Gabriel's Gift

by Hanif Kureishi

Gabriel's father, a washed-up rock musician, has been chucked out of the house. His mother works nights in a pub and sleeps days. Navigating his way through the shattered world of his parents' generation, Gabriel dreams of being an artist. He finds solace and guidance through a mysterious connection to his deceased twin brother, Archie, and his own knack for producing real objects simply by drawing them.
A chance visit with mega-millionaire rock star Lester Jones, his father's former band mate, provides Gabriel with the means to heal the rift within his family. Kureishi portrays Gabriels' naive hope and artistic aspirations with the same insight and searing honesty that he brought to the Indian-Anglo experience in The Buddha of Suburbia and to infidelity in Intimacy. Gabriel's Gift is a humorous and tender meditation on failure, redemption, the nature of talent, the power of imagination--and a generation that never wanted to grow up, seen through the eyes of their children.

Genres: Fiction, British Literature, Contemporary, 21st Century, Literature, Coming Of Age, Magical Realism

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Hanif 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.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Gabriel's Gift tells the story of 15-year old Gabriel, whose parents had just separated and now has to deal not only with being a teenager, but also his parents problems. Gabriel was born a twin but when he was a toddler his twin brother Archie died of meningitis. Now that he is a teenager his relation to his parents is not an easy one. Sometimes he feels that he is really loved and cared for but at others he it feels like he is the grown up one. Things shift when a famous pop star gives Gabriel a picture drawn by himself, both of his parents seem determined on having it for themselves.

Hanif Kureishi is a well respected author. His screenplay 'My Beautiful Laundrette' received an Oscar nomination, and one of the characters from that novel, Karim, even makes a cameo appearance here but somehow I just missed the whole point of this one and it was a disappointment to me.

In some respects, the story is a good one, focusing as it does on the post-60s generation. Both of Gabriel's parents could be seen as being both comic and 'cool'. His father Rex, was once the bass player for 70s rock idol Lester Jones who was ousted from the band not because of any creative arguments or lack of talent but due to a freak accident, (he fell off his platform shoes breaking an ankle). But he starts the book as a work-shy layabout living in a squalid bed-sit. Nor was his transformation from loser to inspired music teacher terribly believable. Meanwhile his mother Christine, a one-time seamstress to pop stars, is now a waitressing 'party girl' bringing home a string of men-friends. In the end both simply come across as selfish, wallowing in nostalgia and bemoaning missed opportunities. Unfortunately Gabriel's character never really develops enough to carry the weight of the story.

The narrative slips inconsistently between first and third person but my biggest issue was that I never really worked out what the 'Gift' in the title referred to. Was it Gabriel’s ability to bring his drawings to life, which simply peters out without explanation? Or was the Gift the picture that Lester Jones gave him? Or was it his hinted at, artistic genius? In truth I'm not sure just why this is on the 1001 list.

[Payam Ebrahimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

اول از همه این‌که بنظرم این کتاب، رمان نوجوانه. اینکه نشر «برج» کتاب رو منتشر کرده احتمالا به این خاطر بوده که کتاب مجوز نوجوان یا حتی جوان نمیگیره.
در کل خوش‌خوان و روون و جذاب بود. شخصیت‌ها واقعا عالی بودن و می‌تونستم با تک‌تکشون همراه شم. اما اون‌حجمی از خوش‌بینی که نویسنده با چنین پایان خوش و خندان و شنگولی می‌خواست القا کنه واقعاً اذیتم کرد. ۳/۵ شاید امتیاز دقیقم باشه و‌اگر این پایان خوش رو نداشت قطعا بیشتر هم می‌تونست بشه.

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an intriguing read (though it could've used about 50 more pages - never thought I'd say that), but I'm not wild about it. Things move too quickly; we see cause or effect but seldom both; everything seems slightly off-kilter. Gabriel reads too young for me, especially if he grew up surrounded by musicians and their groupies. Other characters - and the narrator - kept telling me Gabriel is precocious, but I never saw it.

I was also depressed by the narrowness that surrounded "dreaming big." For Kureishi, you aren't "dreaming big" until you're dreaming of being a famous (not even necessarily good) film director, or a famous musician, or a teacher of famous musicians, or the owner of a restaurant catering to famous musicians and movie stars - the usual starf*cker crap. Kureishi wants to espouse chasing ambitions beyond the ordinary, but he defines worthy ambitions so narrowly for his characters that they end up seeming more trapped than the "losers" they leave behind. If this were a conscious authorial decision, I would think it was great, but it comes off the page as honestly the way the author feels: either you're a big pop or film star, or you're nobody at all. By that definition, he wouldn't even consider himself to be "someone."

[Shamim E. Haque · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good book, but like me if you have read the earlier outputs- The Buddha of Suburbia (1990) and Intimacy (1998)- Gabriel's Gift will appear quite boring at times. The fun, the intelligence, and the bon mot that make those works so endearing is conspicuously absent in Gabriel's Gift. The novel nevertheless deals with an interesting theme, and will often treat you with lucid insights on family life, creativity, discipline and the angst to which young adults and their middle aged parents are often prey to. Hanif Kureishi is an original voice, and that is why I gave this novel 4 stars.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is fine, the plot vapid, and the main character unconvincing (he's supposed to be fifteen, but thirteen would be more like it). The device of the ghost of the deceased twin is downright silly. The female in the tale, the mother, doesn't jell. All in all, read Hornby's About a Boy: it's better.

[أحمد شاكر · Rating 3 out of 5]

حنيف كتب قصة فيلم. لذا كانت النهاية تليق بفيلم اجتماعي أكثر من رواية. طبعا، شغل الحوار مساحة شاسعة من الرواية. وتتالي المشاهد، على امتداد فصولها، بصورة واضحة، يؤكد ذلك. في النهاية، لو تعاملت مع الحكاية كفيلم أو تعاملت معها كرواية، ستخرج بفائدة. حيث يستعيد قريشي أجواء الفن في الستينات الصاخبة، ويتتبع مسار عائلة غابرييل..
مثلا، في الفصل الثالث يتوقف حنيف، عند معنى (الموهبة والخيال والإمكانيات الشخصية)، وكيف يتغير قدر الإنسان بامتلاكه لها. تلك الأشياء العصية على التفسير أو الفهم: فحتى الآن لم يتوصل أحد لمعرفة كيف تعمل أو تنشأ الموهبة، مثلها مثل الحب، لا يمكن قسرها أو حصرها، أو تحويلها لشخص آخر. ومع ذلك فهي تحتاج إلى رعاية خاصة وتغذية مستمرة لتبقى النار مشتعلة. يقول بشارة الخوري: إن المواهب لا فضل لصاحبها/ كالصوت للطير، أو كالنفح للزهر. وفي حوار بين غابرييل وليستر العازف الموهوب الناجح (صديق والده)، يذكر ليستر لغابرييل الذي يحاول الرسم، الفرق بين المقلد والمبدع: (.. إذا نسخت وحسب بقصد التكرار فلن تكون قد فعلت شيئا). طبعا، سيستمر الحوار حول الواقع والخيال والحلم والتلاشي وكيف يحفظنا الفن من اجتياح السأم. وكيف نبقى مؤمنين بأنفسنا قبل أن نحرز أي نجاح. وقلق الفنان من الحفاظ على ما تحقق من مستوى.

[Mariele · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started to read this book not knowing anything about the author or what the story would be about (the blurb was very formulaic). I chose it mainly because it was short, and it took me only three days to finish it. I am now going to ramble a bit, collecting my thoughts on the book.

