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Londonstani
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Review
‘The aspirational gangsta swirls us into a bhuna of gang-fights, inter-faith romance and organised crime, and the dizzying humour that underpins his voice is sharp, clever and convincing…In a linguistic politics redolent of Sam Selvon, Victor Headley and Irvine Welsh, Malkani conveys with élan and expertise, through a sub-urban “desi-dialect”, the absurdity of adolescence and the complex self deceptions of contemporary cultural dynamics in the UK.’ Independent
‘Malkani has some interesting observations about identity and the way in which the culturally oppressed can take strength from their exclusion. The end is a complete surprise and forces the reader to question the skin-deep assumptions we make about race.’ Sunday Telegraph
‘”Londonstani” is a bold debut, brimming with energy and authenticity.' Observer
‘If you’re going to read one yoofy, “urban” book this summer, make sure it’s “Londonstani”!’ Arena Magazine
'With “Londonstani”, Gautam Malkani has written one of the most vibrant and fresh first novels in years, innit.' BBC Collective magazine
'Malkani's ingeniously structured first novel, given a youth-savvy repackaging, reads like “The Catcher in the Rye” with a hip young British-Asian accent…When this was first published in hardback last year, Rageh Omaar called it "razor-sharp". Others were equally complimentary – and, for once, such praise seems entirely justified.' The Times
‘London's Brit-Asian youth have waited long enough for a defining novel, and the journalist Gautam Malkani's debut seems to be it.' Daily Telegraph
The Times
'reads like 'The Catcher in the Rye' with a hip young
British-Asian accent...'
British-Asian accent...'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
First and foremost, a real feat of ventriloquism: Malkani creates a totally convincing fictional voice for his characters, a mixture of Asian, cockney and black American hip hop slang. Anyone who lives in London will find this familiar from journeys when the bus fills up with teenagers. It's a convincing picture, too, of a particular lifestyle, young men posturing and fighting in an attempt to define a masculine role for themselves, on the one hand totally alienated from their society - failing exams and looking to the gangsta life rather than the more respectable success that comes from working hard and going to university - and on another level completely enslaved by it, fetishising consumer goods and obsessing over makes of cars and mobile phones (to underline this, certain words are always spelled in teenage text-speak - u, b4 and so on).
It's an exhilarating, highly coloured linguistic ride and the pages fly by. The problem comes when Malkani has to decide what to do with this basic set-up: rather being driven by character, and focussing on the painful journey to maturity that his characters may or may not make, the novel becomes driven by plot as the consequences of Jas and his mates' dabbling in crime begin to unravel, and the latter half of the book turns into a rather implausible thriller. There's a brilliantly-executed plot-twist at the end which has you searching back for clues and admiring the way Malkani set it up, but I'm uncertain of its purpose assessed against the broader issues of masculinity, maturity and culture that the first half raises: it seems more of a mechanical plot device to keep us turning the pages.
So: a promising debut, a good reporter's ear pressed into service, a convincing depiction of teenagers in the no-man's-land between three cultures; but it could have been more if, ironically, less had happened in it.
It's an exhilarating, highly coloured linguistic ride and the pages fly by. The problem comes when Malkani has to decide what to do with this basic set-up: rather being driven by character, and focussing on the painful journey to maturity that his characters may or may not make, the novel becomes driven by plot as the consequences of Jas and his mates' dabbling in crime begin to unravel, and the latter half of the book turns into a rather implausible thriller. There's a brilliantly-executed plot-twist at the end which has you searching back for clues and admiring the way Malkani set it up, but I'm uncertain of its purpose assessed against the broader issues of masculinity, maturity and culture that the first half raises: it seems more of a mechanical plot device to keep us turning the pages.
So: a promising debut, a good reporter's ear pressed into service, a convincing depiction of teenagers in the no-man's-land between three cultures; but it could have been more if, ironically, less had happened in it.
32 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was fortunate enough to read an advance bound proof of Londonstani and honestly say that this is one of the most interesting novels and brilliant debuts I've ever had the good fortune to come across.
Within its sprawling scope it considers London's social ethic, the ideas of assimilation and post-collonialism within the third generation, racism, diversity, money, power, economics, Bollywood, Hollywood, what it means to have a voice within the current youth culture and what that voice actually is, the dynamic of parents and children and so on. It is to its credit that it deals with each of these concepts intelligently, never telling the reader what to think, only showing them what is happening and asking them to interpret as they will.
