Londonstani by
Gautam malkani
A talented new
writer whose portrayal of the
serious business of assimilation and
young masculinity is disturbing and
hilarious
Hailed as one of the most surprising
British novels in recent years,
Gautam Malkani’s electrifying debut
reveals young South Asians
struggling to distinguish themselves
from their parents’ generation in
the vast urban sprawl that is
contemporary London. Chronicling the
lives of a gang of four young
middle-class men—Hardjit, the
violent enforcer; Ravi, the
follower; Amit, who’s struggling to
come to terms with his mother’s
hypocrisy; and Jas, desperate to win
the approval of the others despite
lusting after Samira, a Muslim girl—Londonstani,
funny, disturbing, and written in
the exuberant language of its
protagonists, is about tribalism,
aggressive masculinity, integration,
alienation, bling-bling economics,
and “complicated family-related
s*!@.”
Reviews:
“Artful,
thought-provoking and strikingly
inventive . . . An impressive, in some
respects brilliant, first novel.”
— Los Angeles Times
“The author’s tenderness for his
characters redeems them into
likeability; his care for detail makes
his depiction of the Hounslow rude-boy
scene both hilarious and convincing.”
—The New York Times Book Review
"Hilarious and grim,
raucous and anguished, this first novel
about young Indian men in West London
parodies Bollywood soap opera and then
goes beyond satire with a wild drama of
family, gangsters (corporate and
street), fists, blood, love, and sorrow.
Ever since he has stopped being an
academic gimp, Jas, 18, hangs out with
his Sikh and Hindu friends, but when he
hooks up with gorgeous Samara, he has to
keep it secret because she is Pakistani
and a Muslim. The gang steal cell
phones, taunt one another, and detail
real or invented sexual conquests. The
prose switches from the kids'
obscenity-rich dialogue and
instant-messaging style ("u want me 2
pull out your tongue") to furious
quarrels with adults about assimilation,
tradition, and, always, family guilt
("After-Everything-We've Done-For You").
Yes, some of the identity issues are
confusing, but the surprising climax
makes you go back for a gripping second
read. "Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library
Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover edition.
-From
Booklist
About the Author:
Gautam malkani
attended
Cambridge University and is a
commissioning editor at the Financial
Times. Londonstani is his first
novel.
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