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ronald_schoedel's review against another edition
3.0
Not a bad story, but the ending was so predictable as to make me think “wait, that can’t REALLY be it!” It was. (I will submit that the ending was probably quite realistic, though.)
phinas's review against another edition
1.0
I really can't give a fair review of this book, simply because I don't care for the author. This is the second book by this author I have attempted and the first one I have finished. A friend helped me to realize that I don't care for the author's character development. However, that must only apply to me considering he is a bestselling author whose books have been made into movies.
rjtifft's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
alexkerner's review against another edition
3.0
So the ending was great, with the pace of the concluding chapters really creating a riveting conclusion. Also made me hate the intelligence community more than before (although that wasn't really that difficult to do). My criticism of this novel though, is that the narrative structure is way to messy at points. Le Carre's style makes us spend significant effort figuring out what is going on, unnecessarily so. I enjoy complex plots but there should be a point to when an author decides to construct the story in such a way and here it seemed to be for the sake of doing so rather than for mudding the waters of a surprise ending.
jfl's review against another edition
2.0
Beautifully written. Predictable plot. I never could get involved with the characters: I remained emotionally disengaged from their struggles. In some way, the work seemed dated. Although certainly not a spy novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid is extraordinarily fresh and inventive and does provide insight into the mind of contemporary terrorism.
brianthejenkins's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.25
blugonja's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
rmardel's review against another edition
4.0
This novel is deeply cynical and unsettling. It is also a well told tale with sympathetic characters, deftly developed and compassionately written. I sometimes forget that le Carre is a far better writer than the genre of "spy novels" would suggest.
Two humane, honorable, intelligent, well-drawn characters are sucked into a web of bitter cynicism and darkness. This book about the corruption of power, the complexity of human relationships, and the utter inhumanity in the fanatical pursuit of intelligence. All that, and beautifully written too, with paragraphs that just sing on the page.
Two humane, honorable, intelligent, well-drawn characters are sucked into a web of bitter cynicism and darkness. This book about the corruption of power, the complexity of human relationships, and the utter inhumanity in the fanatical pursuit of intelligence. All that, and beautifully written too, with paragraphs that just sing on the page.