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Collected Stories
Over the course of the last 12 years, Hanif Kureishi has written short fiction. The stories are, by turns, provocative, erotic, tender, funny and charming as they deal with the complexities of relationships as well as the joys of children. This collection contains his controversial story "Weddings and Beheadings", as well as his prophetic "My Son the Fanatic", which exposes the religious tensions within the muslim family unit. As with his novels and screenplays, Kureishi has his finger on the pulse of the political tensions in society and how they affect people's everyday lives.
671 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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About the author
Hanif Kureishi
128 books1,123 followersHanif Kureishi is the author of novels (including The Buddha of Suburbia, The Black Album and Intimacy), story collections (Love in a Blue Time, Midnight All Day, The Body), plays (including Outskirts, Borderline and Sleep With Me), and screenplays (including My Beautiful Laundrette, My Son the Fanatic and Venus). Among his other publications are the collection of essays Dreaming and Scheming, The Word and the Bomb and the memoir My Ear at His Heart.
Kureishi was born in London to a Pakistani father and an English mother. His father, Rafiushan, was from a wealthy Madras family, most of whose members moved to Pakistan after the Partition of India in 1947. He came to Britain to study law but soon abandoned his studies. After meeting and marrying Kureishi’s mother Audrey, Rafiushan settled in Bromley, where Kureishi was born, and worked at the Pakistan Embassy.
Kureishi attended Bromley Technical High School where David Bowie had also been a pupil and after taking his A levels at a local sixth form college, he spent a year studying philosophy at Lancaster University before dropping out. Later he attended King’s College London and took a degree in philosophy. In 1985 he wrote My Beautiful Laundrette, a screenplay about a gay Pakistani-British boy growing up in 1980’s London for a film directed by Stephen Frears. It won the New York Film Critics Best Screenplay Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay.
His book The Buddha of Suburbia (1990) won the Whitbread Award for the best first novel, and was also made into a BBC television series with a soundtrack by David Bowie. The next year, 1991, saw the release of the feature film entitled London Kills Me; a film written and directed Kureishi.
His novel Intimacy (1998) revolved around the story of a man leaving his wife and two young sons after feeling physically and emotionally rejected by his wife. This created certain controversy as Kureishi himself had recently left his wife and two young sons. It is assumed to be at least semi-autobiographical. In 2000/2001 the novel was loosely adapted to a movie Intimacy by Patrice Chéreau, which won two Bears at the Berlin Film Festival: a Golden Bear for Best Film, and a Silver Bear for Best Actress (Kerry Fox). It was controversial for its unreserved sex scenes. The book was translated into Persian by Niki Karimi in 2005.
He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours.
Kureishi is married and has a pair of twins and a younger son.
Kureishi was born in London to a Pakistani father and an English mother. His father, Rafiushan, was from a wealthy Madras family, most of whose members moved to Pakistan after the Partition of India in 1947. He came to Britain to study law but soon abandoned his studies. After meeting and marrying Kureishi’s mother Audrey, Rafiushan settled in Bromley, where Kureishi was born, and worked at the Pakistan Embassy.
Kureishi attended Bromley Technical High School where David Bowie had also been a pupil and after taking his A levels at a local sixth form college, he spent a year studying philosophy at Lancaster University before dropping out. Later he attended King’s College London and took a degree in philosophy. In 1985 he wrote My Beautiful Laundrette, a screenplay about a gay Pakistani-British boy growing up in 1980’s London for a film directed by Stephen Frears. It won the New York Film Critics Best Screenplay Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay.
His book The Buddha of Suburbia (1990) won the Whitbread Award for the best first novel, and was also made into a BBC television series with a soundtrack by David Bowie. The next year, 1991, saw the release of the feature film entitled London Kills Me; a film written and directed Kureishi.
His novel Intimacy (1998) revolved around the story of a man leaving his wife and two young sons after feeling physically and emotionally rejected by his wife. This created certain controversy as Kureishi himself had recently left his wife and two young sons. It is assumed to be at least semi-autobiographical. In 2000/2001 the novel was loosely adapted to a movie Intimacy by Patrice Chéreau, which won two Bears at the Berlin Film Festival: a Golden Bear for Best Film, and a Silver Bear for Best Actress (Kerry Fox). It was controversial for its unreserved sex scenes. The book was translated into Persian by Niki Karimi in 2005.
He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours.
Kureishi is married and has a pair of twins and a younger son.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 21, 2015
These stories are like a combination of fine moistured frenzies. We all have them, we all dwell about our life, we all have that schizoid outbreaks when the moon is full, when we worry, when everything is all too much, and all too much is sometimes more connected with no money than with any other need but what can you do.
