The Exotic Rissole

by Tanveer Ahmed

At turns humorous, stirring, and bravely honest, this memoir considers what it means to grow up as a Bangladeshi-Australian in Sydney’s western suburbs. Eleven-year-old Tanveer Ahmed lives an unpredictable and very entertaining double life—sampling the delights of Aussie cuisine, joining a cricket team that gets mistaken for a terrorist group, and hosting a Bollywood-style game show. Offering insight into the immigrant experience, this book is about the unexpected stories that emerge when cultures clash and a blend of identities define a single individual.

Genres: Nonfiction, Book Club, Memoir, Biography, Australia

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

Reviews

[Kate]

This memoir found its way to my reading stack because it filled a gap in a reading challenge. Tanveer tells of his experiences growing up in a Bangladeshi family, in Australia. The family settled in Sydney's west, and the opening chapters focus on Tanveer's nervous start to school (when he had no English) to eventually finding a best mate, Daryl Lynch (Lynchy). Lynchy loved visiting the Ahmed house, where Tanveer's mother would feed him curries, but all Tanveer wanted was to visit Lynchy's, where rissoles were served. Finally his wish was granted -

We bit into them while sipping our SodaStream-manufactured soft drink. A rush came over me as I tasted the exotic, spice-free rissole bursting across my taste buds. It was worth the wait.

Tanveer's story is similar to that of many children of immigrants - pressure to succeed academically; to meet cultural expectations, despite having left Bangladesh as a 4yo and therefore not having full context; to make his family proud. Tanveer did well, winning a scholarship to a prestigious private school and going on to study medicine, eventually specialising in psychiatry. There were some 'wobbles' (according to his parents) - a brief foray into acting, and marriage to a woman who was not from Bangladesh. But the good outweighed the bad.

This book was published in 2011 and I found parts of it extremely dated. The language Tanveer uses to describe people is focused on appearance (lots of chubby/ obese/ fat people are mentioned) and the chapter on his residency in Alice Springs perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Aboriginal people. Other anecdotes are assumed humourous (notably the chapters on his cricket team and residency in a psychiatric hospital) but again, in 2024, are tone-deaf.

2/5 - overall, disappointing.

[Jackie]

This book was light, funny in parts and easy to read. Thought his story was somewhat tainted by several news' allegations of plagiarism regarding his work as a journalist.

[Grant Knuckles]

g'DAY... SEE YOU ROUND LIKE A RISSOLE ( j ) yASSMIN

[Suzanne]

If you enjoyed Ahn Do's "The Luckiest Refugee" you may like "The Exotic Rissole" by Tanveer Ahmed.

I drifted into the story of Tanny's life and enjoyed the story of his childhood and growing up in another culture in Australia.

Good book for someone trying to get back into reading as well as it's enjoyable and easy read and you feel that you get to be friends with Tanny.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader]

A fun, easily read memoir by a Bangladeshi born boy whose parents immigrated to Sydney, Australia when he was young.

The writing style is Australian, so it is straightforward and lightly humorous. The anecdotes are neat and the person writing has done some interesting stuff so a book well worth reading.

[Dinar]

The story tells of a normal Bengali family, who moved to an unknown world during troubled times for a better and secured future. Just to fit in they loose their religious and cultural values. But,still support each other trough good and bad times and adapts excellently in their present environment.

[Cathy]

I'm not usually much of a non-fiction reader, but this memoir was light funny and interesting. One very talented or driven person to become a psychiatrist and along the way dabble in stand up comedy and acting. Interesting insight into his experience as an immigrant. Fun easy read.

[Chantal]

Unfortunately, this memoir did not capture my imagination beyond Tanny's first few years in Australia. Simply written, eay to read, but a somewhat disjointed string of stories that didn't seem to go anywhere in particular.

[Chiro Pipashito T H]

Exotic rissole , written by Tanveer Ahmed, a prominent Australia of bangladeshi origin. The author is a psychiatrist, a comedian, TV personality, columnist and an aspiring politician. I read his memoir with a huge interest, and the book didn't disappoint me. It was very enjoyable.

[Linda]

Funny, sweetly self-deprecating, and touching.

[Priscilla]

On a par with Ahn Do's "Happiest Refugee" - very entertaining real-life story :)

[Rania T]

Self-indulgent memoir of a status-conscious Bangladeshi guy who will do anything to escape the 'evil clutches' of Western Sydney.

[Helen]

There are three things I will take away from this book. Taliban means student. Bangladesh is the size of Victoria with a population of 150m people. And I really want to go and visit Toongabbie.

[Carol]

An easy, fun read on a dull day.