Londonstani
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Price:
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$34.95
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On Sale:
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15/06/2006
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Formats:
Hardcover
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Londonstani, Gautam Malkani’s electrifying debut, exposes a
city where young Asians (desis) struggle with white boys (goras) to assert their
own brands of Britishness in the shadow of the divergent cultures of their
parents’ generation.
Set close to the Heathrow airport feed roads of Hounslow,
Malkani shows us the lives of four young gangsters: Hardjit, the ring leader—a
violent Sikh, determined his caste stay pure; Ravi, besotted with Bollywood
actresses and utterly tactless, a sheep following the herd; Amit, whose brother
Arun is struggling to secure the blessing of their devout Hindu mother for his
lower-caste bride-to-be; and Jas, who tells us of his journey with these three,
desperate to win their approval—desperate too for Samira, a Muslim girl, which
in this story can have only bad consequences. Together these four cruise the
streets in Amit’s souped-up Beemer, making a little money changing the
electronic fingerprints on stolen mobile phones, a scam that leads them into
dangerous terrain.
Funny, crude, disturbing, written in the vibrant language of its
protagonists—a mix of slang, texting, Panjabi and bastardized gangsta rap—Londonstani
is about many things: tribalism, aggressive masculinity, integration, cross-
cultural chirpsing techniques, the urban scene seeping into the mainstream,
bling-bling economics and “complicated family-related shit.” It is one of the
most surprising novels of recent years.
First we was rudeboys, then we be Indian niggas, then
rajamuffins, then raggastanis, brit-asians, fuckin Indobrits. These days most a
us try an use our own word for homeboys an so we just call ourselves desis but I
still remember when we were happy with the word rudeboy. Anyway, whatever the
fuck we are, Ravi an the others are better at being it than I am. I swear I
watched as much MTV Base an downloaded as many DMX, Rishi Rich an Juggy D tracks
as they have, but I still can’t attain the right level a rudeboy finesse. If I
could, I wouldn’t be using poncy words like attain an finesse,
innit.
from LONDONSTANI
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Author Extras
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Critical Praise for
Londonstani
"Intelligent, keenly observed and, though never didactic, concerned in a moral sense with its characters' lives.... Londonstani deserves a wide audience because it is one of those rare books that repays its reader with an engaging literary experience and thoughts about things that matter to us all."
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LA Times
"Londonstani, (is) a novel that explosively and unapologetically represents the new London of hip hop-influenced market-driven and libido-heightened youth.... Acompelling debut that demands a response from its readers."
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The Globe and Mail
"The novel is kept compelling by Malkani's fine ear for inventive expression."
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The Times Literary Supplement
"Londonstani subtly explores the contradictions and complexities of relations within Britain's black and Asian communities.... It intends, above all, to show you one thing: that being a young British Asian or African—whether you are Muslim, Hindu or Sikh—is not about having a completely westernised identity and set of aspirations."
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New Statesman
"Electrifying."
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Red Magazine
"Give this book to seventeen-year-olds who think novels are musty entities with no bearing on their lives, and you may well find them responding with huge enthusiasm."
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The Guardian
"A vibrant linguistic mash-up!"
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Vogue
"Compelling, impressively sustained ... skillfully written. Exhilarating."
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The Daily Telegraph (Novel of the Week)
"Londonstani is something special and very funny.... Surprisingly fresh."
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The Times (UK)
"Shocking, ball-grabbing stuff and not designed for the weak-hearted."
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Diana Evans, author of 26a
"Londonstani is a bold debut, brimming with energy and authenticity."
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The Guardian
"This book, and the voice in which the story is told, are wholly unique—refreshing, new, astounding even"
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Kirkus Reviews
"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."
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Booklist
"Londonstani is an enthralling book… A bold and vigorous debut."
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The Independent on Sunday (UK)
"Witty and acute… Very distinctive."
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The Bookseller
"Londonstani – with all its bling, gore, graphic language … will get the kids' attention. In a language they understand, innit."
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TIME Magazine (Europe)
"Slangy and sharp.... If you're going to read one yoofy, 'urban' book this summer, make sure it's Londonstani!"
