Life isn't all ha ha hee hee

Fiction is make believe. Somehow the past few years I had lost the inclination to read any fiction. They were too cliched and predictable. And then suddenly, I discover a gem of a book. My pulse races. The first few chapters are tantalizing. However, I beg myself to prepare for the terrible disappointment of mediocrity that will inundate the rest of the book. But Meera Syal guarantees quite a roller coaster. Weaving together the lives of three Brit-Asian women she creates a colorful tapestry of friendship, pretense and betrayal, laced with humor. The mellifluous writing cleverly disguises her satire of Indian customs and traditions.

An extract from her book which had me laughing really hard.

Context: Chila and Deepak have just got married. The Chila's family is outside the marriage hall, and they are all bidding their teary farewells to the bride (who is supposed to jump into the chauffer-driven car and be off to her new life)

"....awful endless moaning, broken with pleas in Punjabi "Please God, dont take our daughter from us, our baby leaving us for ever, please God, keep her safe...." Other members of Chila's family followed in a hysterical wake, raising impassioned eyes and arms to the sky, towards Deepak's family, towards Chila's parents, the all-purpose Indian gesture of 'Life's crap but what can you do, huh?' "

"...Deepak's family stood now with the sorrowful but resigned air of funeral directors, saddened by their unpleasant duty to remove this woman from her grieving family but determined to fulfil their role with dignity and if need be, a gentle shove. "

After Confederacy of Dunces, I had almost lost all hope of ever finding a good read. Well, now I am back to my Wodehouse, unless you have other suggestions!