inability to read books by desi authors (though this was before my brick lane days) so next time i go im getting it..

that is all.

[Geezer]

Id probably give it a try but I rarely finish a book unless I find it really really interesting.

[jus_me]

Id probably give it a try but I rarely finish a book unless I find it really really interesting.

have you read the time traveler's wife?

[Geezer]

have you read the time traveler's wife?

Have I read it :no: didnt I tell you about it? It's great!

[jus_me]

Have I read it :no: didnt I tell you about it? It's great!

i remember someone saying something about it..dont know if it was you..but im reading it at the moment, started it on friday and have only 50 odd pages to read..

freakonomics is next on the reading list and i KNOW you suggested that one.

[Geezer]

i remember someone saying something about it..dont know if it was you..but im reading it at the moment, started it on friday and have only 50 odd pages to read..

freakonomics is next on the reading list and i KNOW you suggested that one.

Actually skip freakonomics and go straight to 'confessions of an economic hitman' - it's far more gripping. Im reading that at the moment. Gonna take a break after that and revert to heat magazine :p

[nikefc7]

if i was a woman id fuck this guy twice over more than someone with a face like yours. no sense of style, no personality and still a monkey spanker

Sorry, i think your mistaking me with yourself because i did A Levels and then a degree so i dont know where you got the BTEC from.

So are you telling me that David Bailey aren't achievers or Mario Testino, the most prestigous award is the world press photo awards - so please don't talk out of your anal passage - but then again being from birmingham u wouldnt know any better.

thing is because u havent achieved anything so therefore you can't boast - therefore you dont really have anything to be proud of - oh and a face with someone like mine worked to get where i am today :dance3:

so it was a miracle!

talking from my anal passage??? your still a failure you did alevels and did a degree and most likely ended up doing something completely unrelated to the degree you studied for. unless you studied like a bitch in uni for some worthless photography degree!

and as for your information i have just currently finished my alevels waiting for my grades and hopefully once this long gap year is over im off to manchester to do my pharmacy degree!

5 years from now when i'll have got my degree and landed myself in a respectable job. then come present your horseshit career to me when you pop in every fridays to collect your weekly viagra!

[mr photographer]

Id probably give it a try but I rarely finish a book unless I find it really really interesting.

it must be good because he has 4 publishers pitching for the rights to the book ... and he is a damn good writer, he works for the FT :dance3:

[jus_me]

Actually skip freakonomics and go straight to 'confessions of an economic hitman' - it's far more gripping. Im reading that at the moment. Gonna take a break after that and revert to heat magazine :p

ive been on a reading frenzy this past week..i read every spare minute i have..started off the week reading a passage to india (the film was on tv yesterday, talk about timing!), finished that and started to read brick lane..finished that,now im nearly done with the time travelers wife..

i have to read in bouts like this because the bug leaves me..which pisses me off, i used to read so much when i was younger but then the internet distracted me and i found all books boring..now im getting back into them, i hope it doesnt go..

next book to read after freakonomics is a dancing bear..simon got it from australia and apparently its pretty offensive and has been banned in many countries.

have you read any dan brown stuff?

[mr photographer]

so it was a miracle!

talking from my anal passage??? your still a failure you did alevels and did a degree and most likely ended up doing something completely unrelated to the degree you studied for. unless you studied like a bitch in uni for some worthless photography degree!

and as for your information i have just currently finished my alevels waiting for my grades and hopefully once this long gap year is over im off to manchester to do my pharmacy degree!

5 years from now when i'll have got my degree and landed myself in a respectable job. then come present your horseshit career to me when you pop in every fridays to collect your weekly viagra!

your comebacks are so lame ... wow your going to become a pharmacist and will end up working in boots pharmacy ... way to go big achiever ... lets see what grades you do make then come talk to me

I'll still be making more money than you from my horseshit career ;)

remember one thing in life ... u'll be ass kissing and taking orders from people ... whereas i work for myself :Pelvic2:

[jus_me]

your comebacks are so lame ... wow your going to become a pharmacist and will end up working in boots pharmacy ... way to go big achiever ... lets see what grades you do make then come talk to me

I'll still be making more money than you from my horseshit career ;)

remember one thing in life ... u'll be ass kissing and taking orders from people ... whereas i work for myself :Pelvic2:

why do you bother?

be the bigger man and let it slide.

