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Book Reviews Title Life
Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee Fiction-Net
Rating Buy It
From Amazon.co.uk - BUY
NOW! Cover
Story "A magical mosaic
of friendship, betrayal and cross-cultural
incongruities. By turns spicy, hilarious and sad,
it unfolds the ties that bind young women to their
East End Punjabi roots even as they head west for
trendy careers café bars and sexual
freedom." SHE We
Say Deepak is
marrying Chila and although no one is actually
saying it, everyone is wondering why. Deepak is
gorgeous, the most eligible bachelor around and
Chila is, well, kind and sweet and innocent and not
particularly gorgeous. Chila's friends Sunita and
Tania are happy for her; but then again they have
problems of their own. Sunita is worn-out and weary
with two kids, a husband and a job that is beneath
her capabilities. Tania is a go-getting, media babe
with attitude who won't stand being reminded of her
ethnic roots and hides a secret. Can they and their
friendship survive the changes in their
lives? The choices for
women are laid out here in all the usual ways (men,
marriage, kids and careers) and it's a shame that
we still haven't got beyond these old chestnuts.
That said, "Life isn't all ha ha hee hee" is
frighteningly true to life and it does express the
way many women still feel about their lives and
their responses to situations. Syal is very good at
getting under the skin of her characters and fully
exploring their motives. Consequently, though we
have seen many of these character types before (the
plain girl, the suppressed mother, the hardened
bitch), in Syal's book they are real people.
This book
provides an insightful view into modern
multicultural life in Britain. The writing is
strong and probably more powerful than in her debut
novel "Anita and Me" with some really dramatic and
heartfelt moments. Also, with Syal's credentials as
a comedy writer (television's "Goodness Gracious
Me") there are some very funny moments drawn from
modern life and the culture class between old style
Punjabis and the new Asian cool. Review by: Rachel
Taylor |
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