There are elements of Burgess' masterpiece, A Clockwork Orange here. Hardjit's gang go around speaking in their own language, ruthlessly attacking people who don't show them the respect they feel they desevre, writing their parents out of the equation and obsessing about their masculinity. What makes it more disturbing that Clockwork, is that what's going on in this book is real. I know it's cliche to say 'ripped for the headlines' but this really is. Sitting on the bus reading it, I could hear other passengers talking and acting just like the characters in the book. This man has his finger very tightly on the pulse of urban London's Asian sub-culture and has depicted it so vividly that the lines between fiction and fact melt away, leaving the reader with a stark and brutal portrait of modern London's youth culture.
I won't dream of spoiling the surprises the book has in store for you. It kept me constantly interested and frequently shocked as it progressed right until its very last page. That said, there are criticisms to be made. Whenever an economic or political point wants to be made, the style of writing takes a back seat and it begins to read like an article. This develops into one of the characters becoming a Bollywood-style bad guy and this being shoved down the reader's throat. The plot begins to deteriorate as these points become more and more important. Whether or not that is important is debatable but I don't think it's unfair to say that the actual surface plot of the book is uninspired and frequently cliched. What marks the book out and makes this acceptable is the fact that underneath the maudlin surface beats a tense, dangerous, violent pulse that throbs with amazing insight and vicious humour.
Although it's not yet published, I hope that Londonstani will be something we will all hear a lot more of. It proves that there are new writers out there capable of writing intelligent, modern fiction without resorting to the lowest common denominator (Mr Brown has a lot to answer for). If you enjoyed White Teeth, Midnight's Children, Brick Lane or The Buddha of Suburbia, I'd recommend this wholeheartedly. If you didn't enjoy them, read it anyway...you'll be pleasantly surprised.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Well researched, and written with a real ear for the rhythm of language, I thought this was a good book.
I enjoyed the plot and the characters, despite not being particularly complex personalities, were believable. Be warned, the ending was unbelievably cheesy!
This is a book I would recommend for teenage boys who don't read much, because the pace and immediacy of the action will get them hooked, or for anyone who wants a contemporary page turner, with a clever plot and feel for zeitgeist.
I'm interested to see what the follow up will be, because I think this writer is capable of something more sophisticated.
I enjoyed the plot and the characters, despite not being particularly complex personalities, were believable. Be warned, the ending was unbelievably cheesy!
This is a book I would recommend for teenage boys who don't read much, because the pace and immediacy of the action will get them hooked, or for anyone who wants a contemporary page turner, with a clever plot and feel for zeitgeist.
I'm interested to see what the follow up will be, because I think this writer is capable of something more sophisticated.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Cliched, unresponsive and banal 'progressive' literature
This is a overwrought idea that probably should have been about 5 pages long. Poorly written, neither insightful or humorous, this lacks any kind of panache or literary flourish
Published 6 months ago by Mr. S. Dutt
waste of time!
I always try and read at least a third of a book before i give up, this was very painful with Londonstani! Read more
Published 11 months ago by Ms. S. Rashid
So boring I got bored of being bored!
This is the first review I have ever been compelled to write. This book was so dull I gave up... and I'm fairly easily pleased when it comes to books - as long as its entertaining,... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Rapunzel
The first hundred pages are great...
The first hundred pages are great - Malkani's main character is believeable and cringeworthy in equal measure, with lots of interesting issues and unlikable characters, with a well... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mr. Russell Boxer
the worst book i've read in years
I have never written a review before but in this case i had to. First problem - books written in slang rarely work. Second problem there is zero tension, purpose and relevance. Read more
Published 18 months ago by sunny
Innit!
Only half way through but a good enticing read that keeps you amused and very well written by the author. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Vijay
Much hype
Oh dear, I feel like crying as the (admittedly short) amount of time I spent reading this book is lost to me forever. Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2009 by blackmightcrash
Full Of Eastern Promise
I was fascinated by other reviews of 'Londonstani' and believed it would do for the London/Asian youth culture what 'Trainspotting' had done for Edinburgh junkies. Read more
Published on 23 Jun 2009 by A. Reynolds
An eye opener
Londonstani is about a young teenage born in today's world, where the ancient respect and pride takes it own modern form in the new generation. Read more
Published on 16 May 2009 by R. Raol
Great....first third.
As someone who grew up in Hounslow in the 60s and 70s among an emerging (and relatively deferent) Asian culture, part of the attraction of 'Londonstani' was to read about the... Read more
Published on 28 Sep 2008 by D. Dent
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