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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
How wonderful and sad and hopeful to read this intense book about being “other” in the country of your birth. But that is only one of the myriad themes covered here. Economics, politics, Islam, racism, terrorism, family, love. None of which escapes brutal honesty and dissection of its complexities. Though a novel, this book at various times felt like more of a lecture series, an interwoven short story collection, a memoir, or an intellectual thriller. Where in the world of relationships and ideas would the protagonist land? Of course, he need not land anywhere at all since the journey never ends. And hello out there to anyone who thinks otherwise: the beauty and health and vibrancy of this country rely on the contributions of authors like this one.
PS: With all that is said here of Obama, the fact that this made his short list of favorite books of 2020 just demonstrates once again the incredible grace of the man.
PS: With all that is said here of Obama, the fact that this made his short list of favorite books of 2020 just demonstrates once again the incredible grace of the man.
I had to keep reminding myself that this is a novel because it reads much more like a memoir. However it's categorized, it's excellent, full of difficult realities and harsh realizations about the American lifestyle and what it's like to be a Muslim in our post 9/11 world. Highly recommended.
One of the best books I've read. Moving, authentic account of what it is to be a first-generation American.
Although there were sections that bogged down, this was worth reading in its entirety; maybe not the most likable characters, but interesting perspectives on who and what we are as Americans.
DNF. At about 50% I knew it wasn't for me, but maybe it was just a bad chapter. 60% It didn't take me super long to get this far, I can just finish it, maybe it wraps up alright. Somehow got 80% through before I finally admitted to myself that this wasn't worth my time. Still skimmed to 84%. Nope. I don't know why I was in such denial, but this book/author and I just aren't meant to be together.
I loved everything about this book. It was so different and so well-written. I highly recommend.
4.5/5
This was a really interesting reading experience. The blurred line between reality and fantasy, fact and fiction, novel and memoir is something that’s not entirely uncommon, but I’ve never seen it done quite like this before, with more of a wink to the reader, an in-line acknowledgement that these are memories being fictionalized in real time. It does leave you wondering how much is real and how much is confabulated from reality, but it didn’t make the book any less engaging.
The book’s first section about Ayad’s father and Trump was so incredibly intriguing that it drew me into the book instantly. I’d read in a separate review that Akhtar wrote the novel to read something like the endless scroll of social media, which resonated with me immediately. There was something about Akhtar’s style, the content, the slowly unfurling personal dramas woven into large scale geo-political conflicts and their repercussions, that made for an unputdownable read. We don’t just see a new world through Ayad’s eyes, but through the experiences and memories of his friends and family. We see them scramble for something resembling an American dream, regardless of how tenuous that idea really is. We see them experience unfair prejudices and racism, and feel a deep longing and pull for everything they’ve left behind. Akhtar narrativizes this push-and-pull so beautifully without totally romanticizing what it is America can offer an immigrant or their American-born children. The specific struggles of Muslims in a post-9/11 America was really powerful, showing how no matter how “good” any immigrant is, they can’t escape the small-minded prejudices of a world that simply refuses to understand them.
I’m only knocking off half a star (and rounding down) because I hoped the whole book would have the same inexplicable pull that the first few parts did, and while it was still beautifully written and engaging, I did lose a bit of steam in the later parts, even as the story of Ayad and his father ramped up more. But all in all, this is a fascinating, must-read book that really digs into the concept of home/homeland and belonging, and the ways we may re-write our own stories and histories to suit a rapidly changing world. It definitely piqued my curiosity about Akhtar’s earlier novel and plays, which I’d definitely be interested in picking up.
This was a really interesting reading experience. The blurred line between reality and fantasy, fact and fiction, novel and memoir is something that’s not entirely uncommon, but I’ve never seen it done quite like this before, with more of a wink to the reader, an in-line acknowledgement that these are memories being fictionalized in real time. It does leave you wondering how much is real and how much is confabulated from reality, but it didn’t make the book any less engaging.
The book’s first section about Ayad’s father and Trump was so incredibly intriguing that it drew me into the book instantly. I’d read in a separate review that Akhtar wrote the novel to read something like the endless scroll of social media, which resonated with me immediately. There was something about Akhtar’s style, the content, the slowly unfurling personal dramas woven into large scale geo-political conflicts and their repercussions, that made for an unputdownable read. We don’t just see a new world through Ayad’s eyes, but through the experiences and memories of his friends and family. We see them scramble for something resembling an American dream, regardless of how tenuous that idea really is. We see them experience unfair prejudices and racism, and feel a deep longing and pull for everything they’ve left behind. Akhtar narrativizes this push-and-pull so beautifully without totally romanticizing what it is America can offer an immigrant or their American-born children. The specific struggles of Muslims in a post-9/11 America was really powerful, showing how no matter how “good” any immigrant is, they can’t escape the small-minded prejudices of a world that simply refuses to understand them.
I’m only knocking off half a star (and rounding down) because I hoped the whole book would have the same inexplicable pull that the first few parts did, and while it was still beautifully written and engaging, I did lose a bit of steam in the later parts, even as the story of Ayad and his father ramped up more. But all in all, this is a fascinating, must-read book that really digs into the concept of home/homeland and belonging, and the ways we may re-write our own stories and histories to suit a rapidly changing world. It definitely piqued my curiosity about Akhtar’s earlier novel and plays, which I’d definitely be interested in picking up.
I wanted to love this book more than I did, but the somewhat disjointed structure never felt resolved in a satisfying way, and the overly verbose prose got exhausting after a while. (At some point, I found myself wondering who the audience was for this book as I think many people who could most benefit from Akhtar's insights - those who might be the least educated about or aware of the true Muslim experience in the U.S. - would find themselves struggling with the text as I did at times and would likely not continue it.) Despite that, Akhtar has flashes of brilliance that made the book a worthwhile read.
Rarely does a book challenge me in terms of form and thought, but this one did. Amazingly complex, reading this is an unique and mind bending experience.
Deeply relevant and personal to me as a daughter of Pakistani immigrants - I appreciate the honesty, vulnerability, rawness of his experiences as they relate closely to my own in a lot of ways. His complicated relationship with his parents feels familiar and easy to empathize with, his own search for identity and meaning while watching his parents do the same also resonated deeply with me. This was well written, complicated, and relatable even if you're not the child of immigrants, Muslim or a person of color. Well worth the 5 stars.