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Summary: I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Review: "Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee" is the kind of book that just grabs you and throws you into the world of its' characters from the very beginning! This is the story of three women who have grown up as best friends and are now examining the paths their lives have taken. Throughout the book the story is told through each character's unique point of view, and it is this repeated shift in narrator that adds so much depth. From start to finish I felt the complex emotions of these women and thoroughly enjoyed the ride on their emotional rollercoaster! I love this book, my only complaint was that it was over to soon! :)
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: A fantastic book that focuses on the experiences and issues that asian women in Britain face today. The three women are starkly different characters which Syal develops wonderfully through the story. I read this book feeling that she had dipped into my own life story for ideas (e.g. plastic wrapped furniture, clapped out ford cortina with 3 families on the back seat, sexual freedom at college). Her use of punjabi/hindi throughout the text is entertaining although non-native speakers may not fully appreciate the subtle comedy associated with these additions. The men in the book are a little flat, and I found the white male partner slightly cliched (they're not always interested in tantric indian ...!). But in summary, a simply marvellous book that comes alive because of Syals colorful literary skills.
Rating:
Summary: Life isnt Ha Ha He He
Review: As the reader/online reviewer above Saima Huq states, much to her disbelief and unsatisfaction this is NOT a story about "PAKISTANI BRITISH" Girls in England but about "INDIAN BRITISH" Girls and their tales of their lives. Very interesting book...Every INDIAN BRITISH can probably relate...
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Summary: How true!!!
Review: I bought this book in july 2000 and since then I've read it thrice. That should count for something. I read some of the reviews and all I can say is that this story isn't just about Indian british girls.
Any hindu female growing up in an western socity can relate to these issues. These questions and stories are so common, but related to all day life, that they become fascinating. Someone dares to write about things we girls don't dare to talk about. It seems a trend from the contemporary hindu females, like Jhumpa Lahiri with "the interpreter of maladies", the write about these issues. Hindu males/females could learn more about themself reading these kind of books instead of " men are from mars and women are from venus".
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Summary: Great Read!!
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Meera Syal is a great author, I couldnt put the book down. I recommend it to an Indian girl who is rushing to get married.
Rating: 
Summary: Very close to the Indian community in UK
Review: Life isn't all ha ha hee hee starts with a wedding and ends with a funeral ... and just that shows us how carefully Meera Syal takes us into the lives of 3 friends with their joys and sorrows.
I liked this novel because first of all it is very well written, lots of times I found myself laughing ... that might be as well because I could relate to the characters, being myself of Indian origins and having seen the Indian communities in London.
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Summary: What a joyful, easy read -- with a deep, meaningful plot
Review: Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee was so engrossing that I missed my stop and had to walk about a mile more, and I was only upset that it took me that much longer to get back to reading! I highly recommend it, especially if you have any interest in cross-cultural relations, or just in human experiences.
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Summary: Indian Women and thier relationships with men...good book!!
Review: Ms. Meera Syal is one of those authors who keeps you interested without snoozing once!!! She is also a comedienne and takes part in a radio show called "Goodness Gracious Me." I am not sure if this show is still on the air...but I listened to a few tapes and it is genuinely hilarious!!This book journeys into the lives of three friends and their relationships with men. It introduces(unlike other similar books)sexuality, infidelity, inter-racial relationships, and other important issues that need to be addressed this day in age! The stories are set in Britain, so it is a great viewpoint on how Indians live there and what they deal with on a day to day basis.
This book also explores the close-knit relationships of all the characters who are bound together by their friendship/trust at first, but then things start to fall apart as infidelity comes into play... a must read book for anyone yearning to dig deep inside the intricate facades of the Indian Culture!! =)
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing compared to "Anita and Me"
Review: Much as I loved Syal's charming debut novel, "Anita and Me," I was a little leery of this one, which had been described as "an immigrant Indian Waiting to Exhale." Set amidst the Punjabi community of east London, the book chattily follows the trials and tribulations of three 30-ish lifelong friends and their relationships with each other. Chila is the sweet, innocent, plain girl who manages to bag the most eligible bachelor in town. Sunita is a former law student who dropped everything for love and has now been run ragged by the routine of motherhood and is rapidly heading for middle-age. Tania is the self-assured beauty who's turned her back on tradition and fashioned a media career and a string of non-Indian boyfriends. While the three natter on about the old standards (marriage, sex, friendship, family, etc), much attention is given to the difficulties of feeling out their cross-cultural existence and the moral dilemmas it poses. While these difficulties are ably captured, much of the book reads like a bad movie. In attempting to show various sides of female friendship, Syal veers into great swathes of cheezy, ill-considered writing. The paths all three characters take over the course of the book are entirely predictable, as are their various transformations. It's not particularly awful, but neither is it particularly remarkable or fresh--a big disappointment following "Anita and Me."
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read!
Review: This is one of the few books that actually keeps the reader interested from beginning to end. The main characters - Tania, Sunita, Chila, and their husbands, boyfriends and family members - are very insightful and well written. The scenes in the book are so vividly described in a way I can actually see the narrative happening in my mind. I also like how the author uses originality and suspense to keep the story line going. This is a trait that is so hard to find in many novels these days. The surprises were so shocking, I couldn't put down the book for no long amount of time, fearing that I would miss something! I read this 332-page book in two days, which is record time for me. I also liked this book because the author talks about issues that Indian women don't discuss outside of their communities, such as sexuality, interracial dating, marriage, careers, friendship, family and cultural norms. Though I am not Indian myself, I was able to relate to some of the dilemmas the author brings up. This is a great book to read if one is interested in learning more about Indian culture in the United Kingdom. I loved her last book, Anita and Me, and I look forward to reading publications from her in the future!
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