Life is not flawless, you cannot just play ostrich’s hide and seek game or put yourself under your duvet and cry yourself to sleep. I mean, of course you can, but until when to be depressed, unsatisfied and with no lust for life.
These stories are little gems, they have that quality where you always find yourself within them. They are very observative and very much emphatic. Toward existence, because you can watch the Universe and think romantically a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but let's face it, it takes guts to live life.
And Hanif Kureishi is mmmmmmmmm, just so prosaically edible in his drilling of everyday human psyche and everything that comes from the normal bipolar scale that we all go through.
Life is not flawless, you cannot just play ostrich’s hide and seek game or put yourself under your duvet and cry yourself to sleep. I mean, of course you can, but until when to be depressed, unsatisfied and with no lust for life.
These stories are little gems, they have that quality where you always find yourself within them. They are very observative and very much emphatic. Toward existence, because you can watch the Universe and think romantically a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but let's face it, it takes guts to live life.
And Hanif Kureishi is mmmmmmmmm, just so prosaically edible in his drilling of everyday human psyche and everything that comes from the normal bipolar scale that we all go through.
December 17, 2010
Wow, he likes to write about all things taboo... at first I was put off by many of the stories and characters, but now that I know that each story will have something off color in it, I am enjoying the read and the reflections and insights that all of the flawed characters experience. Even in a short story of fewer than 10 pages, the characters come alive with a depth that makes you think you know where they are coming from and where they are going. Pretty impressive.
August 7, 2016
A superb outlook at ordinary lives, not so ordinary lives, taboos and guilt/non guilt issues. Hanif delivers magic and lets you identify yourself in some of the characters and tales he has penned. Truly remarkable.
June 12, 2021
A marvelous collection of stories by a master of prose and observation. Kureishi presents a sometimes unsettling vision of humanity, our relationships and the lies we tell ourselves. The vision is often bleak, but ultimately unmissable.
August 28, 2017
Always a fave writer of mine. Wonderful collection. South London meets Camus!
July 19, 2014
Awesome. Really enjoyed that.
March 20, 2021
I came across Hanif Kureishi's name in Brown Baby: A Memoir of Race, Family and Home by Nikesh Shukla, and when I looked him up I realised that a few of his books had recently been added to my library's ebook shelves. I decided to give him a try, so chose these Collected Stories. I didn't realise how long the book was until I started reading, so it took me longer to read than I had expected, but I still think I made the right choice.
Every time I read a collection of short stories, I'm reminded of how much I like them and left wondering why I don't read more. Reading Kureishi's Collected Stories felt like being able to inhabit temporarily the lives of all these different people. I feel almost as if I know them. There are certain themes Kureishi returns to across the collection, but very few stories feel like a repetition. I liked some more than others, and was bowled over by the ingenuity of a couple of them. But it was the realism that impressed me the most, and I love knowing that I will be left with the memories of these stories, as if they were the stories of people I know, or experiences I encountered. This is definitely a book I recommend, and I am grateful to Nikesh Shukla for introducing me to its author.
Every time I read a collection of short stories, I'm reminded of how much I like them and left wondering why I don't read more. Reading Kureishi's Collected Stories felt like being able to inhabit temporarily the lives of all these different people. I feel almost as if I know them. There are certain themes Kureishi returns to across the collection, but very few stories feel like a repetition. I liked some more than others, and was bowled over by the ingenuity of a couple of them. But it was the realism that impressed me the most, and I love knowing that I will be left with the memories of these stories, as if they were the stories of people I know, or experiences I encountered. This is definitely a book I recommend, and I am grateful to Nikesh Shukla for introducing me to its author.
December 5, 2021
Roy said, 'I feel a failure. It's hard to live with. Most people do it. I suppose they have to find other sources of pride. But what - gardening? Christ. Everything is suddenly gone down. How am I going to cheer myself up?'
'Pride?' Jimmy sneered. 'It's a privilege of the complacent. What a stupid illusion.'
'You would think that.'
'Why would I?'
'You have always been a failure. You have never had any expectations to feel let down about.'
'Me?' Jimmy was incredulous. 'But I have.'
That's a fragment from this absurd, funny, full of dirt, wisdom and strayed life book by Hanif Kureishi.
Not everyone can tolerate it because it can dissect you inside our of your fears and desires.
But always a great one to return to again and again.
Some stories are too good including 'In a Blue Time', 'My Son The Fanatic', 'Midnight All Day' and 'Goodbye, Mother'.
