In the tradition of Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love and Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals, comes a story of a young narrator in the midst of her eccentric family. But rather than landed gentry or bohemian travellers, it’s a mad extended Iran clan who flee Tehran to 1980s Britain after the fall the Shah. Five year old Shappi and her beloved brother Peyvand arrive with their parents in London - all cold weather and strange food - without a word of English. If adapting to a new culture isn’t troubling enough, it soon becomes clear that the Ayatollah’s henchmen are in pursuit. With the help of MI5, Shappi’s family go into hiding. So apart from checking under the family car for bombs every morning, Shappi’s childhood is like any other kids – swings in the park, school plays, kiss-chase and terrorists.
A Beginner's Guide To Acting English
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Review
"filled with laughter, wonder and compassion...It plunges us into the vibrant heart of a loud, loving Iranian family and vividly recreates the experience of being a child torn between vastly different cultures" -- The Scotsman, Lee Randall
"written with an admirable lightness of touch and a novelist's eye for comic detail" -- Stephanie Merritt, The Observer
"written with an admirable lightness of touch and a novelist's eye for comic detail" -- Stephanie Merritt, The Observer
Review
"filled with laughter, wonder and compassion...It plunges us into the vibrant heart of a loud, loving Iranian family and vividly recreates the experience of being a child torn between vastly different cultures"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
55 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A Beginners Guide To Acting English is a memoir of Shappi Khorsandi's childhood, incorporating her move to the UK and dalliance with a fatwa.
The front cover suggests comedy. Perhaps some farce, with quotes lauding Britains Best Young Female Comic.
Within a few pages, I realised that I shouldn't have judged the book by its cover.
To clarify, Shappi is Iranian, she has an older brother, a mother, and her father is a famous satirical poet and cartoonist (in Iran at least). We join the family in Iran; everything is viewed through Shappi's pre-school eyes. Once I'd got over the fact that there was no way that Shappi could have remembered all this detail, and that much of her material must have been passed down from family, I really got into the sights, sounds and smells of Tehran.
The Khorsandis move to London at the time that the Ayatollah takes over rulership from the Shah. The childlike innocence with which Shaparak views everything is beautiful. There is no partisan view, no political standpoint. The view is always "If the Ayatollah met my Baba (dad), he'd find him really funny too."
In London they are dismissed as "Pakis", "terrorists" and suffer other verbal abuse. But Shappi and her brother are still just kids, and play just like kids. Even while the police tell them to disappear because of death threats.
My favourite quote comes as Hadi Khorsandi checks under his car for bombs. "Do any of you know what a bomb looks like?" "No." comes the reply. "Neither do I." But such gallows humour is always followed by a sigh of relief when the car doesn't blow up.
Charming, enjoyable, delightful. These are all how this book should be described. Shappi's affection for her friends, family and her homeland is touching and inspiring.
The front cover suggests comedy. Perhaps some farce, with quotes lauding Britains Best Young Female Comic.
Within a few pages, I realised that I shouldn't have judged the book by its cover.
To clarify, Shappi is Iranian, she has an older brother, a mother, and her father is a famous satirical poet and cartoonist (in Iran at least). We join the family in Iran; everything is viewed through Shappi's pre-school eyes. Once I'd got over the fact that there was no way that Shappi could have remembered all this detail, and that much of her material must have been passed down from family, I really got into the sights, sounds and smells of Tehran.
The Khorsandis move to London at the time that the Ayatollah takes over rulership from the Shah. The childlike innocence with which Shaparak views everything is beautiful. There is no partisan view, no political standpoint. The view is always "If the Ayatollah met my Baba (dad), he'd find him really funny too."
In London they are dismissed as "Pakis", "terrorists" and suffer other verbal abuse. But Shappi and her brother are still just kids, and play just like kids. Even while the police tell them to disappear because of death threats.
My favourite quote comes as Hadi Khorsandi checks under his car for bombs. "Do any of you know what a bomb looks like?" "No." comes the reply. "Neither do I." But such gallows humour is always followed by a sigh of relief when the car doesn't blow up.
