Londonstani arun

And his riffs on the world around him get increasingly sparse, so that before long the novel has the air of a filmscript waiting to happen - all dialogue and action.

With the rather clumsy introduction of Sanjay, a "successful" graduate from Jas's school in Hounslow, the novel enters even murkier waters. Sanjay's affluence clearly comes from nothing legal, and he draws Jas, Hardjit and the others into his world, turning their minor acts of lawlessness into a more organised, high-stakes enterprise.

Malkani skilfully highlights the intersection of machismo and consumerism - this is 80s greed playing out 20 years later in the lives of young men who have never known a world in which success is defined by anything other than designer labels and cuttingedge gadgets. But the problem with Jas's narration is that too often the slick superficiality of his life becomes the slick superficiality of the novel.

This is not to say that Londonstani fails to notice a world beyond the surface, but it avoids much of the depth that it could have drawn out of the situations that it sets up. So, for instance, the "complicated familyrelated shit" that Amit and his brother, Arun, must contend with functions primarily as an opportunity for Malkani to launch into one scatological metaphor after another. The most dramatic of the novel's events, stemming from the "family-related shit", takes place off the page and is only revealed, in little chunks of detail, after the fact.

This matter of startling information and timing comes into play again at the end of the book. There is a twist - a wholly unexpected one - and if its function is to shock, then it can be said to have achieved that splendidly. But the book would have been far richer if the twist had occurred halfway through and the novel had spent some time responding to it rather than trying to cover it up in order to maintain the shock ending.

As it is, while certain points in the book are highlighted by the ending, they tend to be points the novel has already effectively made - and other moments become simply mystifying in the light of revelation. Meanwhile, Jas gets involved in selling cell phones by illegal means, and even though he is scared of getting in trouble, he goes along with his friends' illegal activities.

Arun, a friend of Jas, is engaged to a girl named Veena, and Arun's mother causes lots of trouble about the engagement and marriage. Jas tries to help Arun, but Arun's mother makes more and more demands. When Veena buys wedding jewelry that Arun's mother doesn't like, the mother yells at Arun and his brother in front of Jas. Shortly after that, Arun commits suicide by taking an overdose of medicine.

At the end of the book, Jas and Samira break up because Jas is jealous of Samira's behavior toward her other male friends and especially because Samira makes an insensitive comment about Arun's death.

My surname too fuckin long and too fuckin shameful to fit on my own fuckin gravestone. Amit, Ravi and Hardjit turn against him as does Sanjay for jeopardizing their business arrangement regarding the stolen phones. I was warned by a couple of book reviews that the ending would be surprising so I will leave it at that.

The end did shock me I must say My feelings are mixed as I found it uneventful until the final fifty pages or so. I liked it, I didn't like it and then I raced through the last 50 pages! No comments:. Newer Post Older Post Home. Subscribe to: Post Comments Atom. Michelle Alfano featured in: Exploring Voice. Michelle Alfano featured in Click on book to order. MIchelle Alfano featured in Click on image to order.

Praise for Terri Favro, The Proxy Bride Quattro Books, Made Up of Arias is all the voices of childhood, all the stories that allow a child's imagination to safely try on adult themes.

Lilia Topouzova, Italian Canadiana, December, In her novella, Made Up of Arias , writer Michelle Alfano speaks in the beautifully compelling, yet remarkably guileless voice of her protagonist and narrator, Lilla Pentangeli Total Pageviews. Who is A Lit Chick? A Lit Chick Michelle Alfano is a co-founder of the series. View my complete profile. We should not touch our idols; their gilding will remain on our hands. Gustave Flaubert. Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.

Reading Now Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. Who if not you Are you not ashamed that we old men are the ones who have become impassioned? That the generous madness of youth has inspired not you but your elders? Emile Zola, Le Figaro , December 1, Dalloway Mrs.