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  <title><![CDATA[Buddha Da]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]></description>
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da: A Novel]]>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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  <read_at>Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[While my Uncle was cutting my hair we started talking about what I was doing at school, and I told him that I had to do a dissertation for Advanced Higher English and that I wanted to do books about spiritualism. He mentioned that he had read Buddha Da a while before and recommended it to me, so off...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13764060">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[The world is about the same size, but we are definitely all closer to other cultures than we have ever been before. <br/><br/>What happens when part of one culture fits an individual better than his own culture? <br/><br/>&quot;Ma Da's a nutter...He'd dae anthin for a laugh so he wid...but that ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7376179">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Dec 07 00:00:00 -0800 2004</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Dec 09 13:24:44 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 09 13:32:30 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[I have one very important piece of advice about this novel - read it out loud.  It is written in dialect, and it is hard to make sense of the words when only reading them with your eyes.  As you read it out loud, you start to get a feel for the words in your mouth and you can actually begin to hear ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80441268">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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  <average_rating>4.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Nell-lu]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon May 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed May 06 02:26:15 -0700 2009</date_added>
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    <body><![CDATA[A gentle story, written in Glasgow dialect. Jimmy, a regular guy, decides to become a Buddhist and each member of the family has to deal with the change. It comes apart a little at the end, and earned 4 1/2 stars, but I rounded up to 5 as I think it's so good in so many ways.<br/><br/>Best quote s...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55115299">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Jul 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Aug 13 02:59:08 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 13 03:14:06 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Absolutely loved this book: there was not one character I couldn't sympathise with, the humour was not dependent on farce or cruelty, the ending was credibly low-key and uncertain - the whole thing just worked. I wasn't put off by the dialect, maybe because it's fairly close to my native Norn Iron, ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67199034">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Jul 21 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jul 29 03:10:36 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Aug 08 04:31:40 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I enjoyed this book to a point. Gently amusing. Heartfelt in places. Relationship between the girls perfectly pitched.In fact, I felt that all the central female characters were very well drawn and fully realised. <br/>Jimmy, the da, wasn't. <br/>It was an interesting premise: Jimmy develops a gro...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28591132">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28591132]]></url>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>131</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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  <published>2003</published>
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  <read_at>Tue Jul 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Tue Jul 28 14:55:58 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Two of my favorite subjects -- Scotland and Buddhism -- in one very funny and touching book. I enjoyed the fact that the whole thing was written in a phonetic Scotch brogue -- I lived in Scotland til I was nine and didn't have trouble following along; in fact it added to the experience for me. All t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65311165">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65311165]]></url>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Buddha Da: A Novel]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>131</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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  <published>2003</published>
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  <read_at>Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Sat Nov 21 08:57:47 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Once you get past the novelty of reading Scottish dialect, the story moves quickly. This is a portrait of a marriage and what happens when a husband begins to grow in a new direction, leaving his wife and teenage daughter puzzled and adrift. The story is told alternately in the voices of the three f...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78531346">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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  <date_updated>Mon Jun 15 12:00:23 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[This book is an engaging story of a family whose lives are changed when Jimmy, the father decides he wants to become a Buddhist. He just hadn't thought how his search for personal enlightenment might hurt the people close to him. The story is narrated by each member of the family in turn, and it is ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59761224">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>131</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Fri Oct 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Oct 14 07:21:47 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Oct 22 00:46:35 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Brilliant! Couldn't put this book down. Thought I wouldn't be able to get through it with the dialect being written phonetically (heavy glaswegian accent) but after the 1st couple of pages it wasn't a problem...in fact it really added to the characters and story. <br/>Definitely worth a read.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74493490]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>131</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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  <date_added>Wed Apr 22 22:58:29 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Apr 22 22:59:24 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A fabulous book looking at a family in meltdown due to a new religious discovery, it looks at 3 sides of the problem.  Written in dialect that makes you read in Scottish in your head - fantastic.  ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53684991]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53684991]]></link>