Reading along, i wondered where the book was meant to be going. Gabriel, the eponymous main character is a London teenager, an only child whose parents, washed up 70s hipsters, have just separated. In the second chapter, Gabriel meets an uber pop star that his father used to tour with back in the days. It was fairly obvious that this musician is supposed to be David Bowie.
At around the same time I was reading this book I noticed that David Bowie has a new album out; there had been advertisement for it flashing up on my Amazon page. I thought, well, I am probably going to buy it, most likely as soon as it goes on sale. And I went to my CD shelf, pulling out some of my old Bowie CDs. I also wondered how he might be these days, "he is getting old, isn't he", I thought. The first time I came across David Bowie was in his guise as Jareth, the goblin king. That was in the late 80s, and I was maybe ten when I saw it for the first time, on videotape at a friend's house. Nevertheless, with that film, David Bowie would forever define "sexy villain" for me. In the 90s, I listened to a lot of his music, both old and recent. And I always liked him as as an actor. Let me just drop the key word "The Hunger" - one of the best vampire films ever.
Doing some research, I found out that both Bowie and Kureishi went to the same school in south London (possibly not at the same time though, as Kureishi is 8 years younger).

What I didn't realize was that David's new CD was released on his 69th birthday, January 8 (Friday). I finished the book on Sunday. Monday morning, before I left the house, I heard it on the news that David Bowie had died. Sometimes coincidences can be so eery. I have to admit that I cried quite a bit that day. I don't remember a time when the death of someone I have never met made me feel such a personal loss.

But back to the book. So not worth reading. The David Bowie character is a mere ploy who remains unimportant for the remainder of the story. More importantly, what exactly is Gabriel's gift? There is one scene in which he draws a pair of shoes and in a flicker of magical realism makes them thereby appear. This, however, remains unexplained, understated and stays unmentioned for the rest of the book. Further vaguenesses accumulate. Gabriel has conversations with his dead twin, who died as a little boy. This, too, stays underdeveloped and stale, it remains a faded idea of the invisible friend type that some kids have. In the end, it's a generic story about a kid whose parents split up, a story that has very little to say and that ends with a foreseeable happy ending. Seriously, what was Kureishi thinking when he wrote this? This was my first book by this author, and now I wonder whether I can take him seriously as a writer. Are any of his books worth reading?

To me, this novel seemed like such a waste of time, no matter how quickly I had been finished with it.

[Ferris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved Kureishi's writing. In a matter of a few sentences the reader is whisked into the mind and heart of an adolescent boy trying to understand the rollercoaster which is life. At the core of this novella is the question of how to hold onto imagination? How to hold onto losses...a twin, a marriage, the truth, ideals? Wonderfully crafted, this book is a gem!

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabriel is 15 and his parents have just split up so he is coming to terms with his mother enjoying her new found freedom and leaving him under the watchful eyes of Hannah the au pair.

This was a quirky coming of age story with some interesting ideas about art and identity but I found the delivery quite patchy. Gabriel often seems much younger than 15, particularly in his relationship with his mother, while at other times he acts a parent to his own father. He’s not really a convincing character, but I enjoyed some of the situations he found himself in, particularly in the early days of his father’s estrangement from the family.

The book is also about artists - painters, filmmakers, musicians - and their commitment to their art. Gabriel has to find a way to put his ideas and ambitions into practice, and his father has to come to terms with being an ageing rocker. I particularly enjoyed this aspect, but felt the short length of novel meant it wasn’t really explored in enough depth and the effect was to suggest a rather superficial notion of success that is too easily obtained.

[dete · Rating 2 out of 5]

В града вече се заселваха не само имигранти от бившите колонии, а и от други страни, имаше представители на всички раси и те живееха врата до врата, без постоянно да се избиват едни други. Този нов международен град на име Лондон горе-долу се крепеше, без да бъде обхващан от прекомерна анархия или корупция. Вероятността обаче да те разберат в който и да било магазин беше малка. Татко веднъж се оплака: „Последния път, когато бях на бръснар, си излязох с една купа кускус, половин грам кока и подстрижка втори номер. А влязох само да се обръсна!“
...............

Ако не те намушкат по пътя, на ъгъла можеше да попаднеш на прецизен специалист по акупунктура или да вземеш под наем филм със субтитри. В най-новите ресторанти менюто беше непроизносимо и разправяха, че хората си носят речници, като ходят на вечеря.
.............................

Защо човек мисли, че е в състояние да постигне нещо? Само защото някой вярва в него.
...................

