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A review by cdrescher
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
4.0
3.75 stars rounded up to 4. Once this story got going (which was maybe 250 pages in...) it went lightning fast. The best word I can use to describe this novel is "sprawling", across literally time and space...space being the Earth. I could not put it down once we got to about 350 pages in. It is a chonker, but it's worthy of its chonkness.
If you have any interest in political thrillers this book is MADE for you. There are two main complaints I have, both of which have been noted by other reviewers:
1. I'm not going to say that the author is against Muslims or that this book has Islamophobia...I think that's far too reductive and frankly, during the main time frame of the novel there was a lot real-life fear between the East and the West. However, there are some quotes and imagery that is lightly disturbing about the portrayal of the Islamic faith in this story. Take that for what you will.
2. I don't have a problem with the main character having no personality--I think that was kind of the point...that this main has been through so much in his life and constantly has to change his identity that he can't be centered in who he is. THAT BEING SAID...this man was either the most brilliant CIA operative of his age or the dumbest mother fucker alive. We can't have it both ways!!
If you have any interest in political thrillers this book is MADE for you. There are two main complaints I have, both of which have been noted by other reviewers:
1. I'm not going to say that the author is against Muslims or that this book has Islamophobia...I think that's far too reductive and frankly, during the main time frame of the novel there was a lot real-life fear between the East and the West. However, there are some quotes and imagery that is lightly disturbing about the portrayal of the Islamic faith in this story. Take that for what you will.
2. I don't have a problem with the main character having no personality--I think that was kind of the point...that this main has been through so much in his life and constantly has to change his identity that he can't be centered in who he is. THAT BEING SAID...this man was either the most brilliant CIA operative of his age or the dumbest mother fucker alive. We can't have it both ways!!