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>131</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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  <date_updated>Mon Apr 27 15:49:35 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[A hilarious book about a Scottish painter who decides to become a Buddhist. Every time I pick up the book it took a page or two to get into the Scottish accent and then I was fine.]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Elektra]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>131</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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  <published>2003</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Wed Sep 23 05:02:30 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Both tender and funny. Don't be put off by the Glaswegian vernacular. Loved by everyone I've shared it with. Being Emily (her latest?) is going onto my to-read list ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72212674]]></url>
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Lynne]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>131</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
  </description>
  <published>2003</published>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[lovers of chick lit!]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jul 07 10:03:27 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Sep 01 06:24:13 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I read this on the recommendation of various glowing reviews, and was disappointed. I just didn't get why a hard workin' hard drinkin' Glasga man would suddenly have an interest a spiritual thing like Buddhism. And it never did tell us why, had there been some explanation of the whole thing it might...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26537163">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26537163]]></url>
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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  <published>2003</published>
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  <date_updated>Mon Mar 09 13:25:57 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[I enjoyed this - once I got use to the style - written with the spelling of the Scots accent.  ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48720068]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <isbn>1841953385</isbn>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
  </description>
  <published>2003</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon May 05 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jan 24 05:15:05 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon May 05 14:07:58 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Beautifully written. I was a bit disappointed by the ending (though I am typically). I found the Glaswegian only a minor challenge. The shifting perspective was expertly handled, allowing readers to develop sympathy for each character. Jimmy's inability to explain his actions to even himself becomes...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13371524">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>39805349</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Abailart]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
  </description>
  <published>2003</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Sun Jan 25 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Dec 10 13:48:18 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jan 25 07:21:19 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The most lovely and wonderful book I have read for years. It can be read by anybody, it will appeal to everybody. I have never read a book before that has made me cry, and this did it twice. The characters in it are lovely, the writer must be lovely to bring them to the page. And too, the writer is ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39805349">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>32996172</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Gilly]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>131</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
  </description>
  <published>2003</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Sat Sep 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Sep 16 07:39:07 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Sep 21 04:45:30 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The entire book is written in very strong dialect, which I found a little off-putting for the first few chapters, but after a bit I got more used to it and it did make the voices clearer in my head.  Being used to Scottish accents definitely helped, though.  Other than that, interesting story about ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/32996172">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/32996172]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/32996172]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>6462317</id>
    <user>
    <id>385872</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Cathy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Melbourne, Australia]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174397122m/391368.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>131</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
  </description>
  <published>2003</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Sep 19 16:58:07 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Sep 25 00:14:04 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Wow! enchanted from start to finish. <br/>Donovan has written this book in chapters that alternate points of view and you empathize with each one of the characters.The story is written completely in a Scottish dialect but it doesn't distract. In fact, it strengthens the voices in the story. <br/>A...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6462317">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Buddha Da]]>
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  <average_rating>3.75</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>131</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;Anne Marie&#8217;s dad, a Glaswegian painter and decorator, has always been game for a laugh. So when he first takes up meditation at the Buddhist Center, no one takes him seriously. But as Jimmy becomes more involved in a search for the spiritual, his beliefs start to come into conflict with the needs of his wife, Liz. Cracks appear in their apparently happy family life, and the ensuing events change the lives of each family member. Donovan completely captures these lives in her clear-eyed, evocative prose, rendered alternately in the voices of each of the main characters. With seamless grace and astonishing veracity, Buddha Da treats serious themes with humor and its characters with humanity. From prize-winning writer Anne Donovan, this stunning debut novel &#8212; shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award &#8212; will appeal to readers of Roddy Doyle.&lt;/div&gt;]]>
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  <read_at>Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Aug 17 22:51:10 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Aug 17 23:18:38 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book provides an excellent portrayal of the impact that the way of many Westerners embrace Buddhism has on their family relationships.  Some of the dialogue could have been taken word for word from conversations I had with friends and family when I first got involved with Buddhism.  It's a book...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30429486">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30429486]]></url>
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