The tone was very reminiscent of Rudyard Kipling, at least as far as I recall from my reading of Kipling many years back. This makes sense given the subject matter of the book, colonialism versus the third world. Changez, born to fading gentry in Pakistan, has attended Princeton on scholarship, gotten a lucrative job with a top tier financial company, and is in love with beautiful, blond upper-class Yank. Life is good. In the newly paranoid USA, his background marks him as a threat to many and life changes.
Essentially what we have here is a foreigner Changez falling in love with America get it? The result of this is that amERICA suffers from extreme nostalgia and becomes incapable of truly embracing Changez subtle.
It is no secret that the USA is notoriously unempathetic to the concerns of others since the Marshall Plan. Fundamentals here are the tools taught him in his finance career efficiency.
Fundamentals are implied for other things, knowing who you are, what your place is in the world. There are, surprisingly, no overt connections made to religious fundamentalism. I did not take this as a personal tale. It is a metaphoric one. I mean the main character has but a single name, Changez.
For that alone, how could the book be anything other than metaphorical? So I was not troubled by the contradictions in the character. For example, Changez feels an affinity with the jeepney driver in the Philippines, yet the choices he makes are all to strive within the western world. He manages to get a scholarship to attend Princeton, but feels it necessary to hide his relative poverty. Are there no other scholarship kids at Princeton?
He is elitist in his orientation, wanting to hang with the rich kids, wanting to work for the heavy hitter financial company, even after it becomes clear to him that the work will cost people their livelihoods, wanting to be with the crazy girl when it is clear that she is over the edge. It is not America that rejects the foreigner here, but the foreigner who rejects America. So it is not a personal tale. It would have been better had the walking symbols here been made more reasonable, had their desires and impulses been a little more grounded in flesh and blood reality.
View all 20 comments. An eerie, quietly powerful story. The structure is simple enough a monologue. A cafe in Lahore, and a young Pakistani is explaining to a silent American how he came to be an enemy of America.
There's menace there something is about to happen, and soon. You're not told why the American is there, or what he does, or quite why young Changez is telling him these things. But there it is. This voice educated, articulate, tinged with hostility and faux-bonhomie and self-pity speaking into t An eerie, quietly powerful story.
This voice educated, articulate, tinged with hostility and faux-bonhomie and self-pity speaking into the dusk, ordering more tea, and There are reviewers at GoodReads who just didn't get the narrator, who just disliked him out of hand. After all, they said full scholarship to Princeton, near-six-figure Wall Street job at 22, beautiful American girlfriend: how dare he dislike America? Changez would be From a family with old name and status but no money.
Educated someplace where you're almost never aware of being different, where suddenly money is an issue, where status and formalized deference don't soften the edges of not having money.
A job with travel to places where you're aware of being American in the eyes of locals, but being a mere foreigner to American customs officials. Being smitten with a beautiful, gentle Upper East Side girl who slips away from you. Changez turns on the TV in a Manila hotel suite and sees the Towers burning on 11 September and finds himself suddenly, unexpectedly However not? You can see Changez being as surprised as any of his American employers and friends at just how much resentment is there.
Just the sort of person who could be recruited, who'd find himself seeking out places where he could open up his anger. There's no grand political justification here, no sudden acceptance of Islam or jihad.
Changez is secular, and his disdain for Americans isn't religious as much it is based on tribe and class and a sense of falling between identities. Mohsin Hamid gives his narrator a disturbing and quiet sense of slowly growing bitterness and isolation, as well as a slowly growing desperation about finding an identity.
I am a Kurtz , he tells his nameless American listener, waiting for my Marlowe. Very much worth reading, and a book where you'll be uncovering layers in Changez's monologue for a long time.
View all 10 comments. One of the most contentiously rated novels I've seen here I'd had the book for years probably, when, a couple months ago, I determined that I needed to make shelf space. This was one of a few books I decided to get rid of, even though it was unread. But it was so short, and I had looked forward to reading it So I put it beside books I was reading and would soon read, then picked it up a few nights ago when I was tired but didn't feel like going to bed, and started reading.
