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sushizhan's review against another edition
4.0
I knew it was going to be sad in the end but I read it anyway. Totally worth it tho.
ali_bali_bee's review
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
teresaalice's review
5.0
Quirky writing that takes time to get used to, but the dry humor and very real personalities really sucked me in.
botanigal's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
hornefja's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mads_reads's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cvb7's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
I found the form of a self help book interesting if not perfect.
cmhillner's review
5.0
I found this book fascinating in its ideas and structure. I can’t say yet how well the self-help premise worked for me but the second person narrator is perfection. How he builds this intimate story with so much anonymity is mind boggling. The settings are incredibly vivid; I could feel the suffocating pollution, crowded city, and the poverty. The nameless characters are completely flushed out and I felt for them and their struggles to get ahead. This book gives so much to think about; poverty, crime, insecurity of all types, and sexual exploitation of women are just a few of the socioeconomic issues. Hamid also has themes about relationships; what connects people, how does that change, what responsibilities come with it, and what does it mean in the end? The ending is so beautifully heartbreaking.
maxschuman's review
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The experimental form (second person, as a spin on self help books) didn’t do much for me. But the task of profiling the changes in a South Asian country and in a person’s full life in 200 pages was interesting to see. Not a waste of time to read, though it is a speedy one.