In spring 2013 I read several books that opened my eyes to the hybrid nature of English culture.
As I have lived in the English countryside almost all of my life and study in a relatively small university town, I have had little experience with what Nick Bentley calls the 'new model of Englishness' (Bentley, 2007), that is, the effect that immigration has had on English culture.
I read The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi, Anita and Me by Meera Syal, White Teeth by Zadie Smith, Brick Lane by Monica Ali and Small Island by Andrea Levy and discovered how unaware I am of diverse ethnicities in England.
Whilst I would recommend all the novels listed above the two that I enjoyed and learnt from the most would have to be Brick Lane and Anita and Me.
Why Brick Lane?
Because there is a real sense of purpose with this novel; Ali explores and represents an ethnic minority who are rarely given a voice and the results are fascinating. The protagonist, Nazneen, grows throughout the novel: not only from a woman completely dependent on her husband to a woman who makes her own decisions and decides to take control of her life and reject her husbands plans, but also from someone restricted by Bangladeshi culture living in England to someone who takes the best from each culture and comes to relish her cultural hybridity.
The characters in this novel are truly fascinating; as well as representing diverse cultures, Ali portrays diverse personalities. The characters can be: disgusting, childlike, hypocritical, malicious, loving, jealous, oblivious, ignorant, sharp, weak, strong, unhappy, bored, secretive and sensual but are all- some how- incredibly believable and engaging. Read it, read it, read it!
Why Anita and Me?
Because it is a book that some how manages to be sad and funny- no easy accomplishment. This book is semi- autobiographical and it shows, it is a book that I found incredibly believable and though it was published in 1996 and set in the 1960's, it's themes are still relevant. I have since given this book to my mum, who was a 60's child like Meera Syal- and she can't believe how accurately Syal has captured 60's life saying that Meena, the protagonist's, experiences could have been a record of her own.
The young narrator's blunt observations and quick wit means that the novel is very funny; I rarely laugh out loud when I am reading but found my self giggling self-consiously on the train when reading some of Meena's brutally honest descriptions and childishly self-centred thoughts.
Though this book could be seen as light-hearted and like I say, is very witty, it does approach some important topics. The problem of 'casual' racism is well represented. There are particularly heart-wrenching moments when Meena -who believes herself to be a regular 'Tollington wench'- gets publically humiliated due to her race. Her desire to align herself with Anita, the white, popular girl who is no match for Meena's vivid personality is also is troubling for the reader as it reflects a problem that is still very much relevant- the need for people (especially children) to conform and fit in with society if they want to be accepted.
Therefore I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is incredibly readable- you will probably finish it within three days but you will remember its themes and its humour for much. much longer. If you have read these books- what do you think? Are there any other books that you can recommend that represent diverse cultures in England?