Charming, enjoyable, delightful. These are all how this book should be described. Shappi's affection for her friends, family and her homeland is touching and inspiring.
41 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm often a little wary of books written by comedians, they don't always tend to be very good at it. This is a total exception though. Shappi perfectly captures the voice of her child self and you find yourself looking upon her world through a 6 year olds eyes. Her story is touching and funny, but also incredibly accessible. A must read for anyone.
44 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Absolute genius. I bought this book for 3 reasons:
1) I'm a massive Shappi fan
2) I'm half Iranian
3) I needed something to help me procrastinate from the masses of coursework I have to complete
I started reading at 9pm whilst waiting for Big Brother to start and was so absorbed by the time 9.25pm came that I forgot to even switch on the TV. I was crying with laughter, crying tears of joy for all the sad bits, and cried just a little bit more as the hilarious stories of growing up with Iranian parents (in my case, just the one Iranian influence) reminded me of my own childhood.
Recommended to ANYONE, but beware of getting so hooked that you read the WHOLE thing in one sitting....it's now 5.23am and I just had to share my joy now that I've finished.
RAVING REVIEW FOR SHAPPI.....Fan-bloody-tastic!!!!xx
1) I'm a massive Shappi fan
2) I'm half Iranian
3) I needed something to help me procrastinate from the masses of coursework I have to complete
I started reading at 9pm whilst waiting for Big Brother to start and was so absorbed by the time 9.25pm came that I forgot to even switch on the TV. I was crying with laughter, crying tears of joy for all the sad bits, and cried just a little bit more as the hilarious stories of growing up with Iranian parents (in my case, just the one Iranian influence) reminded me of my own childhood.
Recommended to ANYONE, but beware of getting so hooked that you read the WHOLE thing in one sitting....it's now 5.23am and I just had to share my joy now that I've finished.
RAVING REVIEW FOR SHAPPI.....Fan-bloody-tastic!!!!xx
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well written, cat
It's a very interesting read and very well written.
The childhood memories section was very cute and funny and at some points sad and touching. Read more
The childhood memories section was very cute and funny and at some points sad and touching. Read more
Published 1 month ago by raha Ahmadkhanbeigi
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book and Well done to Shappi Khorsandi
I really like this book well written and funny.
recommended to all who like to know how's difficult to immigrate to another country and get adopt with new environment and life... Read more
recommended to all who like to know how's difficult to immigrate to another country and get adopt with new environment and life... Read more
Published 1 month ago by SeyedAli Pourmoafi
3.0 out of 5 stars
Would have expected more
Being an ardent fan of Shappi's stand-up comedy, I was looking forward for this book and was excited when I got it on my kindle. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Karthik Deivarayan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good
A very enjoyable read. She writes well and you are right there with her experiencing her childhood and the crisis which caused the family to settle in Britain.
Published 3 months ago by R. Petrie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read!
Brilliant book, wanted the story to carry on after I'd finished it! Would love to see this developed onto the big screen!
Published 4 months ago by MrsB0614
3.0 out of 5 stars
Slight let dowm
Was hoping it would be something on the lines of Shappi's stage shows, but it was much more biographical than expected. But interesting, nonetheless. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Dutchted
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amusing book
Purchased book to read on train journey , an interesting funny book to pass away the time on a boring journey
Published 6 months ago by Maurice Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb
Absolutely loved this book! Written in such a way that you can picture the five-year-old author experiencing her life as it happened; both the highs and the terrible lows. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mrs. S. Cullen
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent read and great insight
I was gripped by this book which addresses deep issues from a personal perspective in a very readable and light-hearted way. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Farah
3.0 out of 5 stars
Light But Profound Memoir
Shappi Khorsandi is an Iranian born comedian who is quite well known here in the UK due to her performances on Live At The Apollo and as a panellist on shows such as 8 out of 10... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Sam
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