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A review by mitikko
Londonstani by Gautam Malkani
3.0
Oh my. Testosterone overload, but that's exactly what the author wanted us to witness, innit?
I found this book quite effective on the topic of pretense, because this is not -as I first thought- about the violence and rage of an economically marginalized youth. This is not La Haine. These are middle-class kids emulating a macho attitude that seems to be de rigueur these days, and not just in the UK.
Toughness and desiness are cool, at least on the street, which is why I think the final twist does not detract from the rest of the story but, on the other hand, adds a new layer to it. I even found the language and style pretty fitting, you get used to it after the first couple of pages.
The author was a bit more heavy handed with his exposé of bling-bling economics, but again I found it a very relevant topic to write about. The Bondesque turn the story took is what I didn't really care for. I found it a bit too far-fetched, which is why my rating isn't higher.
I picked this book because I enjoy reading and learning about what I call the "immigrant experience", and Londonstani didn't disappoint.
I found this book quite effective on the topic of pretense, because this is not -as I first thought- about the violence and rage of an economically marginalized youth. This is not La Haine. These are middle-class kids emulating a macho attitude that seems to be de rigueur these days, and not just in the UK.
Toughness and desiness are cool, at least on the street, which is why I think the final twist does not detract from the rest of the story but, on the other hand, adds a new layer to it. I even found the language and style pretty fitting, you get used to it after the first couple of pages.
The author was a bit more heavy handed with his exposé of bling-bling economics, but again I found it a very relevant topic to write about. The Bondesque turn the story took is what I didn't really care for. I found it a bit too far-fetched, which is why my rating isn't higher.
I picked this book because I enjoy reading and learning about what I call the "immigrant experience", and Londonstani didn't disappoint.