От четиринайсетгодишна възраст татко свиреше в доста дългокоси, късокоси, а сега предимно плешиви банди.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this short novel about how a young man eventually brings his parents back together after it looked like there was little hope for the parents or the family as a whole. Gabriel is a talented artist and wants to be a film maker. His father is a washed up guitar player who once played with one of the greats in the 1970s (Lester Jones) until he broke his ankle by falling off his platform shoes! At a chance meeting with Lester, Gabriel is given a drawing by Lester which turns out to be a turning point for the family. Along the way, Gabriel's father turns to teaching guitar and pulls himself from the bottom. The background of the story includes a lot of rock and roll nostalgia and British pop society which I thought was fascinating at times. Overall, I enjoyed this one and would recommend it.

[عبدالله ناصر · Rating 4 out of 5]

ليس ثمة كاتب أجدر بوصف السهل الممتنع أكثر من حنيف. هو يكتب ببساطة و بتقنية عالية و ما أصعب الدمج بينهما. و على الرغم من إسرافه بالاستعانة بمفردات بذيئة و أفكار منحطة أحياناً إلا أنّ حسناته تتغلب بسهولة على هذا الانفلات. هذه الرواية الرابعة التي أقرأها له و كم تمضي الصفحات بسلاسة. الكتاب الجيّد هو مايشعرك بالفرح و الأسى حال انتهائه و قد فعلت هدية غابرييل ذلك.

[Katie Grainger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Gabriel's Gift to be an interesting story. Gabriel is a 15 year old boy who is left at home with his mum when his parents spilt up. As Gabriel gets to grips with his new life he turns to the support of his dead twin brother who speaks to him and guides him through a number of situations. Gabriel's father turns to drink while his mum goes slightly wilder, starts working in a bar and inviting all sorts of men back to the house.

It isn't until a chance meeting with an old rock star that life begins to make sense again for Gabriel's family and helps Gabriel to unlock his gift. This
is a really interesting novel which takes a snapshot of family life and explores what happens when things break down. I think my only problem with this was I felt that Gabriel's didn't seem to be 15 I found it hard to imagine him as that age, to me he seemed younger, however maybe this was the point as by the end of the novel Gabriel has grown up and is following his dreams. I really enjoyed this story, Kureishi is a great writer who can definitely construct an excellent story. I enjoyed this different little tale.

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A child's view of the world makes ordinary occurances and typical family drama seem new and exciting, and it is clear that Kureishi has drawn upon this technique to drive his story of a torn family. The parental figures are typical washouts from 1960s-era London whose surprise at finding how mundane and unsuccessful their lives are makes them bitter and self-loathing, but through Gabiel's eyes they are just his parents. He may not fully grasp why they are such children, but he knows that he must not be like them at all costs. He must find his passion and utilize his talent so that his life doesn't default to somewhere boring and unfulfilling. Overall, this was a very interesting read, but I'm still not quite sure how old Gabriel is, since people treat him like a young child, but he acts and thinks like a much older teenager.

[کتاب‌فام · Rating 4 out of 5]

