Scan barcode
A review by serafina_lang
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
Plot:
The story follows, to summarise it briefly, a Pakistani Muslim man named Changez and a conversation he has with an American stranger one day, sitting on the rickety chairs outside a cafe in Lahore; where both the stranger and we, the readers, are drawn into his story. The story of how he immigrated to America at eighteen years old and was living the best life he could have imagined, until the 9/11 attacks and the consequences that they had on him and his life.
My Thoughts:
Interestingly enough, this book reminded me time and time again, of Babel. Both spin a tale of an Eastern main character who goes to the West and is exposed to the wealth, the power and the bling of a first world country with all its advanced technology and superiority. They are dazzled by its brilliance and desire to entwine themselves in the very fabric of the country, to discard their old lives, personalities and along with them, everything that was a memory of the place they had come from, where they were viewed as lesser, ignorant, pitiful, weak. Then comes the realisation that despite contorting themselves to fit the mold, they will never truly be accepted and not only that, but they are betraying their own people by working with the very country that wishes to do them harm. Finally comes the desperate urgency to right their wrongs, to escape the manipulative, exploitive pit that they once knew as the great West.
I absolutely adored the writing style, if you've ever read a book and the writing itself felt like a hug you'll know what I mean. It was so comforting and relaxing and easy to read. As for how it was laid out, I think it was so simple, yet clever. The way Changez addressed the American the whole time, narrating the story to him, yet never once do we witness dialogue between them.
This review is definitely on the shorter side and by no means elaborate because I don't have much experience with books of this genre but for me personally it was a thought-provoking, engaging read that I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend :)
Plot:
The story follows, to summarise it briefly, a Pakistani Muslim man named Changez and a conversation he has with an American stranger one day, sitting on the rickety chairs outside a cafe in Lahore; where both the stranger and we, the readers, are drawn into his story. The story of how he immigrated to America at eighteen years old and was living the best life he could have imagined, until the 9/11 attacks and the consequences that they had on him and his life.
My Thoughts:
Interestingly enough, this book reminded me time and time again, of Babel. Both spin a tale of an Eastern main character who goes to the West and is exposed to the wealth, the power and the bling of a first world country with all its advanced technology and superiority. They are dazzled by its brilliance and desire to entwine themselves in the very fabric of the country, to discard their old lives, personalities and along with them, everything that was a memory of the place they had come from, where they were viewed as lesser, ignorant, pitiful, weak. Then comes the realisation that despite contorting themselves to fit the mold, they will never truly be accepted and not only that, but they are betraying their own people by working with the very country that wishes to do them harm. Finally comes the desperate urgency to right their wrongs, to escape the manipulative, exploitive pit that they once knew as the great West.
I absolutely adored the writing style, if you've ever read a book and the writing itself felt like a hug you'll know what I mean. It was so comforting and relaxing and easy to read. As for how it was laid out, I think it was so simple, yet clever. The way Changez addressed the American the whole time, narrating the story to him, yet never once do we witness dialogue between them.
This review is definitely on the shorter side and by no means elaborate because I don't have much experience with books of this genre but for me personally it was a thought-provoking, engaging read that I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend :)