The Buddha of Suburbia is the debut novel by Pakistani-British writer Hanif Kureishi. First published in 1990, the story follows Karim, a mixed-race teenager living in South London. The story takes place in the 1970s, a time of radical change in the country. Karim is bored with his life on the city's fringes, and he's eager for experiences that will push him beyond his comfort zone. Karim's father works as a meditation and yoga instructor for affluent Londoners, which garners him the reputation of "Buddha." One day, Karim's father invites him to the home of one of his clients. This begins Karim's journey to venturing beyond his controlled surroundings. The protagonist soon encounters a slew of characters that expand his view of the world.
The Buddha of Suburbia touches on themes of infidelity, wealth, sexuality, immigration, and race in the context of 1970s United Kingdom. Kureishi's own experiences as a half-Pakistani, half-British teenager growing up in South London during the seventies profoundly influenced his narrative. The Buddha of Suburbia has been controversially labeled as semi-autobiographical, though Kureishi's sister, Yasmin, argued that many of the story's details are actually entirely fabricated. Kureishi has garnered criticism for the "overt" infusion of his personal life in his works. Kureishi's family specifically took issue with the "exploitative nature" of The Buddha of Suburbia, saying that Kureishi divulged private family matters without permission.
Following its release, The Buddha of Suburbia was praised for its frank depiction of a multicultural Britain. The novel was said to inspire other first-generation British writers, among them Zadie Smith, to write about the experience of growing up between multiple, disparate cultures. After its publication in 1990, The Buddha of Suburbia received the Whitbread Award for Best First Novel. In 2009, British literary magazine Wasafiri named the novel one of the most influential books of the previous quarter-century. The Buddha of Suburbia was later adapted into a BBC television series with a screenplay written by Kureishi himself.