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🔶در دهه‌های ۶۰ و ۷۰ بریتانیا نیز مانند آمریکا مملو از بچه‌هایی بود که آرزو داشتند هیچ‌گاه بزرگ نشوند و این امر محقق می‌شد اگر اینان دست به "تخم‌ریزی" نمی‌زدند و این شوخی تاریک ملایمی‌ست که در دل «اگر گابریل نبود" نهفته است.
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🔶«اگر گابریل نبود» چهارمین رمانی‌ست که در طی یک دهه گذشته از «حنیف قریشی» منتشر می‌شود که در آن «قریشی» مجددن به کمدی سیاه خود بازمی‌گردد و علاوه بر عنصر نژادی، همان خط سیر آثار قبلی‌اش را در آن دنبال می‌کند. این رمان به خوبی فاصله‌اش را با امر اجتماعی و سیاسی حفظ می‌کند و از طریق تجربیات یک دانش‌آموز ۱۵ساله لندنی، مشکلات خانوادگی و جنجال بین والدین، به فرصتی برای اثبات استقلال هنری تبدیل می‌شود. سبک نوشتاری «قریشی» برای صحنه و پرده سینما در مجموعه‌نگاره‌های برجسته‌ای که این رمان را تشکیل می‌دهند، کاملن مشهود است: دلپذیر، مطمئن و منعکس‌کننده خود. «قریشی» همیشه یکی انسان‌گرای دونبش بوده است؛ نویسنده‌ای که در کاراکترهایش همیشه به دنبال تیزی‌ها و لکه‌هایشان بوده تا موارد کسل‌کننده دیگری همچون کمال و یا قابل پیش‌بینی بودن و این چیزی‌ست که در «اگر گابریل نبود» پیداست و همین است که این اثر را سنگین‌تر و شاید زشت‌تر از دیگر آثارش بکند. همه باید در نهایت خود را با دنیای غیر مهمان‌نواز بزرگسالان وفق دهند، اما همیشه بخشی پنهانی از ما وجود دارد که از بزرگ شدن خودداری می‌کند. «اگر گابریل نبود» داستان بلوغی‌ست که نشان می‌دهد هیچ‌کس شاید واقعن به بلوغ نمی‌رسد و این خیلی دلخراش است.
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🔶«گابریل» نوجوان ۱۵ساله‌ایست که سودای نقاشی و فیلم‌سازی را در سر می‌پروراند اما ناکامی پدر و مادرش در حفظ زندگی‌شان باعث می‌شود که «گابریل» به تخیل و گاه هم‌صحبتی برادر مرده‌اش پناه برد.
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🔶با تمام شوخ‌طبعی و نبوغش، در «اگر گابریل نبود» نوعی بی‌حسّی وجود دارد. آن ضربه روحی و اضطرابی که برای عمل قاطعانه‌ی «گابریل» ضروری‌ست، به‌طور مؤثر توسط سبک قابل پیش‌بینی «قریشی» سانسور شده است. درد تشریح می‌شود اما هرگز بیخته نمی‌شود و مدام با حواس‌پرتی‌های جدید کند می‌شود. این رمان بر خلاف ماهیت پوسته‌دار و پیکارسک رمان‌های قبلی «قریشی»، در رگه‌ای رؤیایی و امپرسیونیستی عمل می‌کند. با این حال، در پشت بی‌هنر بودن ظاهری، این تصویری زیرکانه و تخیلی از قدرت شفابخش هنر است، یک مراقبه طنزآمیز و لطیف در مورد شکست، رستگاری، ماهیت استعداد، قدرت تخیل، و دیده شدن نسلی است که هرگز نمی‌خواستند بزرگ شوند، از چشم فرزندانشان.

[Greta Rase · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5
Lo cierto es que no es un libro inolvidable, pero he disfrutado mucho de varias cosas del texto. La historia gira en torno a Gabriel, un adolescente que se encuentra en medio de una ruptura: su madre corrió a su padre de la casa, ahora esta forzado a tener una niñera todo el tiempo con él y básicamente está ensimismado en intentar arreglar la situación de sus padres. Es importante anotar que su padre fue un músico exitoso en algún momento hasta que un accidente lo sacó del foco, y Gabriel mismo disfruta de la pintura, la fotografía y el cine. Es un libro curioso, que reflexiona alrededor del arte, de los sueños perdidos, del revelarse ante la autoridad, quizá de esa transgresión innata que el arte siempre busca. Con personajes curiosos parece retratar un Londres como núcleo de la posmodernidad: donde los 60’s son un recuerdo brillante en medio de un gris de sueños rotos. También siento que hay una reflexión alrededor de la idea de que nada es original hoy en día, no solo a través de lo que hace Gabriel con un cuadro (por el cual se llama así la novela entre otras cosas) sino porque el mismo Gabriel tuvo un gemelo, Archie, idéntico a si mismo y muerto en su infancia, pero con el que el parece entablar conversaciones internas. Es una historia curiosa, no sé a quién la recomendaría, chance a alguien snob.

