Buddha Da - Anne Donovan

Synopsis: In her hugely acclaimed debut Anne Donovan tells an endearing, humorous yet unsentimental story of a working-class Glaswegian man who discovers Buddhism, rejects old habits and seeks a life more meaningful, only to alienate his immediate family in the process. Moving seamlessly between three family members, Donovan's clear-eyed, richly expressive prose sings off the page. Each character's voice has its own subtle rhythm and the conclusion is a poignant mixture of hope and lingering reservations. "Buddha Da" is a delight from one of Britain's best writers.

Review: Very readable in a Roddy Doyle sort of way. The book focuses on three members of a scottish family, Dad Jimmy, Mum Liz and daughter Anne Marie (who's 12) and they alternately narrate each chapter. To start with I was a little bit daunted by the broad glaswegian dialect, it took some getting used to and I thought I wouldn't be able to understand it enough to enable me to enjoy the read but after a few pages I began to get their voices in my head (or in ma heid to be precise). This is a taster of what you're in for ....

'Ah'm just gaun doon the Buddhist Centre for a couple hours Liz, ah'll no be lang.' 'Aw aye, is there free bevy there?' 'Naw hen, ah'm serious. Just thought ah'd go and have a wee meditate, try it oot, know?' Mammy turnt roond fae the washin up, and gied him wanny they looks, wanny they 'whit's he up tae noo?' looks ah'd seen a million times afore. 'Jimmy, d'you think ma heid buttons up the back? Yer a heathen. The last time ye set fit in a chapel wis when yer daddy died. the time afore that was when ah'd tae drag you tae Anne Marie's First Communion. And you're tellin me you're gaun tae a Buddhist centre on a Tuesday night, quiz night doon the Hielander? Tae meditate? Gie's a break.'

If you read that fine then you'll have no problems.

Dad Jimmy is in his thirties and works as a painter and decorator, he likes a bevy and a bit of a laugh in fact he once 'went doon the shops wi a perra knickers on his heid, tellt the wifie next door we'd won the lottery and were flittin tae Barbados' so when he suddenly starts taking an interest in Buddhism, his family are a little bit perplexed. They think it's probably a passing phase and so at first just humour him but they soon come to realise that Jimmy is serious. In a very short space of time he gives up eating meat and drinking alcohol, but it's when he misses Anne Marie's school play in order to visit the centre and then decides to become, for now at least, celibate, that his wife Liz finally loses patience with it all.

Even though it's a fairly serious subject there are lots of laughs, the characters are all warm and likeable, Jimmy especially. It's an interesting subject too, it's not only Jimmy's life that changes radically it's everyone around him too. The effects of some of his choices are far reaching, Liz is not ready to become celibate or to make the great lifestyle adjustments needed and Anne Marie, who has always been so close to her dad, is struggling to understand what exactly is going on. I didn't feel as if the Jimmy we were getting to know would turn his back on his family or cause the hurt that he did but then who knows what any of us would do in the same situation, also the ending seemed just a tad predictable but they are only small criticisms. It's a lovely, funny, warm and enjoyable read.