The Reluctant Fundamentalist in Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Jun 04, 2017 Jason McIntosh rated it it was amazing

Thou is not thine enemy... right?

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Apr 07, 2010 Melissa rated it it was ok

Shelves: dnf

Also a DNF - I really don't like the narrator; I pushed through to about page 40 but I can't bring myself to finish, even through it is such a short novel. ...more

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May 23, 2008 Anne rated it really liked it

Changez, a Pakistani man, notices an American at a cafe (in Pakistan) and under the guise (or reality?) of hoping to assist the man with his order or other enjoyment of what this strange country has to offer, sits down along-side him and begins a one-sided conversation. The cues and questions from Changez reveal that his companion is not entirely comfortable with the situation, but sits through the ordeal nonetheless. Changez relates his experiences in America - at the top of his class at Prince Changez, a Pakistani man, notices an American at a cafe (in Pakistan) and under the guise (or reality?) of hoping to assist the man with his order or other enjoyment of what this strange country has to offer, sits down along-side him and begins a one-sided conversation. The cues and questions from Changez reveal that his companion is not entirely comfortable with the situation, but sits through the ordeal nonetheless. Changez relates his experiences in America - at the top of his class at Princeton and onto a prestigious financial services job. He falls desperately in love with the unattainable and almost ghostly Erica. Then September 11th hits, and Changez finds himself even more the outsider than he's always felt. At first, I wasn't sure if I would like the style of this novel - Changez as a character is very awkward - I immediately didn't trust him - a reaction that perhaps reveals the streotype Hamid is playing on with prejudices and differences. Changez's relationship with Erica is also one-sided. He bends over backwards for a woman who will never be emotionally available to him and will only continue to take from the relationship. In this way, I felt the relationship was a powerful metaphor for Changez's immigrant status in the United States. Ultimately, I found the one-sided conversation very clever, you could feel the impatience and reluctance of the American listener, and I found myself reading faster and faster to overcome the discomfort and figure out where it was all leading. The ending is disturbingly ambiguous - which I usually don't like - but felt Hamid developed masterfully. Hamid truly captures the distrust of many after 9/11 for those who look different (and aren't necessarily even Middle Eastern), while at the same time demonstrating what this treatment does to the people who are being distrusted - and the vicious circle this behavior creates. Very rarely do I find a book where I enjoy both the actual story being told, and an innovative narrative technique. Hamid gave me both - and left me with a lot of things to think about after it was all done. I've had his previous novel Moth Smoke on my shelves for years - and now have great incentive to get to it.
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Jul 18, 2012 Katherine rated it liked it

Shelves: south-asia-reads

I found this book on my bookshelf one day and then saw that there was a movie out. As someone who tries to read the book before the movie, I prioritized this reading.

This book is a an easy read and has an interesting storyteller style, where it comes from the main character himself, as he's describing his story as a young Pakistani university student at Princeton to some stranger in Pakistan.

We learn about this man's journey from being interviewed in a corporate firm, where he successfully gets ...more

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May 23, 2009 Ryan Mac rated it liked it

Shelves: summer-challenge

I came into this book with high hopes based on a few recommendations. I ended up being somewhat disappointed. The book is full of metaphors starting with the Pakistani narrator's name Changez and the girl that he falls in love with (Am)Erica. If you look for them, there are many clever metaphors like this throughout the book. I really liked the way the book was told by Changez sitting in a restaurant speaking with a burly American (possibly U.S. CIA?). There was some build-up of tension because ...more

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Sep 16, 2008 Carrie rated it really liked it

The story of young man from Pakistan who is living "the American Dream" as a Princeton graduate and recruit to a elite valuation firm in NYC. In the wake of September 11th, his vision of America changes and what follows is an unraveling of his beliefs and return to his family in Lahore.

A startling and compelling reflection of a personal journey from one home and ideology to another. Timely and interesting.

Author: KMohsin Hamid
Publisher: Harcourt
Copyright: 2007
Genre: Fiction/ World Politics
Pages: ...more

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Aug 19, 2008 Karen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: recentreads

This was very, very good. Well-written and absorbing. The author packs a lot into a very short book. The narrator is a young Pakastani man who goes to the US, gets a Princeton degree and then a job in a prestigious financial firm. Then the bombings of 9/11 happen and the course of his life is changed in many ways. This is a book all American should read to see how the actions of our country are viewed by different nations.

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