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trust Kureishi to write a story where the protagonist is a precocious teenager that does not put my teeth on edge. He also dialled down his dialogue-driven and very theatre stage-feeling storytelling to fit with the 'different' topic - it works beautifully. My 5-star is probably rounded up - it didn't blow me away, but it's a very well crafted and irresistible book, I couldn't wait to find out the next development of the realistically crooked storylines and what would happen to the well developed characters.

I realise I said nothing about what it's about - you'll just have to read it I guess.

[Avery · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most lighthearted of Kureishi’s books that I’ve read so far, “Gabriel’s Gift” shows us former hippies and rockstars in a post-Thatcher London through a set of sweet and precocious young eyes.

An intelligent, observant, and pleasant read.

[sol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acute understanding of teenage relationships, really liked the authors writing style.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an unusual book about a 15 year old boy and his family and friends. I found it charming and quirky; strange in places but always entertaining.

[Beritan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gabriels magt over tjenestepigen Hannah var vældig fascinerende.

[Tariq Mahmood · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Gabriel's dad, Hanif creates a character which has to be loved by every kid. Popular, charismatic, icononic, rebel, and most of all someone who has seems to have a lot more time than others. In short, Gabriel's dad is a classic nurturer and a groomer. Someone who should be present as one of the many role models in every kids life. Someone who is courageous enough to go against the grain, and at the same time deflecting the resulting opprobrium with the ease of a sage.

And in Gabriel's mother he creates a figure which every kid deserves as well. Hardworking, resolute, fighter, realist and someone with the most natural and perennial fear for the future. I guess the only major incompatibility between his parents was their approach to future. Dad could not see it and mom saw it all the times as a huge monster. I personally feel that an ideal personality should have a realistic fear of the future, not deny or completely embrace it.

Trouble is the novel has no story at all. It doesn't go anywhere, no it does, in circles, over and over again. The characters were too steeped in the art world for me to relate therefore I gave up near the end for I knew the end. It's a relatively poor effort from Hanif.

[Shovelmonkey1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took less than a day to read and while it was diverting, well written and pleasantly readable it wasn't exactly mind blowing and I'm not really sure why it has a place on the 1001 books list.
The story follows the lives of Gabriel, who still communicates with his dead twin Archie, and Gabriel's life which is dominated by the trial and tribulations of his parents whose 1960's peace love and music ethos is now out of step with the modern world. His father, Rex is a talented mucisian who missed the fame boat and now wallows at the bottom of a pint glass and his mother is long suffering and seeking romance and reassurance although preferably not with Gabriel's father.

[Maryann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gabriel is a teenager whose parents aren't getting along. He's an artist who speaks to his dead twin brother. His dad was a rock star of a little fame. Gabriel doesn't like the au pair his mother has hired to watch over him.

Seems like disjointed facts, right? Yeah. The book kind of clunks along, and stuff happens with a few moments of feeling, but overall, it was just okay. None of the characters was developed enough to feel believable, especially Gabriel. He was inconsistent and it made it difficult for me really get into the story. I wanted more, and was left unsatisfied.

Food: a strawberry Pop Tart. Not actual strawberries, and not enough to be a real meal.

[Sve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was pretty impressed by Hanif Kureishi's novel "Intimacy"...And this one was just too bland. The story of Gabriel who communicates with his dead broter and his old-hippie dad was did not catch me. The whole feeling this book left was - oh well, it is ok - whatever happens - life goes on...even if you do not read me, it will be ok. Should I be giving it another chance?

[Kingfan30 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure I got it! The title implies that the main character has a gift. Early on it mentions he can turn pictures into reality, but then its never mentioned again, then he talks to his twin brother who died, but that never goes anywhere either. It's a fairly quick read and at times I felt sorry for the boy having parents like those, but it just fell a little flat for me.

[Jibran · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy reading Kureishi but this novel is a loose canon in his armory. The story of the gifted artistic boy at no point becomes an interesting story. The whole novel reads like starting phase of a promising story but it never takes off. There are inevitable glimpses of Kureishi's crisp and frank writing style, which I enjoyed, but other than that I'm afraid to say there's nothing more in it.

