Life Isnt All Ha Ha Hee Hee

LIFE ISN’T ALL HA HA HEE HEE.

                        LIFE ISN’T ALL HA HA HEE HEE.

                The people of Indian origin who live in England have different mores. They are caught in a strange cultural climate and find their lives regulated in a half and half manner. This is particularly true of the young folk who go to colleges and Universities in England and get exposed to various liberal ideas. But the atmosphere at home is controlled by the parents who despite many years of stay in an alien country still root for their country of origin, its customs, traditions, dress, cuisine, moral values etc.

                The young things morph themselves to suit their parents’ wishes when they enter the portals of their homes. This half and half life produces some funny ideas, combinations, situations and problems too. The males of this community also find it difficult to adjust to the half and half lives. They like to be Don Juans and Lotharios sowing their wild oats all over England and yet want chaste wives who will serve their needs and their children dutifully. The behaviour patterns of these males and females have been rightly and with a touch of humour described by Meera Syal in the book with the title given above.

                First a word about the author would be appropriate. She is an actress and accomplished writer. She was made a MBE for her splendid books and TV shows. She had written for many TV shows, co-written and starred in the highly successful TV serial “Goodness Gracious” on BBC2 and now she is the author and actor in the highly acclaimed TV serial “The Kumars at 42.”

                She is an accomplished writer and her first novel Anita and Me won a Betty Trask award and short listed for the Guardian Fiction Prize. The wide acclaim for the book under review runs into two pages.

                She has an extraordinary sense of humour and the story “surges along on a riptide of wise cracks and wisdom, through infidelity, child birth, family violence and racial prejudice.

                Her prose is easy flowing, quite often rib tickling and her expressions are original and funny, She maintains a certain amount of pathos highlighting the plight of girls and women caught in the cultural climate.

                The novel is about three girls one who migrated from the shores of Africa where she led a rich life with big estate, many servants and generally happy but turns out to be a less than mediocre girl in many ways including studies and work. She gets to marry a rich Indian man who promises many things during the marriage ceremony and almost deserts after impregnating her. When the poor girl wants to be taken to the hospital for her delivery she comes to know that he was in the process of thumping one of her best friends. It is interesting to note the way she reacts to her double crossing husband. The second girl, who entertained high hopes of being a lawyer with wig etc, fails in her finals and enters the strange world of matrimony. After birth of two children she finds herself being treated like an item of furniture and revolts to follow her own path but without leaving the husband and the security he provides. The third girl breaks out of the traditional mould completely and has no qualms about changing her partners in bed at will without any bias for colour or creed. She wants to succeed as a TV Documentary producer and has the necessary knowledge, degree and confidence. These three women provide a general cross section of Indian women in UK and Meera Syal describes the situations involving them collectively and individually and writes with a rare passion generously   peppered with humour.

                Her prose is easy to read, laced with humour and also contains profound thoughts. Some of her expressions are amazing. To wit “Andy said that only a man with a severe Oedipal and castration fears would stop his wife going out on the razz with her mates.”

                In conclusion the statement of the mother of Chila the first girl  that “life is all not ha ha hee, hee so if you know there is going to be a few tears you might as well try and enjoy them” sums up the novel.

                I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and have no hesitation in recommending this book to people who have a funny bone and appreciate a good sense of humour without wincing at four letter words.