Scan barcode
janeanger's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and Islamophobia
Moderate: War and Suicide
cadybooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Colonisation
nibs's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was the latest pick for my work bookclub. I had been interested since I'd heard Leena Norms recommend and it, and I had read another of the author's books, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, so I was intrigued. When it came around for bookclub I thought it was ideal.
Thoughts overall:
Wow, that was good. Musings on identity and American imperialism. And 9/11 plays a very different role to what I expected. The dual crises with Erica and America's foreign interventions had a big impact on Changez, and they were woven together really well. The changing meaning and value of fundamentals throughout the book. Also the whole janissary idea.
Thoughts overall:
Wow, that was good. Musings on identity and American imperialism. And 9/11 plays a very different role to what I expected.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
mayab1226's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this! I read it for a college course on Asian American Fiction; from the title, I probably would never have picked it up given the choice, but after finishing it I think it and No-No Boy are my two favorite books I’ve read in the class so far.
I liked the premise of the second-person narration with a homodiegetic narratee (can you tell I read this for a college class?)—I thought it would come off as pretentious, but in my opinion it flowed naturally and didn’t seem pretentious at all. Plus, it added to the story through a mystery of who exactly the narratee (the American man to whom Changez tells the whole story) was. I found Changez’s narrative voice engaging and enjoyable to read; out of all of the books I’ve read for this course so far, he is the protagonist with whom I’ve felt the most connected. Perhaps it’s because of the gregarious tone with whom he speaks to the American man—I didn’t even notice the more sinister bent it was taking until the novel’s second half—or his offhanded references to Star Trek and The Great Gatsby? Either way, it made reading the novel a more enjoyable experience.
This novel dealt with fascinating themes of the Asian/South Asian immigrant experience; the pervasive drug that is nostalgia; American politics, culture, and Islamophobia after 9/11; and ultimately the question of what “America” means, through Changez’s journey of falling in, then out of, love with it. I wasn’t yet born at the time of 9/11, so I can’t speak to whether this book’s portrayal of American culture after the event rings true with my experience. But it was fascinating to read about—I especially liked this quote: “Your country’s flag invaded New York after the attacks; it was everywhere.…They all seemed to proclaim: We are America…the mightiest civilization the world has ever known; you have slighted us; beware our wrath.” A major theme of this book is deconstructing American exceptionalism—the idea that America is unique, special, or better than other countries just by virtue of being, well, America. Changez chips away at this idea throughout the novel—for instance, by comparing Asian cities like Lahore and Manila to New York City (it’s not the world’s only shining metropolis!). In addition, through the use of narrative devices that serve as microcosms of America, like Erica (America) and Underwood Samson (U.S.—it took me far too long to figure that out), he deconstructs the idea of the American dream and of meritocracy.
Speaking of Erica, although I understand this is literary fiction and she was a narrative device, I think she as a character had dangerous potential to slip into Manic Pixie Dream Girl-land, but that this was ultimately averted. The term Manic Pixie Dream Girl refers to a quirky, usually white woman who exists solely to bring spice, variety, and wonder into the male protagonist’s life, without having an inner life or ambitions of her own. Erica, though, was clearly portrayed as having her own life and struggles with mental health that Changez, try as he might, ultimately couldn’t penetrate. She ultimately chooses “not to be part of [his] story; her own had proven too compelling.” And although the way the end of her story(in other words, her suicide) is portrayed, to me, feels a bit romanticizing in an unhealthy way, I ultimately am okay with the way Erica was portrayed.
In conclusion, this book was a pleasant surprise and I’d absolutely recommend it. Although it’s short and the narrative voice is more conversational than that of other literary fiction, it deals with difficult topics and will definitely take a bit to truly digest (as it did for me, especially after class discussion). But in my opinion, this book is worth it.
