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 enlarge | Author: Mohsin Hamid
Publisher: Harvest Books
Category: Book
List Price: $14.00
Buy New: $7.19
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Avg. Customer Rating:  105 reviews
Sales Rank: 3362
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 208
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.6
ISBN: 0156034026
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780156034029
ASIN: 0156034026
Publication Date: April 14, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new - Most copies have a publishers overstock mark (Publisher close-outs usually have a small ink mark or stamp at the base of the book, but are otherwise brand new.)
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| Customer Reviews:
 Don't get mired on the surface July 25, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
What I liked about this book goes beyond the concrete issues everyone seems to belabor, like the war and the stereotypes of America that Changez constantly refers to. I love the book's (or Hamid's) ideas that transcend these, like the notion of nostalgia, or the analogy of a power having such force that we might, under its wings, turn against our roots. Exeriences like these come in all shapes and levels of complexity, and many of us have had them, whether we know it or not. I also found Hamid's style compelling (although the monologue sometimes felt like a cop-out; I've never been a fan of the second person narration, no matter who the 2nd person is, reader or otherwise). His directness reminded me of Coehlo's in The Alchemist, where the analysis is spelled out in such a way that the reader might not have to think; but, really, we DO think. In fact, the spelling out provokes us to contemplate beyond the page or the story, to a more personal and richer analysis. Changez states clearly that Erica suffered from nostalgia and that he, too, suffers from the same affliction. Juxtapose those feelings with his company's focus on fundamentals. What a great discussion! How does nostalgia inform our present condition? How dangerous is it? How healthy? All sorts of provocative questions and discussions can derive from the simple foundation Hamid lays out for us.
Also, Changez's very sudden change of heart about America and about his homeland is revealed clearly and, for some readers, unrealistically. Changez even comments on his surprise that it took so long for him to get to such a powerful point of perspective. The story line takes us on that same long journey, and just as abruptly as he is, the reader is seized by this change of heart. The mystification in which Changez was paralyzed was created by a greater force that, on realization, was suddenly so obvious to him. It does not matter if his transformation (or change) is realistic or not - what matters is what we, as readers, do with it.
I am curious about a previous reviewer's comment that the story flows and is fun to read (I agree), but that the BOOK is not to be praised as much as the author. I don't agree, but I see the point. Some other, less sophisticated comments suggest that it was a wasteful read, especially after discovering Hamid's purpose for writing. That's sad: good books and good readers need not have the author's personal history or intention in mind to fully embrace an opinion, an analysis, or a likeness of a story, even a National Bestseller.
 Willing Fundamentalist July 17, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
When reviewing a literary work, it is always difficult to decide whether to review the content or the message. Let me confess that this is a review of the message, which I believe is more important in this case.
The book is a semi-autobiographical sketch of a fundamentalist who is only too willing for the cause. For all his sophistication, the author does not even bother to question why his protagonist is supremely hateful of the country of his adoption. The country being the US and the protagonist being a Muslim is considered sufficient explanation for his fundamentalist leanings. His satisfaction on 9/11 and the rationalization of it is chilling. Author does not try to explore why the society that gave the protagonist all the opportunities in life carries no value for him. There is no emotional soul searching or any psychological explanation. It is just assumed that the reader would immediately see the author's point of view simply because the hate object is the West.
Author's attempt to rationalize his point of view by dragging Indo-Pak politics is even more pathetic. There is nothing in the novel or in the realpolitik that would make a Western audience appreciate his world view. Why should a westerner feel any warmth for the protagonist being a Pakistani, when he knows that his country's support was coerced - not freely received?
U.S. at Blame July 17, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I have finally finished the very short book Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. I plodded through it a few chapters at a time, putting it aside willingly, picking it back up somewhat grudgingly. The novel tries to serve as a mirror to American readers, reflecting the extremely negative qualities of the United States, its people and policies.
Changez, the garrulous narrator, a twenty-five-year-old Pakistani, who seems considerably older, has returned to his native city of Lahore after almost five years in the New Jersey-New York area. He buttonholes an apparent American at an outdoor cafe and, uninvited and unwanted, spiels his life story to the cornered stranger through a non-stop, one-sided dialogue, beginning at afternoon tea time and ending well afer midnight.
The reader soon learns that the immigrant Changez worked his way through Princeton with the help of financial aid, graduating summa cum laude. He became enamoured of Erika, a Princeton alumna, who wasted away mentally and physically in mourning for her deceased lover. He acquired a high-salaried position with a small evaluation firm, projecting the likely profit status of companies facing takeover. At first, he was succesful and well liked by his immediate circle of acquaintances.
After the tragedy of 9-11, the resultant hatred of some Americans expressed toward Muslims, the war in Aghanistan, and the probability of war between India and Pakistan Changez quit his job and returned home. In Lahore, as a university lecturer, he developed an anti-American reputation for his outspoken opinions.
Changez attributes his arrogance, egotism, drive for money and prestige, to the U.S. influence. I readily accept that we in the U.S. are not perfect. Our great ideals are not always fully realized in our actions. We grow from our experiences and encounters with others. Perhaps, Changez will reevaluate his self-absorption and change his attitudes, if he lives long enough. Rosalie L'Ecuyer, Fairbanks, AK
 strange July 15, 2008
This is a strange book, and I'm not even sure why I finished it, except that it is a short, fast read. The device of having Changez speak the whole time is odd. His love interest is just bizarre. He continues to pursue her, even though she clearly is emotionally unavailable. Finally, I could not figure out what happened at the very end of the book. I would really like to know if anyone thinks they know what happened in the final scene of the book.
Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone July 6, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Just as with his former novel, Moth Smoke (in my mind, a superior novel), Mohsin Hamid's Reluctant Fundamentalist is crafted to be a real page-turner. I read it in one sitting, and was completely absorbed with the story -- a monologue by a Princeton-educated, former valuation specialist speaking to a jittery American in Pakistan.
Another reviewer mentioned the symbolism of the names, and certainly that is here: our protagonist, Changez, weaves a story about his time in America, including his love affair with (AM)-Erica and her obsession with her dead love Chris (Christ? Christopher Columbus? Both work). The beauty of Erica fades and she becomes more mentally diseased; at the same time, the beauty of America fades for the protagonist.
He is among the best and the brightest. So -- as Mohsin Hamid surely intended -- it is with a feeling of shock when, after the Twin Towers are struck -- "Changez smiled." And herein lies the problem. There is nothing in the pages preceding these two words that indicate that this would be Changez's reaction. He relates that he, indeed, feels at home in New York and loves the city; certainly, he is enamored of one of its inhabitants, and he thrives at his capitalist job.
The slim novel then takes a turn as the protagonist denounces American imperialism. While this denouncement can lead to stimulating (even heated) debate among intelligent and analytical people, a reader must take it in context of the world the author has created. I didn't quite understand THIS character's change of heart.
In the symbolism of the novel, it is no surprise that there must be a double betrayal with a character representing America and one representing Pakistan. I do recommend this novel, particularly for the strong writing of Mohsin Hamid. But I suggest that readers get their hands on "Moth Smoke", which was a better book.
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