#hanifkureishi
#collectedstories
#inabluetime
#book
#wisdom
#absurdity
#life
'Pride?' Jimmy sneered. 'It's a privilege of the complacent. What a stupid illusion.'
'You would think that.'
'Why would I?'
'You have always been a failure. You have never had any expectations to feel let down about.'
'Me?' Jimmy was incredulous. 'But I have.'
That's a fragment from this absurd, funny, full of dirt, wisdom and strayed life book by Hanif Kureishi.
Not everyone can tolerate it because it can dissect you inside our of your fears and desires.
But always a great one to return to again and again.
Some stories are too good including 'In a Blue Time', 'My Son The Fanatic', 'Midnight All Day' and 'Goodbye, Mother'.
#hanifkureishi
#collectedstories
#inabluetime
#book
#wisdom
#absurdity
#life
May 14, 2019
Easily one of the best short story collections I've read in recent times. Hanif Kureishi is a surprise bundle of varied emotions and personalities penned to perfection. After Chekhov, this is a refreshing new age of tales.
June 19, 2022
Modern gossip. Not really my style, but the short story "My Son the Fanatic" is and stays a beauty pearl !
Read
August 31, 2022read ‘weddings & beheadings’
July 9, 2023
Qualche racconto meno riuscito ma comunque una splendida raccolta
April 5, 2016
I've cheated a little bit here as the majority of Hanif Kureishi's Collected Stories I've read when they were first published (the earliest ones here are nearly - *gulp* 20 years old) so I've only read the 8 new pieces which come in at less than 100 pages. As per most short stories, it's all about the style rather than the substance. Most of these aren't bad, although he does betray a liking for youthful idealists going to seed and succumbing to middle class aspirations or stories about old friends/lovers (and there were quite a few of these in the older short story collections as well). The best story is the last one 'A Terrible Story' about two middle aged men meeting to discuss bad news. I'll probably always read everything Kureishi publishes if I'm honest. Even though I might grumble about quality, I've read him for so long now that he's become a bit like a band you love: you need to own everything...
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May 2, 2011Libro molto potente. Per essere una raccolta di racconti, poi, ancora più sorprendente. Nel senso che in una raccolta di racconti è più difficile vedere distese certe leve, quel respiro lungo che invece è proprio del romanzo.
Inoltre, il talento incredibile di Kureishi spesso nasconde persino la grande tecnica che invece c'è in racconti tanto perfetti, a volte algidi, a volte fortemente disturbanti. E su tutto svetta la solitudine fortissima di questi inglesi post-tutto: l'ambiente ricorrente è quello della borghesia intellettuale e la devastazione è davvero inquietante.
Continua su
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Inoltre, il talento incredibile di Kureishi spesso nasconde persino la grande tecnica che invece c'è in racconti tanto perfetti, a volte algidi, a volte fortemente disturbanti. E su tutto svetta la solitudine fortissima di questi inglesi post-tutto: l'ambiente ricorrente è quello della borghesia intellettuale e la devastazione è davvero inquietante.
Continua su
http://ghettodeilettori.blogspot.com/...
November 30, 2013
Hanif Kureishi is one of the best writers I have ever read till date.
Surely enough, he was listed as one of the top fifty writers of all time, no wonder. He writes all kinds of genres, ranging from Taboos to controversial Religious affairs to ordinary happenings in an English household.
The thing he adds to paper when he write is the way he delves into your soul and moves it. Very rare.
The best two stories I found in this book were the turd and the schlong
Yes very provocative, yet extremely interesting reads
This is my first review/opinion so don't take it too personally
Surely enough, he was listed as one of the top fifty writers of all time, no wonder. He writes all kinds of genres, ranging from Taboos to controversial Religious affairs to ordinary happenings in an English household.
The thing he adds to paper when he write is the way he delves into your soul and moves it. Very rare.
The best two stories I found in this book were the turd and the schlong
Yes very provocative, yet extremely interesting reads
This is my first review/opinion so don't take it too personally
May 28, 2013
Best part about these short stories are I could never guess where it was leading to . With simple,subtle twists coming along in just the few lines , you never know and you reach the end of the story.
June 15, 2015
Decided not to finish this book. The stories are OK even if the scenarios and the characters are all very similar. In the end just felt life's too short to read any more!
Read
July 29, 2011Déclin de l'Occident... ou de l'Angleterre?
October 9, 2013
his prose is as good as mcewan's...in fact his short stories are much like mcewan's first 2 collections...i am amazed that hanif kureishi's writing is not as well known as it deserves to be...
February 8, 2015
bad choice...total waste of time
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews