The Buddha of suburbia

284 pages

English language

Published Jan. 24, 1991 by Penguin Books.

View on OpenLibrary

Karim lives with his Mum and Dad in a suburb of south London and dreams of making his escape to the bright lights of the big city. But his father is no ordinary Dad, he is 'the buddha of suburbia', a strange and compelling figure whose powers of meditation hold a circle of would-be mystics spellbound with the fascinations of the East.

Among his disciples is the glamorous and ambitious Eva, and when 'the buddha of suburbia' runs off with her to a crumbling flat in Barons Court, Karim's life becomes changed in ways that even he had never dreamed of . . .

10 editions

Review of 'The Buddha of suburbia' on 'Goodreads'

An interesting story about a young man coming of age in 1970s suburban London - deals with issues of sexuality, class, and race. I enjoyed this book, but it seemed a bit fluffy somehow, even though it dealt with serious issues. Maybe I'll check out the TV miniseries version.

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Subjects

  • East Indians -- England -- Fiction
  • Fathers and sons -- Fiction
  • Boys -- Fiction
  • London (England) -- Fiction