Reviews

Jak nechutně zbohatnout v rozvojové Asii by Markéta Musilová, Mohsin Hamid

cmhillner's review against another edition

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 against another edition

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.

ladylizardxvii's review against another edition

5.0

This book was SO good, but in a really subtle way. It was tragic, it was heartwarming, it was sketchy, it was wholesome. I loved it -- and my absolute favorite part was the style. I couldn't believe how well the "how-to" theme was carried throughout and woven in in a really unobtrusive way, and reading an entire book in the second person point-of-view was a spectacular experience. I felt right in the middle of the story. Even though no characters had names, I felt intimately connected to them. I already can't wait to read this again. So good!

shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition

Somewhere (maybe The Economist?) I read that one could learn about globalization by reading two books - Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Kathleen Boo (which I had read and thought excellent) and How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid. Boo's book is about real people and events. Hamid's book is a clever and interesting, if somewhat cynical, novel. It's also excellent.It is written as a 'How to' manual being read by the main character of the novel. So the chapters are titled: "Move to the City," "Get an Education," "Do not Fall in Love," etc. Following the 'advice' is a description of the protagonist and his family as they move to the city, do or do not get an education, fall in love etc. Certainly the seamier side of globalization is well-documented here but some of the gifts of globalization are also well explored. Highly readable.

seaswift14's review against another edition

challenging inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

waqasmhd's review against another edition

2.0

Its tempting to give it 3 stars but I'll hold back. It was just ok so its 2 stars.

I won't lie. From the start I wasn't liking it but continued to read thinking it was by Mohsin Hamid after all. So I read and it got a little better but this is not what I expected of him.

May be my expectations are to be blamed. I didn't like the self-help style or whatever it was meant to be.

It's very simple, quick read and enjoyable in parts only.

gillenwaaah's review against another edition

I just was not into it. Something I think about the prose? The self help book aspect took me out of it and I just couldn’t get into it enough to make myself keep reading when I have 100 other books I could read

sheevs_'s review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

4.0

librerin's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed the witticisms about the self help genre at the start of each chapter, and I loved the last chapter. It was a bit of a melancholy book for me right now, but an interesting story told well.

swatreader's review against another edition

it's just like why does he write like that