[mr photographer]

why do you bother?

be the bigger man and let it slide.

entertainment :dance3:

you dont realise how fun it is knowing that people are affected by what you say

[jus_me]

entertainment :dance3:

you dont realise how fun it is knowing that people are affected by what you say

yeah he probably thinks that too seeing as youre taking your time to reply to what he says aswell.

anyway back to the book..i havent read this thread and im too lazy to do so, so whats it all about?

[nikefc7]

your comebacks are so lame ... wow your going to become a pharmacist and will end up working in boots pharmacy ... way to go big achiever ... lets see what grades you do make then come talk to me

I'll still be making more money than you from my horseshit career ;)

remember one thing in life ... u'll be ass kissing and taking orders from people ... whereas i work for myself :Pelvic2:

your head is to far up your own arse even understand! everyone takes orders wether your self-employed or not! it's not even a case of taking orders it's a case of doing your damn job!

still i'd find it more stimulating knowing that my job atleast achieves something, rather than admiring art produced from a simple click of a button!

which lets face it anyone can do?!?!?!

[mr photographer]

yeah he probably thinks that too seeing as youre taking your time to reply to what he says aswell.

anyway back to the book..i havent read this thread and im too lazy to do so, so whats it all about?

im only taking my time because i have a life :p

pictures to sort out and money to make ............

anyway back to the book ..... a country of young Asians and white boys (desis and goras) trying to work out a place for themselves in the shadow of the divergent cultures of their parent's generation. Set close to the Heathrow feed roads of Hounslow, Malkani shows us the lives of a gang of four young men: Hardjit the ring leader, a Sikh, violent, determined his caste stay pure; Ravi, determinedly tactless, a sheep following the herd; Amit, whose brother Arun is struggling to win the approval of his mother for the Hindu girl he has chosen to marry; and Jas who tells us of his journey with these three, desperate to win their approval, desperate too for Samira, a Muslim girl, which in this story can only have bad consequences. Together they cruise the streets in Amit's enhanced Beemer, making a little money changing the electronic fingerprints on stolen mobile phones, a scam that leads them into more dangerous waters. Funny, crude, disturbing, written in the vibrant language of its protagonists - a mix of slang, Bollywood, texting, Hindu and bastardised gangsta rap - "Londonstani" is about many things: tribalism, aggressive masculinity, integration, cross-cultural chirpsing techniques, the urban scene seeping into the mainstream, bling bling economics, 'complicated family-related shit'. It is one of the most surprising British novels of recent years.

[jus_me]

im only taking my time because i have a life :p

pictures to sort out and money to make ............

anyway back to the book ..... a country of young Asians and white boys (desis and goras) trying to work out a place for themselves in the shadow of the divergent cultures of their parent's generation. Set close to the Heathrow feed roads of Hounslow, Malkani shows us the lives of a gang of four young men: Hardjit the ring leader, a Sikh, violent, determined his caste stay pure; Ravi, determinedly tactless, a sheep following the herd; Amit, whose brother Arun is struggling to win the approval of his mother for the Hindu girl he has chosen to marry; and Jas who tells us of his journey with these three, desperate to win their approval, desperate too for Samira, a Muslim girl, which in this story can only have bad consequences. Together they cruise the streets in Amit's enhanced Beemer, making a little money changing the electronic fingerprints on stolen mobile phones, a scam that leads them into more dangerous waters. Funny, crude, disturbing, written in the vibrant language of its protagonists - a mix of slang, Bollywood, texting, Hindu and bastardised gangsta rap - "Londonstani" is about many things: tribalism, aggressive masculinity, integration, cross-cultural chirpsing techniques, the urban scene seeping into the mainstream, bling bling economics, 'complicated family-related shit'. It is one of the most surprising British novels of recent years.