As soon as I'd read a couple pages I was interested. Can't recall reading a story in this narrative style. It's all in the first person, the words are being spoken by the narrator, Changez, to an American man, never named, whose apparently only occasional words are never explicitly heard, simply acknowledged in the narration by something like, Oh, but you mustn't assume that I believed that, sir.
You'd like something to drink? How would some nice tea do for you? Fine, I'd like a cup too, I'll order for us. The entire almost one-sided conversation takes place over the course of several hours, from mid-afternoon perhaps to late at night.
In it, the Pakistani narrator tells a select story of his life, his experiences going to Princeton, being hired by a small, select financial company in Manhattan, and meeting and falling for a young American woman named Erica. The story of Changez and Erica is very strange, doubly strange when folded into this sort of narrative style.
I think I'll remember it for quite a while. I'm sure the low ratings of many have nothing to do with the literary merits of the novel. They have to do with the attitudes toward America that Changez slowly reveals throughout his telling, attitudes which in fact he only becomes aware of as certain incidents occur which evoke as he tells it surprise on his own part, when he realizes how he has reacted. I don't believe I'll go into any specifics about this, but I found his recounting of these attitudes very believable from the point of view of a person from that part of the world.
The story is something of a mystery — a mystery with at least two, perhaps more, ominous threads which slowly are revealed and slowly grow darker. And it is literature, not a political essay. In many ways, for many reasons, an unforgettable novel. View all 8 comments. Generally,I'm a bit wary of Booker nominees,but in this case they got it right. It would have been a lot better if this book had actually won the Booker Prize,instead of merely being shortlisted.
However,the nomination generated quite a buzz,and introduced me to Mohsin Hamid. And oh boy,his first two books were very impressive. I read it in one sitting,a short and very interesting book,which held my interest from the very first page to the last.
It explores a young Pakistani man's drift into extremis Generally,I'm a bit wary of Booker nominees,but in this case they got it right. It explores a young Pakistani man's drift into extremism,after he has spent a good part of his life studying and working in the US. He has a good job and is well settled in the US. However,the book reminded me of the real life case of Faisal Shehzad,a Pakistani man who was arrested in the US in for trying to blow something up.
But Faisal Shehzad was struggling with his job and had already become radicalized. With this book,Mohsin Hamid took a gamble. Instead,it became a bestseller. It is a fascinating book,one which also depicts the dilemmas of those caught between two worlds,the East and the West.
They don't quite fit in either world. It is just too bad that after this book,the quality of Mohsin Hamid's writing went downhill,as far as I am concerned. View all 9 comments. Dec 30, Maria rated it it was amazing. They were ferocious and utterly loyal: they had fought to erase their own civilizations, so they had nothing else to turn to. It would have been far more difficult to devote themselves to their adopted empire, you see, if they had memories they could not forget.
There really could be no doubt: I was a modern-day janissary, a servant of the American empire at a time when it was invading a country with a kinship to mine and was perhaps even colluding to ensure that my own country faced the threat of war.
Of course I was struggling! Of course I felt torn! He has written about the growing islamophobia, racism and prejudice that still reside there, with his own unique narrative style that captures his readers attention and compel them to read till they finish the book.
Absolutely brilliant. View 1 comment. An Open Letter to America which unfortunately I read late, around 5 years late. Why unfortunate? Anyway, I was well aware when this book hit the literary world and took it by storm. I know where you are heading. I once had a girl Norwegian wood…Yes! Will Smith and request for the memory eraser toy and move on to your next Murakami read.
And Nooo!! It made me uncomfortable throughout rather than excited and the most irritating part is that you are compelled to read it till the end in the hope of getting hold of the whole idea behind this book.
At the end, the author hurled a very smart curve ball towards his readers, leaving most of us in dilemmas, some on the side of Changez the protagonist , some on the side of Mr. America envying that delectable Lahori food he had and some wishing to watch the re-run of epic cricket world cup semi-final between India and Pakistan and marveling at its brilliance and that moment when..
I never knew writing the review would be a similar experience like that of reading this book.. This is the second book I read by a Pakistani author, first being My Feudal Lord by Tehmina Durrani, which I judged on the basis of its subject and not on writing style and since I read it around 6 years ago, all I could recall was that it was simple but affected me enough to evoke emotions of empathy which might not hold true at present having read many great books and becoming more aware and objective about the world around me since then so it might not feature in the league of extra ordinary but it definitely left an impression which reluctant fundamentalist, as I highly doubt would be able to achieve.
