Book Description:
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 Gabriel's naïve 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.

This is also No. 38 on the 1001 books you must read before you die list.

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.

Thanks so much for your donation perryfran!

This book is now part of the 1001-library. If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the 1001-library bookshelf.

Sending to Heaven150 - a selection from the 1001 VBB. Enjoy!

Received today from perryfan as part of the US/Can 1001-library VBB. Thanks so much for sending it to me.

I enjoyed this book. It the first time I've read anything by Hanif Kureishi but won't be the last.

Gabriel, at times,seemed a bit younger than his 15 years. I enjoyed his relationship with his parents, Hannah, Speedy and even Archie. Well written and interesting.

This book is now back on the 1001 library bookshelf and can be borrowed by PMing soffitta1:)


If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the library bookshelf.