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May 25, 2003
Review: Body beautiful
IF only I could tell you to go out and buy Hanif Kureishi’s short story collection, The Body — and leave it at that. If I could, I’d give it a four-and-a-half star rating (five being the tops) and hope that you’d read it and agree with me and life would carry on as usual. Unfortunately it’s not that simple and the B&A wants me to tell you why you should go out and buy this book — or burn it — in less than a thousand words. Since I’ve always fancied a career in advertising, I’m going to try to pitch this fine collection of short stories from one of the finest British (can I squeeze in half Pakistani?) modern day writers around.
Perhaps many of you, like myself, had given up on Mr Kureishi. Critics argue that he’s just never been able to deliver anything as excellent as The Buddha of Suburbia. Everything he writes is measured against his first novel. There was some hope with Intimacy (a must read for all those who after reading The Black Album vowed never to go near Kureishi again) but it filtered out with Gabriel’s Gift. My hopes were raised with Dreaming and Scheming, a collection of essays last year but with The Body, Mr Kureishi comes on out top, proving that he is a master story-teller.
Meet Adam, The Body’s 126-page novella protagonist who is a jaded, bitter man. One night while he is at a party (that he doesn’t even seem to be happy to be at) he is offered the chance to trade in his old body for a newer, fitter, far younger version. No, don’t panic. Kureishi doesn’t go down the sci-fi route here. Intrigued, as anyone would be, Adam accepts and decides to go for it (it being an operation but luckily we are spared the details).
A new body merits a new persona so Adam changes his name and decides to head off on a tour of Europe. He takes on odd jobs, befriends a group of film-makers, experiences drugs, wild passion and love. What makes the story so compelling is that we are never rid of Adam as there are constant references to his old self. Through the story we get a chance to understand the dualities of life and the complexities between relationships of the old and young and men and women.
Adam’s new body’s relationship with Patricia in particular makes for riveting reading. (I suspect Mr Kureishi will turn this novella into a film, as he did with My Son the Fanatic — and so he should.)
There are other equally poignant stories in this collection. “Goodbye Mother” was first published on Kureishi’s website as his first online short story. However, since online fiction reading never took off (remember the huge e-book hype that eventually fizzled out) Kureishi was smart to include this in The Body.
Kureishi touches on parent-children relationships also in “The Real Father”, about a man who is not looking forward to spending time with his son born out of a casual relationship years ago. He decides to take his son on a trip and they stay at a guest house. One night, the father slips out to the nearby bar where he meets up with some youngsters and after a few drinks, dances with them. He seems to lose himself in the dance and has a revelation of sorts that gives him insight into his relationship with his son. This could just be the finest story in the collection. When it comes to understanding complex relationships, Kureishi shines.
The story “Straight” comes across as a spoof on what is known in London as the “meeeeeja (media) crowd”. Centred around a regular party animal, Brett, who has a minor accident on the way to the club, the story is, at times, wildly funny. Because of the accident, Brett chooses not to drink or do drugs but his posse thinks that he is nonetheless high. He is, however, as the title states, “straight” and craving for normality. Kureishi comes across as the master story teller on identity-related issues with this one. Like Adam, Brett too seems to want to escape his past and is trying to deal with a transformation.
A slightly more weepy story is “Remember This Moment, Remember Us” where a couple video tape a message for their son to watch on his 45th birthday, thinking they will be dead. It may sound overly sentimental or something more suited for day time television soap operas but don’t be put off by its emotional description. It is a very powerful piece of writing.
With The Body, Kureishi proves just why he has been hailed, once again, as one of the finest short story writers in Britain. It truly is a must read.
The Body
By Hanif Kureishi
Available at Liberty Books (Pvt) Ltd, 3 Rafiq Plaza, M.R. Kayani Road, Saddar, Karachi Tel: 021-5683026.
Email: libooks@cyber.net.pk Website:
www.libertybooks.com
ISBN 0-571-20972-6. 266pp. Rs995
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