hahaha..excellent

i may even have to buy it :anxious:

[mr photographer]

your head is to far up your own arse even understand! everyone takes orders wether your self-employed or not! it's not even a case of taking orders it's a case of doing your damn job!

still i'd find it more stimulating knowing that my job atleast achieves something, rather than admiring art produced from a simple click of a button!

which lets face it anyone can do?!?!?!

listen brumface ur arguments are worth as horseshit being sold on moseley road.

if u knew anything about photography then you'd know that photography isnt about a click of a button ....

wow you'd be proud working behind the pharmacy counter of boots - great achievement - ur folks will be really proud of you :salut: nice one do them proud

so it takes a genius to hand out medicine ... how hard is it read a prescription given by a doctor and hand out the prescribed medication - and u need a degree to do all that :sarb:

[nikefc7]

listen brumface ur arguments are worth as horseshit being sold on moseley road.

if u knew anything about photography then you'd know that photography isnt about a click of a button ....

wow you'd be proud working behind the pharmacy counter of boots - great achievement - ur folks will be really proud of you :salut: nice one do them proud

so it takes a genius to hand out medicine ... how hard is it read a prescription given by a doctor and hand out the prescribed medication - and u need a degree to do all that :sarb:

my arguments have aren't baseless, your just to big headed to even realise
firstly your in no place to call anyone thick other than yourself if you honestly think dispensing is as easy as making a cake!
as for my parents well i'm pretty sure any desi parent would be more proud of their child going into pharamacy than take up a career as a worthless photographer!

photography is job for morons or drop outs, it hardly requires any skills except basic minimum training, not something you'd need to go to university and qualify with a degree for?

make it sound as complicated as you like? at the end of the day your just an average photographer whose only job is to push a button.

[mr photographer]

my arguments have aren't baseless, your just to big headed to even realise
firstly your in no place to call anyone thick other than yourself if you honestly think dispensing is as easy as making a cake!
as for my parents well i'm pretty sure any desi parent would be more proud of their child going into pharamacy than take up a career as a worthless photographer!

photography is job for morons or drop outs, it hardly requires any skills except basic minimum training, not something you'd need to go to university and qualify with a degree for?

make it sound as complicated as you like? at the end of the day your just an average photographer whose only job is to push a button.

oh yeh ... ur parents would be really be proud of telling people that their son dishes out medication to people :sarb: you dont need a degree to dish out medicine - but i can understand for guys with a brain like urs

dude you still dont get it do you ... you pick up magazines which contain photo's taken by photographers, you wank over pictures in porn mags - taken by photographers who have simply clicked a button.

guess id be having the last laugh knowing that u wanked over a girl that i had photographed
:dance3:

[Geezer]

it must be good because he has 4 publishers pitching for the rights to the book ... and he is a damn good writer, he works for the FT :dance3:

I mean, yeah by all means...he has a very unique theme and that alone is worth a read. I knew he wrote for the FT, I read his articles sometimes :p creative business insights. But generally, Im not a big fan of the stuff that comes out of London. Brick lane was a big bore..


ive been on a reading frenzy this past week..i read every spare minute i have..started off the week reading a passage to india (the film was on tv yesterday, talk about timing!), finished that and started to read brick lane..finished that,now im nearly done with the time travelers wife..

i have to read in bouts like this because the bug leaves me..which pisses me off, i used to read so much when i was younger but then the internet distracted me and i found all books boring..now im getting back into them, i hope it doesnt go..

next book to read after freakonomics is a dancing bear..simon got it from australia and apparently its pretty offensive and has been banned in many countries.

have you read any dan brown stuff?

I've only read 2 dan brown books, da vinci code and digital fortress. I like the twists in the stories but I hate really long build ups...mainly because of my short attention span :p

Im much more into economics stuff. 'Accelerando' was great, it combines fiction and facts really well. Also the 'undercover economist' by tim harford was really interesting.