As the story was unfolding it became, hardly audible and incredibly distant. And the writing style!! This book has some great ideas but somehow fell short of the elements that would have made it a great page turner. It felt too safe and too confined for my taste. Islamic Fundamentalism is a sensitive subject and needs to be handled carefully without actually conveying any negative message or an ambiguous one but what Mohsin Hamid as seemed, resisted from going out of his comfort zone and stating everything at a superficial level without actually diving deep.
View all 17 comments. No, it doesn't explore it, but makes a joke out of it, through an artificially constructed dilemma of one Changez, a Pakistani expat in the United States, who has turned to "fundamentalism" after the history-making day of nine-eleven.
Location: Lahore, the famous Food Street in Old city. The Reluctant Fundamentalist dines with an anonymous person about whom the only information we get is his nationality: he's an American man.
How and why he's here we don't get to find out. The American seems like a phantasmal installation - a dummy of sorts - to lend our Reluctant Fundamentalist an ear. The narrative is almost entirely made up of a monologue; the reader is not allowed to hear the reactions of the American stranger. Changez speaks continuously as he recounts his experiences of student life in the US.
Through this unimpressive frame story, as though a flippant Conrad gone berserk, we enter the main story. Changez has a common migrant story. He goes to study at Princeton yes it is always Princeton or Harvard or Oxford or Cambridge - it seems fictional characters don't go to medium-tier universities but that's a non-sequitur!
The ensuing American invasions unhinge Changez. He begins to doubt himself he just starts doubting, without going through a process of introspection which, included, would have lent some credibility to the narrative , his loyalties change, his outlook on life undergoes a drastic no-angled turn, and he finds himself questioning his life in the United States. This break is symbolically represented by Changez's relationship with an American girl 'Erica', who is actually 'America' - once his beloved, now an undesired castaway.
They have one good sex, a mutual orgasm, and then they go separate ways. It is not so much a tale of a truly reluctant fundamentalist than a person torn between what he sees as two mutually exclusive sets of loyalties. Changez suffers from an identity crisis and religious fundamentalism only makes up a silly excuse.
There's nothing in his new outlook that confirms his born-again religiosity. His opposition to American warmongering is political not religious. This gives us room for interpretation but we do get the message don't we All in all, it's a fast read, enjoyable for its humour, but nothing much apart from that, and it doesn't require of you to think much before you have finished reading the slender novella. But if a work of fiction depends so much on day-to-day history, it simply means that it's destined to last as long as the hype lasts.
April View all 33 comments. This is everything I want in a novel. Engaging and somewhat experimental narration and challenging politics. I plan to make a discussion video about this book, so I'll save a lot of my thoughts, but let me say that this was brilliant.
The second-person narration is extremely powerful, as it confronts "you"—the implied American or Western reader—and implicates you directly in the events that have taken place in the novel and as complicit with the politics that shaped the landscape that prod Wow. The second-person narration is extremely powerful, as it confronts "you"—the implied American or Western reader—and implicates you directly in the events that have taken place in the novel and as complicit with the politics that shaped the landscape that produced it.
Finally, the ending, so ambiguous and heavy with discomfort, is so challenging and so productive. This was a brilliant reading experience for me. I can't wait to talk more about it. You retreated into myths of your own difference, assumptions of your own superiority. And you acted out these beliefs on the stage of the world, so that the entire planet was rocked by the repercussions of your tantrums, not least my family, now facing war thousands of miles away.
Such an America had to be stopped in the interests not only of the rest of humanity, but also in your own. View all 4 comments. I devoured it A phenomenal surprise. Very cleverly written Powerful, compelling, layers of thought , unforgettable Whilst delivering one man's story, Mohsin Hamid introduces the reader to an entire nation's.
This clever allegory defies traditional structure, with its unique narrative style, and transcends emotion, by seeming to produce a severe lack of it. And this frank display of truth invites the reader to query their own. This is a story everyone feels they have read, in one format or another, but Hamid tears down the boundaries of this known narrative to deliver a truth everyone needs to read.