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Arena magazine
Reader Reviews from First Look
LONDONSTANI is a truly unusual novel. At first glance it would appear that the author uses the Asian youth culture of London as a hook to attract readers for yet another ho-hum book. As you read on however, you become hooked on this tale of culture shock. The plot seems predictable until the twist at the end which I was totally unprepared for. The characters are types rather than real people that we can feel empathy for, but I think that lends weight to the plot.
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Sandra (Cornwall, PE)
LONDONSTANI is a truly unusual novel. At first glance it would appear that the author uses the Asian youth culture of London as a hook to attract readers for yet another ho-hum book. As you read on however, you become hooked on this tale of culture shock. The plot seems predictable until the twist at the end which I was totally unprepared for. The characters are types rather than real people that we can feel empathy for, but I think that lends weight to the plot.
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Sandra (Cornwall, PE)
I read this book, and then turned around and read it again.
I'm sure there will be inevitable comparisons to books like Brick Lane and White Teeth, but this book seemed more 'real' to me. In a sense, I kept forgetting I was reading fiction. I found the story to be totally believable, and I think that this is one of those books that will be talked about over water-coolers, at book clubs, in newspapers and on TV for the forseeable future. A great read - I look forward to the next one from Gautam Malkani.
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Paula (Toronto, ON)
This is an extremely well written piece of fiction, which will reward the reader with greater insight into the mindset of these "gangs". I highly recommend it. May this be the first of many fine novels from Gautam Malkani!!
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Gary (Richmond, BC)
Londonstani exposed me to a side of of Indian culture I'd not seen before, the desis, and the constant conflicts and tug-of-wars - arranged marriages vs. "love" marriages, young muslims dating non-muslims, old traditions vs. new trends, and especially, second-generation youth vs. immigrant parents - that the characters face daily.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone with the fortitude to set their expectations and prejudices aside and be willing to open their eyes to a whole different world. This book has the potential to be a modern Catcher in the Rye.
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Jodie (East York, ON)
A gritty and realistic look at the "Londonstani" culture. Malkani has the attitude and the dialect down pat - you feel you are there with Hardjit, Ravi, Amit and Jas.
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Vincenza (Mississauga, ON)
I have to admit that the writing gave me some difficulties and it took awhile before I was able to get into a flow. Once done, it became clear that I was looking at a snapshot of youth - torn between the customs of their parents and their own gang customs - a gang which has become their family of choice. Nothing is quite as it seems in thier lives and even if they won't admit, Hardjit and its group cannot be totally separate from the world they come from - their parents world. Their choices result from this inheritance , whether they accept it or reject it. Two worlds and two visions of the possibilities offered by the world collide.
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Christelle (Brossard, QC)
A gripping, intelligent and shocking portrayal of urban youths in London. It paints a disturbing image of the city's multiculturalism. An engrossing read for young adults.
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Adam (Ottawa, FL)
At first, a difficult book to read, with the violence of action and words, but it gives the reader an understanding of a segment of London that is definitely not “Coronation Street”. I think this book would make a good movie.
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Judy (Winnipeg, MB)
Overall, the book was a good look into the issues that South Asian youth face in the UK. I would've liked to see less cussing used in the text, however I am sure it is a realistic representation of how the youth converse in this context. The English accent made the text somewhat hard to follow at times, but created more vivid images of the situations.
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Neena (Toronto, ON)
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Londonstani
Funny, crude, disturbing, written in the vibrant language of its protagonists, Londonstani follows Hardjit, Ravi, Amit and Jas as they cruise the streets of Hounslow, West London, in Amit’s souped-up Beemer. Chasing the posh thug life, this crew of middle-class boys seems invincible—...
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Londonstani
Set close to the Heathrow airport feed roads of Hounslow, Gautam Malkani’s Londonstani plunges into a world of desis and goras. Both a classic coming-of-age story and a uniquely refreshing tale for our time, it follows Harjit, Ravi, A mit and Jas as they cruise the streets in Amit’s...
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