[That Bitch]

Brick Lane was good but Maps For Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam was A MASTERPIECE. Anyone read it? It's about a Muslim community in rural England, and their responses to the disappearance of two lovers "living in sin". The woman's brothers are suspected of the killing. The writing is lush and descriptive and I finished it in about two days. So good I'm gonna read it again.

And y'all cut that arguing out, there's room for everyone to do what they love and get paid for it - well. Photographers receive all KINDS of awards and accolades and can be caked the fuck up (rich)! I know one who has THREE penthouses on the Upper East Side in the same building. Another who is a MacArthur Genius. And I think Mr. Photographer is sexy, reminds me of Jean Reno in The Professional - that is my MOVIE!! LOL

I want to read Passage to India soon, I love Zadie Smith and he is one of the biggest influences in her writing. Here is an excellent piece that she wrote about him:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,1074217,00.html

Speaking of photography/journalism, my next book is gonna be Anderson Cooper's Dispatches From The Edge - the CNN reporter on his coverage of the Asian tsunami, the Iraq war, and Hurricane Katrina. It's a NYT best-seller and I've heard nothing but rave reviews and can't wait to read it.

The signing is tonight at 7, I'll holla back!

P.S. There ain't no dayum glossary in this book, believe me I checked!

[chicago85thst]

It's not out as yet, but it'll be on the shelves very very soon.

He's a friend so Im just pluggin' the book :p



really the book has been gettin a lot of press, even i heard about it

[mr photographer]

Brick Lane was good but Maps For Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam was A MASTERPIECE. Anyone read it? It's about a Muslim community in rural England, and their responses to the disappearance of two lovers "living in sin". The woman's brothers are suspected of the killing. The writing is lush and descriptive and I finished it in about two days. So good I'm gonna read it again.

And y'all cut that arguing out, there's room for everyone to do what they love and get paid for it - well. Photographers receive all KINDS of awards and accolades and can be caked the fuck up (rich)! I know one who has THREE penthouses on the Upper East Side in the same building. Another who is a MacArthur Genius. And I think Mr. Photographer is sexy, reminds me of Jean Reno in The Professional - that is my MOVIE!! LOL

I want to read Passage to India soon, I love Zadie Smith and he is one of the biggest influences in her writing. Here is an excellent piece that she wrote about him:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,1074217,00.html

Speaking of photography/journalism, my next book is gonna be Anderson Cooper's Dispatches From The Edge - the CNN reporter on his coverage of the Asian tsunami, the Iraq war, and Hurricane Katrina. It's a NYT best-seller and I've heard nothing but rave reviews and can't wait to read it.

The signing is tonight at 7, I'll holla back!

P.S. There ain't no dayum glossary in this book, believe me I checked!


try some of these titles .....


The Laundery Men: Jeffrey Robinson

The Mole Pople: Jennifer Toth

The House of Saud: Said K. Aburish

A Suitable Boy: Vikram Seth

Price of Honour: Jan Goodwin

My Feudal Lord: Tehmina Durrani

The New Rulers of The World: John Pilger

White Mughals: William Dalrymple

The Invisibles: Zia Jaffrey

[jus_me]

i got a suitable boy from the library..when i told my friend they thought id actually picked up a guy from the library :neutral:

i didnt really get into it though, some of these books written by desi authors are aimed more at the white market i find as they spend so long going into every miniscule detail and im thinking well duh..i know this already and why would someone foreign to the culture need to know it in this much detail?

and is white teeth as good as they say it is?

ive been struggling to read it since i started uni (it was the first book i bought) and every time i go back to it i have to start from the beginning and so im only on chapter two but had i read it continuously from the place i last left off, id be on chapt 9

[That Bitch]

White Teeth IS that good, and so is On Beauty. The only one of hers I haven't read is The Autograph Man, but I plan to.

