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indiethereader 's review for:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
by Mohsin Hamid
I was so excited to pick up this book after Exit West ended up as my favourite book read in 2023. Hamid tells this poignant story in a fascinating style and makes keen but not spiteful criticisms of the treatment of foreigners in America, particularly in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.
I loved reading about the juxtapositions between New York as a microcosm independent of the greater region of America before the 9/11 tragedy and how the perspective changed after the fact. I also appreciated the protagonists development of their view of themselves as a foreigner profiting off of America's chokehold over so much of the world, including Pakistan. There were clear parallels between this development over time and the love story throughout the book between Changez and Erica.
I wasn't aware of this novels infamous ending until after I read the book and some of the reviews here and I can understand why it is so unpopular. I felt that the ending turned the novel from a casual and polite conversation into a very brief, yet stabbing criticism of America' blanket approach to its treatment of foreigners after the events of 9/11, which was very much in contrast with the rest of the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I don't think it's quite a 5-star book for me like Exit West was because of the way the story was written, sort of a one-sided conversation transcript. There was some beautiful writing though and the themes of the book were explored in very intelligent ways.
I loved reading about the juxtapositions between New York as a microcosm independent of the greater region of America before the 9/11 tragedy and how the perspective changed after the fact. I also appreciated the protagonists development of their view of themselves as a foreigner profiting off of America's chokehold over so much of the world, including Pakistan. There were clear parallels between this development over time and the love story throughout the book between Changez and Erica.
I wasn't aware of this novels infamous ending until after I read the book and some of the reviews here and I can understand why it is so unpopular. I felt that the ending turned the novel from a casual and polite conversation into a very brief, yet stabbing criticism of America' blanket approach to its treatment of foreigners after the events of 9/11, which was very much in contrast with the rest of the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I don't think it's quite a 5-star book for me like Exit West was because of the way the story was written, sort of a one-sided conversation transcript. There was some beautiful writing though and the themes of the book were explored in very intelligent ways.
In a subway car, my skin would typically fall in the middle of the color spectrum. On street corners, tourists would ask me for directions. I was, in four and a half years, never an American; I was immediately a New Yorker.