Jan 27, emma rated it it was ok Shelves: authors-of-color , owned , school , literary-fiction , non-ya , diverse , eh , 2-stars. May 16, Garg Ankit rated it liked it. It is a first person narrative of a Pakistani Muslim residing in the States, and how his life gets tougher every passing day after the attack.
With a subtle and unique narration style, the book does not fail to impress. The change in the attitude of the protagonist from a moderate Muslim to a hard-core one in the wake of the terrorist attack due to transformations in his personal and professional life is subtly depicted in the story. If you are aware about the awfully difficult language used in the books nominated for Booker, you'll be pleased to know that it is not the case with this book, and which is a welcome move more on the Booker's part than on that of the author's, if you know what I mean.
Verdict: Read it for the narration style. View all 7 comments. Excuse me, sir, but may I be of assistance? Ah, I see I have alarmed you. Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America. I noticed that you were looking for something; more than looking, in fact you seemed to be on a mission, and since I am both a native of this city and a speaker of your language, I thought I might offer you my services. So begins the The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid; a great opening paragraph which catches your eye and which in fact made me purchase this Excuse me, sir, but may I be of assistance?
So begins the The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid; a great opening paragraph which catches your eye and which in fact made me purchase this book. Advice to all wannabe writers, including myself: write a great opening line. This is what sells books. Unfortunately, what follows hardly measures up. In fact, Mr. Hamid lets the reader down with such a great thud that I am surprised there are no bruises to show for it! The setting and style of the novel is — well — novel.
An unidentified American has entered the district of Old Anarkali in Lahore. There, he unburdens his heart to his apprehensive guest. He is a Princeton graduate, and has spent four-and-a-half years in America.
The reason why he has come back to Pakistan is the subject of the story. Changez narrates his tale to his invisible in literary terms! We can imagine ourselves in the place of the American, or as an eavesdropper on their conversation. This shadow listener, in facts, works well as a literary device and also serves to enhance a feeling of creeping menace slowly slipping into the barmy Lahore evening.
Well, in my opinion, the positives end there. He is the blue-eyed boy from Princeton, top-ranked among his young fellow executives in the valuation firm of Underwood Samson and the personal favourite of his mentor Jim. He is in love with Erica, a beautiful American girl.
He is slated to go far in his profession. Nothing of the sort happens. Our hero is in Manila on a mission when the Twin Towers are brought down. Well, as a reader, I lost whatever sympathy I had with Changez then and there. He is not a reluctant fundamentalist but a closet terrorist!
As the story moves on, there are no instances of any discrimination against Changez, other than an airport search and a threatening encounter with a semi-crazed man in a car park. However, his sense of alienation grows and he starts considering himself as an outsider. It is the slow slide into madness of his love Erica, and the perceived threat to Pakistan from India.
Erica is a girl who lives partially in her mind with her long-dead boyfriend Chris. All of this Changez reveals in an almost archly formal, and epically one-sided, conversation with the mysterious stranger that rolls back and forth over his developing concern with issues of cultural identity, American power and the victimisation of Pakistan.
The stranger is fidgety and anxious, and at first Changez's elaborate self-justifications for his contentious sentiments begin to suggest that perhaps he is a more sinister figure than he allows. Gradually, however, we are brought to wonder whether the person in jeopardy is not the stranger, but Changez himself. One of the novel's notable achievements is the seamless manner in which ideology and emotion, politics and the personal are brought together into a vivid picture of an individual's globalised revolt.
In a sense, he is the embodiment of the argument that says that America has created its own enemies. Although that outlook may be fashionable on some US campuses, it has become practically universal in Pakistan, a country blighted by fundamentalists who display no hint of reluctance at all.
Indeed some argue that the social and political crisis into which Pakistan appears to be sinking ever deeper is at least partly the result of its political class refusing to challenge these unreluctant fundamentalists, preferring instead to take refuge in crowd-pleasing anti-Americanism.
Related titles. The Lincoln Highway. The Man Who Died Twice. A Slow Fire Burning. Snow Country. The Promise. The Echo Chamber. Daisy Jones and The Six. Oh William! Great Circle. The Party Crasher. The Island of Missing Trees. The Paper Palace. Miranda Cowley Heller. You and Me on Vacation.
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