I have A Suitable Boy but haven't been reading it lately, it is HUMONGOUS but I plan on getting back to it. I'll check the others out though, thanks!

Y'all check out Maps For Lost Lovers, I'm dying to have someone to discuss it with and you will NOT be disappointed.

@ jus me - You're probably right, especially since desi literature has really taken off in the market these days. And I like the authors who don't cater to a particular audience but rather tell the story because it presents a challenge to me. I ADORE Rohinton Mistry for that reason.

BUT - my most prized book of the moment is Vikram Chandra's SACRED GAMES!! This has been long awaited and I got an advance copy at the Book Expo in May. It won't be officially published until January so I am saving it til the fall to read, most likely. It took him seven years to write it and promises to be worth the wait. It's a Bombay mystery and mafia story, over 900 pages long.

Two of my other favorite books about Bombay are Thrity Umrigar's Bombay Time and Gregory David Roberts' Shantaram, which Johnny Depp optioned and should be released in theaters in 2008. It is gonna shut the Oscars DOWN.

[That Bitch]

Oh, and authortrek.com is the shit! I love the Zadie Smith page...that's where I got the her piece on Forster.

Here's Malkani's page: http://www.authortrek.com/gautam_malkani_page.html

[jus_me]

the autograph man is hilarious..

im going to start reading white teeth again tonight.

[That Bitch]

Cool! I'll be picking that up this week then.

This page will definitely help you get through White Teeth, it's the best comprehensive guide to her work that I've seen thus far. An On Beauty guide and several of her articles and interviews are included as well:

http://www.authortrek.com/zadiesmithpage.html

[jus_me]

Cool! I'll be picking that up this week then.

This page will definitely help you get through White Teeth, it's the best comprehensive guide to her work that I've seen thus far. An On Beauty guide and several of her articles and interviews are included as well:

http://www.authortrek.com/zadiesmithpage.html

i think il start from chapter 2 as reading it over and over again is making me think its a boring book..

the opening pages are really funny..compared to the autograph man where it seems kinda monotonous at first but id recommend that over white teeth..

have you read the god of small things? its a nice little book, kinda bittersweet.

[mr photographer]

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24/solly10/Adivinedestructioncover.jpg

:wavey:

[zaph69]

'complicated family-related shit'

:rofl:

[That Bitch]

Hey y'all! Sorry it took me forever to report back...got busy with work and book fairs, etc.

I DID go to the signing that night and it was awesome, here are some pics! He is very engaging and talked a lot about his influences such as (Drown by Junot Diaz) and echoed what I said in that the main idea is the rage experienced by people who don't feel like they belong and are unwelcome.

He read two different passages, took questions and then began signing books. There wasn't a seat left in the area, his family was there too. I had a great time.

Here are some pics! Forgive the Sidekick camera, this was before I upgraded to the SK3. LOL

Anyone else read it?

And @ That Girl - you are absolutely right, you have the US edition published by Penguin and there IS a glossary. I have the UK edition and one isn't included but it's all good, the cover is prettier. LOL

@ Photographer - when and where can I get a copy? I certainly will!

And are there any folks on this board in Paris? I'm going back soon and want to meet some people to hang out with!

http://http://67.15.48.55/~vclubsce/4.09/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=album_pic&pic_id=1770

http://67.15.48.55/~vclubsce/4.09/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=album_pic&pic_id=1771

[That Bitch]

http://67.15.48.55/~vclubsce/4.09/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=album_pic&pic_id=1770

They do him no justice, he is quite fly! :werd:

[Fallen-Angel]

my cousin bought that book, the author grew u around hounslow
i tried reading it but its written in SUCH a wierd way, it's hard to follow
instead of speech marks to indicate a character talking he does this
-hi how r u
-im fine
then we went to the park and bob said
-im hungry

and he doesnt use formal english for the most part, lots n lots of slang,just makes it really difficult to relax n get into cos your too busy trying to follow the structure n figure out what hes saying.

[bash_mg]

its a pretty gd book ive just started reading it