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A review by katharina90
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Loved the stylistic choice of the one-sided dialogue, the voice of the Pakistani narrator, and the ambiguous ending.
Great commentary on US imperialism, capitalism, the immigrant experience in general, and the rampant racism and islamophobia post-9/11 in particular.
Didn't care for the Erica storyline, whether it's supposed to serve as an allegory or not.
"As a society, you were unwilling to reflect upon the shared pain that united you with those who attacked you. You retreated into myths of your own difference, assumptions of your own superiority. And you acted out these beliefs on the stage of the world, so that the entire planet was rocked by the repercussions of your tantrums, not least my family, now facing war thousands of miles away. Such an America had to be stopped in the interests not only of the rest of humanity, but also in your own."
Great commentary on US imperialism, capitalism, the immigrant experience in general, and the rampant racism and islamophobia post-9/11 in particular.
Didn't care for the Erica storyline, whether it's supposed to serve as an allegory or not.
"As a society, you were unwilling to reflect upon the shared pain that united you with those who attacked you. You retreated into myths of your own difference, assumptions of your own superiority. And you acted out these beliefs on the stage of the world, so that the entire planet was rocked by the repercussions of your tantrums, not least my family, now facing war thousands of miles away. Such an America had to be stopped in the interests not only of the rest of humanity, but also in your own."
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Xenophobia, Racism, Suicide, Grief, Islamophobia, and Mental illness