- Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Flamingo; Film tie-in edition (Reissue) edition (4 Nov 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 000714301X
- ISBN-13: 978-0007143016
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 493,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
‘Tom Sawyer meets Cider With Rosie en route to India via Wolverhampton. A wonderful book – treat yourself.’ Ben Elton
‘Funny, moving and packed full of wonderful surprises.’ Esther Freud
‘This is a funny, sad book. It made me long to be a kid again, yet grateful I’d grown up.’ Jo Brand
‘Anita and Me is full of pleasure. Syal is as skilful at rendering the saucy, ballsy backchat of the Tollington women as she is at describing Meena’s “uncles and aunties”, her parents’ Indian friends. The book is expertly structured and engagingly written, illuminated throughout by Meena’s ironical irreverance and robustness of spirit. I can give it no higher recommendation.’ Laura Tennant, Guardian
‘On one level, Anita and Me is a simple story of the path from innocence to experience. On another, it contains the elements of tragedy – death, love, jealousy, rivalry, betrayal – and it can be read as a modern-day fable. Meera Syal is a fine comic writer and she mines a rich vein of Indian-English life.’ TLS
‘A very entertaining and engaging novel.’ Philip Hensher, Mail on Sunday
Review
‘Tom Sawyer meets Cider With Rosie en route to India via Wolverhampton. A wonderful book – treat yourself.’ Ben Elton
‘Funny, moving and packed full of wonderful surprises.’ Esther Freud
‘This is a funny, sad book. It made me long to be a kid again, yet grateful I’d grown up.’ Jo Brand
‘Anita and Me is full of pleasure. Syal is as skilful at rendering the saucy, ballsy backchat of the Tollington women as she is at describing Meena’s “uncles and aunties”, her parents’ Indian friends. The book is expertly structured and engagingly written, illuminated throughout by Meena’s ironical irreverance and robustness of spirit. I can give it no higher recommendation.’ Laura Tennant, Guardian
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very amusing, accurate and clever insight into life as a child in the seventies. I feel that Meera Syal captures exactly how it felt to be an Indian family member in a predominantly white neighbourhood, yet still maintaining the fears, experiences and changes that many girls have to tackle as they approach adolescence. I read "Life is not all Ha Ha Hee Hee" and felt a totally different angle is needed to approach Anita and Me to appreciate the richness of the author's writing in both novels. Money well spent on this novel I think!
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As someone that grew up in a small rural village in the countryside in the 70's and 80's, this book brings a lot of memories flooding back. Although not from an asian family, there were many comparisons to be made, as where we lived we were "different" to those around us at the time. This work is a masterpiece of playing on the readers childhood memories, our perceptions of things as they were when we were kids, and also tackles some serious issues surrounding racism, the clashes of cultures and how precarious childhood friendships really are....
Syal's incisive wit is very evident in this work, in a very amusing, laugh out loud on the tube manner, her hidden "comebacks" on things such as the name of some paint, how culturally bereft some people are and the odd in joke in Punjabi (thanks to my translating friends!) and oh yes the farting belching grandmother over from India really do make this work a very enjoyable read.........
Syal's incisive wit is very evident in this work, in a very amusing, laugh out loud on the tube manner, her hidden "comebacks" on things such as the name of some paint, how culturally bereft some people are and the odd in joke in Punjabi (thanks to my translating friends!) and oh yes the farting belching grandmother over from India really do make this work a very enjoyable read.........
To be honest, if books like this were being read in schools today, then the world would be a better place maybe? This is readable by people of any age to be honest....
An absolute must read.........Meera, if ya reading this, a sequal please?
As for other comments about the ending from other reviews, i personally believe once again its very apt......
M
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A wonderful evocation of childhood in the seventies. I was drawn to this novel as it touched on so many aspects of my own experience of growing up at that time in Britain - although I am white and lived in the westcountry and not near Wolverhampton! Syal hasn't forgotten the universal agonies of childhood and striving to find your way in life - whatever your background or race.
The book has some very funny moments but also some very disturbing and upsetting ones. An asian girl growing up in an English rural village - she is desperate to fit in and be accepted. But as she matures she realises the true and more sinister nature of many of those she formerly looks up to. Her struggle to come to terms with this contradiction is moving and powerful but ultimately inspiring.
I would recommend this book to anyone who can still remember what it was like to be a child themselves.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a fascinating read
Once I got into this book I thoroughly enjoyed it and wanted to go on to the end. It is the story of an Indian girl growing up in the only non-white family in an isolated English... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Leela Attfield
Anita and Me Book Review
I picked this book up after being told that I would have to read it as part of the current GCSE English Literature syllabus. Read more
Published 7 months ago by TheWorldLover
Wow that was quick
I ordered this book for my daughter. It was in great condition and received the day after I ordered it. Wow what a great service. Much appreciated. Thanks
Published 14 months ago by Heidi
Goodness Gracious Me
I wasn't expecting this to be as good as it is. But I understand it is a text selected for study in schools. My appreciation of Meera Syal has changed since completing this. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Gee
not good was not deliverd it was never sent. emailed seller got...
DON'T KNOW SELLER NEVER SENT IT AND NEVER ANSWERED MY EMAIL'S NOT A GOOD SELLER
Published 20 months ago by loza
Charming
I really enjoy Meera Syal's writing, I'm not sure there's anything particularly special about it, but I find it really charming. Read more
Published on 6 Nov 2009 by Sulkyblue
Stunning and laugh out loud!
I read this at fifteen and was totally stunned- I love how the 10 year old narrator sees her world and has a unique take on seemingly mundane events of her life! Read more
Published on 30 April 2006 by V. Mullen
Grown up and stuffed up
Well, I DID teach this novel at school. It has many good points, particularly the sense of exoticism next to familiarity and the relationship between the girls, but as it went on,... Read more
Published on 8 April 2006 by Mick
Couldn't get past page 42!!!
I picked up this book through Book Crossers and was excited to read it because of the movie and the fact that I live in the UK. Read more
Published on 18 May 2005 by Bobbi
poignant and laugh out loud funny
This is a fantastic book which captures the spirit of childhood in a way i've never encountered before. Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2003 by "burnthefunkychicken"
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