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Anita and Me
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An excellent portrayal of a second generation Asian
Review date: 2006-10-08 Rating: 10 out of 10
Anita and Me is a brilliant debut novel by Meera Syal. The novel journeys during the days of 1960's Britain set in small town in the midlands. The story is narrated by Meena a born and bred second generation Asian who experienced life of what life is like living in a Punjabi family household and within the English community.
The narrative approach is superb and filled with interesting details about the Indian way of life and how it conflicts with Western values. The author being herself a second generation, has really added her own experience and knowledge to deliver a superb piece of storytelling. The main focal point is about divided loyalty. In the context of the novel, Meena wants indulge in habits such as eating fish and chips and wants a boyfriend, which this influence prompted from meeting a girl named Anita who she becomes increasingly attached to. Does the friendship last long? Her loyalty towards the Indian roots is questioned. That is the general flavour of the story.
Anita and Me is an enjoyable to read and gives you an insight from an Asian perspective about life in Britain.
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Reviews
Stunning and laugh out loud!
Review date: 2006-04-30 Rating: 10 out of 10
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! It also made me laugh out loud- Syal in her writing, knows how to have a laugh. In reference to the reviewer who taught this in his class- if any book is taught in a classroom people are inevitably going to find fault with it- this shouldn't detract from how worthwhile this book is. The story as a whole works very well and rather than the main character seeming being too old for her age- what struck me is how the author paints such an accurate picture of a ten year old- who sees the world without the moral scruples of an adult- she falls prey to the normal temptations children succomb to and is a refreshingly honest antidote to the usual "innocent-bystander" way many books narrate childhood. The decisions she makes and the way she deals with her life is just an example of the way kids have more insight than adults give them credit for. Its entertaining, thought provoking and funny. If you have any imagination and a sense of humour you'll love it. Im just sorry Im not reading it again for the first time.
Grown up and stuffed up
Review date: 2006-04-08 Rating: 6 out of 10
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, the kids and I became more and more aware of its weaknesses.
The most obvious is that Meena is far too knowing for her age, and too grown up altogether. This becomes all too obvious towards the end, when Sam Lowther gets the hots for her and she can't be more than eleven.
It seems to be padded out, with some scenes duplicated - Sam raising hell at the Village Fete and at the demolition is the most obvious.
It isn't that well-written - you can't 'stab' someone with a butcher's cleaver, any more than you can 'hiss' something that doesn't contain an s- sound.
The ending was a big let-down (pulled out of To Kill a Mockingbird - unknown from mystery house saves the day?) and underscored for me the sense that lurking behind this story there's a real experience that hasn't quite been transmuted into fiction.
But even so, the book didn't deserve what the film did to the ending. Ugh, the movies - they sentimentalise everything.
Couldn't get past page 42!!!
Review date: 2005-05-18 Rating: 2 out of 10
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. But I honestly had to grind my teeth through the first 42 pages and ultimately decided that life is too short to read something so painfully dull.
There is no actual action in this book...it's all adjectives and the flowery language overpowers the story, if there is an actual story. Boring, boring, boring!!!!
poignant and laugh out loud funny
Review date: 2003-10-29 Rating: 10 out of 10
This is a fantastic book which captures the spirit of childhood in a way i've never encountered before. i saw the film and didn't like it but after reading life isn't all haha heehee i decided to give it a go. I think it surpasses life... which itself was a sparkling, witty, intelligent and poignant book. Meena is a fantastic character who just springs to life from the page and reminds me of my tomboy self at her age. this book is everything in the right measure; witty, serious and endlessly touching.
Product Details/Specifications
Authors:
Meera Syal
Recording label: Flamingo
Manufacturer: Flamingo
EAN: 9780006548768
Binding: Paperback
Dewey decimal number: 813
ISBN: 0006548768
Number of pages: 336
Publication date: 1997-04-07
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Unknown)