[zespri · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much to like about this book for me.

References to '70's music and pop culture

Quirky adolescent boy narrator who has a massive imagination

Very funny dialogue that had me smiling as I read

And a happy ever after ending

What more could you want??

[Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful read..

[Marcel · Rating 4 out of 5]

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🔶در دهه‌های ۶۰ و ۷۰ بریتانیا نیز مانند آمریکا مملو از بچه‌هایی بود که آرزو داشتند هیچ‌گاه بزرگ نشوند و این امر محقق می‌شد اگر اینان دست به "تخم‌ریزی" نمی‌زدند و این شوخی تاریک ملایمی‌ست که در دل «اگر گابریل نبود" نهفته است.
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🔶«اگر گابریل نبود» چهارمین رمانی‌ست که در طی یک دهه گذشته از «حنیف قریشی» منتشر می‌شود که در آن «قریشی» مجددن به کمدی سیاه خود بازمی‌گردد و علاوه بر عنصر نژادی، همان خط سیر آثار قبلی‌اش را در آن دنبال می‌کند. این رمان به خوبی فاصله‌اش را با امر اجتماعی و سیاسی حفظ می‌کند و از طریق تجربیات یک دانش‌آموز ۱۵ساله لندنی، مشکلات خانوادگی و جنجال بین والدین، به فرصتی برای اثبات استقلال هنری تبدیل می‌شود. سبک نوشتاری «قریشی» برای صحنه و پرده سینما در مجموعه‌نگاره‌های برجسته‌ای که این رمان را تشکیل می‌دهند، کاملن مشهود است: دلپذیر، مطمئن و منعکس‌کننده خود. «قریشی» همیشه یکی انسان‌گرای دونبش بوده است؛ نویسنده‌ای که در کاراکترهایش همیشه به دنبال تیزی‌ها و لکه‌هایشان بوده تا موارد کسل‌کننده دیگری همچون کمال و یا قابل پیش‌بینی بودن و این چیزی‌ست که در «اگر گابریل نبود» پیداست و همین است که این اثر را سنگین‌تر و شاید زشت‌تر از دیگر آثارش بکند. همه باید در نهایت خود را با دنیای غیر مهمان‌نواز بزرگسالان وفق دهند، اما همیشه بخشی پنهانی از ما وجود دارد که از بزرگ شدن خودداری می‌کند. «اگر گابریل نبود» داستانی بلوغی‌ست که نشان می‌دهد هیچ‌کس شاید واقعن به بلوغ نمی‌رسد و این خیلی دلخراش است.
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🔶«گابریل» نوجوان ۱۵ساله‌ایست که سودای نقاشی و فیلم‌سازی را در سر می‌پروراند اما ناکامی پدر و مادرش در حفظ زندگی‌شان باعث می‌شود که «گابریل» به تخیل و گاه هم‌صحبتی برادر مرده‌اش پناه برد.
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🔶با تمام شوخ‌طبعی و نبوغش، در «اگر گابریل نبود» نوعی بی‌حسّی وجود دارد. آن ضربه روحی و اضطرابی که برای عمل قاطعانه‌ی «گابریل» ضروری‌ست، به‌طور مؤثر توسط سبک قابل پیش‌بینی «قریشی» سانسور شده است. درد تشریح می‌شود اما هرگز بیخته نمی‌شود و مدام با حواس‌پرتی‌های جدید کند می‌شود. این رمان بر خلاف ماهیت پوسته‌دار و پیکارسک رمان‌های قبلی «قریشی»، در رگه‌ای رؤیایی و امپرسیونیستی عمل می‌کند. با این حال، در پشت بی‌هنر بودن ظاهری، این تصویری زیرکانه و تخیلی از قدرت شفابخش هنر است، یک مراقبه طنزآمیز و لطیف در مورد شکست، رستگاری، ماهیت استعداد، قدرت تخیل، و دیده شدن نسلی است که هرگز نمی‌خواستند بزرگ شوند، از چشم فرزندانشان.