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camilleisreading24's review against another edition
4.0
This book was cool. Told in 2nd POV and styled as a self-help/how-to book, it traces the rise from poverty to riches of a nameless young man ('you') in an unspecified country in Asia (my guess is India). Over the years (and this brief novel traces his entire life) the boy encounters 'the pretty girl,' who also rises from the slums, first as a model, then a movie star, then an interior designer. The boy peddles in bottled water and eventually builds his business empire on commodifying thirst. The writing style is unique and intriguing, and because there are no references to current events, it feels as though the tale takes place in a perpetual present.
sbhatnag's review against another edition
4.0
Mohsin Hamid is f**king brilliant. While not of the blow-your-mind variety, How To Get Filthy Rich.., was a page turner and does what all great books should do: it lingers..
misha_ali's review against another edition
2.0
One night after finishing this I have trouble recalling most of the characters and events. Utterly unmemorable, especially since the protagonist is always "you" and his lady love is always "the pretty girl". I gave it an extra star because in the final three chapters it actually seemed like we were getting to know more about the characters. It still only gets two stars because too little, too late.
thewakeless's review against another edition
5.0
Although I think this is his weakest novel (that I have read) it is still excellent, fast paced, through-provoking and entirely new. Could not praise this writer enough.
berlinbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
The narrative style of this book drew me in immediately and didn't let me go until it was over. I loved the second person narration (surprisingly for me) and the snarky, irreverent tone of the self-help sections. The way Hamid gives the reader such a full picture of people, relationships or situations with so few words is amazing. I liked reading about the protagonist, but loved everything we got to know about the pretty girl. There are no names or places in this story, but everything is so specific and clearly drawn that after the first moment of noticing that nobody was given a name, I didn't really notice anymore. The ending is lovely, and especially the reflections on how books are a collaboration between their authors and readers, different every time.
karenreads1000s's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure why I struggled to quickly read this short book. The writer's voice as the narrator was entertaining. The book's whole plot actually was very creative. It included the man's whole life. His financial rise and fall. His enduring love for the pretty girl.
glimnore's review against another edition
5.0
I personally think that this is a staggering work of genius that will unfortunately only resonate with a very few amount of people.
Nonetheless I was brought to tears with this book. My return to Hamid's work has reminded me of the beauty of his emotional and stylistic writing.
Please consider giving this a read everybody.
Nonetheless I was brought to tears with this book. My return to Hamid's work has reminded me of the beauty of his emotional and stylistic writing.
Please consider giving this a read everybody.
counterfeitnickel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-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
milandeep's review against another edition
5.0
Please do not get fooled by the title of the book 'How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia.' It may sound like self- help, but it is a brilliant short novel written in second person by Mohsin Hamid. Every chapter begins as a parody of a self-help book but quickly moves on to the main story. The name of the chapters can vary from "Learn From a Master,” “Don’t Fall in Love” to “Be Prepared to Use Violence”. Every chapter is about a new phase of life of ‘you.’ The book speaks to 'you' which seemed a bit unsettling in the beginning but as the story progresses, I begin to like the 'you' of the author.
It’s a story of a nameless protagonist living in a nameless country in Asia (no doubt Pakistan) who rises from poverty to become filthy rich by selling bottled water. None of the characters in the novel have names but they are likeable. There is little dialogue, but you get to know what the characters are thinking. The story has gaps when it goes from one chapter to another and you need to fill those gaps as you read on. It’s a story of human life, of love, of family, of corruption and a great desire to get rich. But mainly about ambition and love.
Hamid's prose is beautiful with a disarming sense of humor. Take an example, when negotiating for a government contract with a bureaucrat: You are his buyer, and though you must not squeeze, you have him by his enormous, greedy and extremely useful balls. You haggle, but magnanimously. Mohsin Hamid is certainly one of the most gifted writers of our generation and this is so far the best novel that I've read in 2013. I've not read his previous two books which I've already bought promptly and will be reading soon.
It’s a story of a nameless protagonist living in a nameless country in Asia (no doubt Pakistan) who rises from poverty to become filthy rich by selling bottled water. None of the characters in the novel have names but they are likeable. There is little dialogue, but you get to know what the characters are thinking. The story has gaps when it goes from one chapter to another and you need to fill those gaps as you read on. It’s a story of human life, of love, of family, of corruption and a great desire to get rich. But mainly about ambition and love.
Hamid's prose is beautiful with a disarming sense of humor. Take an example, when negotiating for a government contract with a bureaucrat: You are his buyer, and though you must not squeeze, you have him by his enormous, greedy and extremely useful balls. You haggle, but magnanimously. Mohsin Hamid is certainly one of the most gifted writers of our generation and this is so far the best novel that I've read in 2013. I've not read his previous two books which I've already bought promptly and will be reading soon.
egould1's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. The structure was the most interesting thing - mimicking a self-help book, but also how the beginnings of each chapter create a rhythm throughout the novel of what to expect next. The plot itself is very quiet, following an unnamed character from his childhood to his death. An interesting read.