I liked the premise of the second-person narration with a homodiegetic narratee (can you tell I read this for a college class?)—I thought it would come off as pretentious, but in my opinion it flowed naturally and didn’t seem pretentious at all. Plus, it added to the story through a mystery of who exactly the narratee (the American man to whom Changez tells the whole story) was. I found Changez’s narrative voice engaging and enjoyable to read; out of all of the books I’ve read for this course so far, he is the protagonist with whom I’ve felt the most connected. Perhaps it’s because of the gregarious tone with whom he speaks to the American man—I didn’t even notice the more sinister bent it was taking until the novel’s second half—or his offhanded references to Star Trek and The Great Gatsby? Either way, it made reading the novel a more enjoyable experience.
This novel dealt with fascinating themes of the Asian/South Asian immigrant experience; the pervasive drug that is nostalgia; American politics, culture, and Islamophobia after 9/11; and ultimately the question of what “America” means, through Changez’s journey of falling in, then out of, love with it. I wasn’t yet born at the time of 9/11, so I can’t speak to whether this book’s portrayal of American culture after the event rings true with my experience. But it was fascinating to read about—I especially liked this quote: “Your country’s flag invaded New York after the attacks; it was everywhere.…They all seemed to proclaim: We are America…the mightiest civilization the world has ever known; you have slighted us; beware our wrath.” A major theme of this book is deconstructing American exceptionalism—the idea that America is unique, special, or better than other countries just by virtue of being, well, America. Changez chips away at this idea throughout the novel—for instance, by comparing Asian cities like Lahore and Manila to New York City (it’s not the world’s only shining metropolis!). In addition, through the use of narrative devices that serve as microcosms of America, like Erica (America) and Underwood Samson (U.S.—it took me far too long to figure that out), he deconstructs the idea of the American dream and of meritocracy.
Speaking of Erica, although I understand this is literary fiction and she was a narrative device, I think she as a character had dangerous potential to slip into Manic Pixie Dream Girl-land, but that this was ultimately averted. The term Manic Pixie Dream Girl refers to a quirky, usually white woman who exists solely to bring spice, variety, and wonder into the male protagonist’s life, without having an inner life or ambitions of her own. Erica, though, was clearly portrayed as having her own life and struggles with mental health that Changez, try as he might, ultimately couldn’t penetrate. She ultimately chooses “not to be part of [his] story; her own had proven too compelling.” And although the way the end of her story
In conclusion, this book was a pleasant surprise and I’d absolutely recommend it. Although it’s short and the narrative voice is more conversational than that of other literary fiction, it deals with difficult topics and will definitely take a bit to truly digest (as it did for me, especially after class discussion). But in my opinion, this book is worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia and Racism
Moderate: Suicide
juvonh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
clar_a's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide
nolwem's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Xenophobia
gracereads82's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Such an interesting book. The style of narration is different, in the form of a bearded Pakistani man, Chagez, telling his story to an unnamed, nervous American in a cafe in Lahore. It is part an exploration of culture, of immigration and the promise of America and of how that expectation can change in the wake of tragedy and heartbreak. It was completely not what I expected. Changez tells the American of how he saw America through innocent eyes at first, coming here to New Jersey to study at Princeton and getting recruited by a Manhattan firm straight out of school. His career takes off, he finds himself in love with a classmate and the world seems to be his. Then the events of 9/11 occur and the city is world is suddenly hostile to people who look like him. It is a time of reflection for both his personal life with Erica and for his work life at the firm, but also a time for growth, as he has to decide which life to have, the one in which he stays in America and makes lots of money and lets his family face conflict alone or the one where he goes to stay with them amidst the conflict. It was wonderful to see the events of 9/11 told from a different perspective. This book was definitely a window book for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
rosalind's review against another edition
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia
Moderate: Racism, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
fuzz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide
It is very rare to come across a book you fall in love with after reading the first page. It’s even rarer that that book delivers on that promise. This is one of those books. As I read about the life of Changez (the protagonist) I saw the same hues of his culture that I recognise in my own. Mohsin Hamid also did justice to describing how the sad events of 9/11 affected the lives of every person of South Asian heritage living in the western world. Although the story was short, it was ample for what it was set out to portray. This book will stay with me for a long time.