The Buddha of SuburbiaThe Buddha of Suburbia
Score Modern
What it's about
Karim dreams of escaping his south London suburb for the bright lights of the city, but his father is no ordinary dad: he's "the buddha of suburbia," holding a circle of would-be mystics spellbound.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read.
You'll love it if you liked
White Teeth
The Catcher in the Rye
NWGood to know
It's a coming-of-age novel.
By the numbers
- Readers10 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller2 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #249 of the 260 young adult books we rank
- #1599 of the 1,647 modern books we rank
- #2987 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
The Help
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Young adult booksTop 25 · 260 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,647 ranked
Books of the 1990sTop 25 · 305 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedQuick answers
Is The Buddha of Suburbia worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,987 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 53.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Buddha of Suburbia about?
Karim dreams of escaping his south London suburb for the bright lights of the city, but his father is no ordinary dad: he's "the buddha of suburbia," holding a circle of would-be mystics spellbound.
How long does it take to read The Buddha of Suburbia?
About 9 hours (355 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Buddha of Suburbia?
If you liked it, try White Teeth by Zadie Smith, The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger or NW by Zadie Smith.