|
| The Reluctant Fundamentalist | 
 enlarge | Author: Mohsin Hamid
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy New: £2.87
You Save: £5.12 (64%)
New (24) from £2.87
Avg. Customer Rating:  57 reviews
Sales Rank: 211
Media: Paperback
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 4.8 x 0.9
ISBN: 0141029544
EAN: 9780141029542
ASIN: 0141029544
Publication Date: April 24, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW - ***Delivery usually * 2 - 3 * working days - From Aphrohead of SOUTHPORT, Lancs, UK *** . Priority Airmail used Worldwide on International orders. Thanks from all at Aphrohead.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Fundamentally flawed... April 28, 2008
8 out of 17 found this review helpful
A very disappointing novel. I was looking forward to reading it because it had quite a few mentions in the media, presumably down to the Zeitgeisty, potentially controversial subject matter. Certainly letting slip that the protagonist felt jubilant about 9/11 is going to guarantee you a few plugs. However I didn't find it a lot of fun to read. The conceit of making it a monologue with an unheard interlocutor at a restaurant table just seemed pretentious, and resulted in some clumsy one-sided phrasing that reminded me of a desperate ventriloquist.
The story itself had the potential to be a fascinating study of East-West relations, of change, of loss, of cross-cultural affairs and friendships. But that was all undermined by the writing, which laboured points dreadfully (think of the many significant hand gestures of Changez's boss, or the alternative implications of "fundamentals") and used right-on versions of stereotypes (troubled rich girl, macho captain of industry who turns out to be gay, nostalgic glimpses of harmonious family life in the Old Country). The result is that the reader is left with no sense of the process and outcomes of change, just an overpowering impression of a political axe being ground.
The author's wry smile in the large photo on the back endpaper was the final straw! I felt he knew that, in my wasting an afternoon reading this, he had played a successful joke on me.
 Elegant short novel that addresses urgent issues April 19, 2008
19 out of 30 found this review helpful
Mohsin Hamaid's short novel reminds me stylistically of Nabakov and Camus but its subject matter is very contemporary: the impact of 9/11 on a young Pakistani in New York and on his complicated web of relationships. The combination makes for a gripping read and a great literary contribution to an understanding of the tragic divide between the Muslim world and the West.
An interesting style, a good read but ultimately funks the big questions March 11, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a skillfully crafted book. It is a conversation between the main character Changez and a nameless faceless, wordless American. I enjoyed the style, it imparted a rather satisfying almost theatrical quality to the book. As for the events this is clearly an area where sensitivities abound. There are the obvious tensions between the materialism of Globalised big business and the implicit poverty of Pakistan, albeit with its sophisticated but faded civilisation. I must say though that I think the author funks at the last hurdle. Promising or perhaps threatening to explore the radicalisation of an educated middle class man he never quite gets there. It is a point that seems to have been missed in all the publicity surrounding extremism and terrorism - that these are not the preserve of uneducated thugs - ideas attract intelligent people. Perhaps I am missing the point - that for every act of violence there are many little rebellions? I liked Changez, he is sympathetic, human and easy to identify with - ultimately I was glad he was not too bad.
The book is different to the run of the mill. I found it hard to put down, I am glad I read it and would recommend it - I just felt it could have been more.
Beautifully balanced portrayal of the subtleties of East Vs West February 27, 2008
19 out of 23 found this review helpful
WARNING: SPOILERS
I am responding to some of the criticisms of the book in other reviews(that it is simply anti-American), which I feel have completely misunderstood it. The premise of the book is a conversation between Changez (a Pakistani who used to live in New York) and an American. The conversation occurs in Changez's home town, Lahore and the narrative reports Changez's side of the conversation, so it reads like a monologue. As they talk throughout the day, Changez reports his time in America and the reason he is now living in Pakistan. In so doing, he highlights the post 9/11 tensions between America and Muslim countries.
One criticism below is that the book is simply anti-American and distastefully so. I would strongly disagree. The narrative seemed to me to be a love story between the Pakistani narrator, Changez, and the nation of America. The character's gradual disillusionment with America is counterbalanced by his love for it and longing to be part of it, and there is a hint at some disgust at himself for still having such a connection with it, through Erica, an American girl he fell in love with.
Another criticism made in these reviews is that his change of heart towards America is not adequately explained. I think in this case, 'less is more'. The fact that his 'falling out of love' with America is not fully explained seems perfectly natural: many divorcees find it difficult to explain their breakdown of relationship. The gradual distancing of himself from American culture is as much about a psychological struggle to reconcile his true identity as it is a critique on the country's politics.
Hamid seems to hold in tension throughout the narrative this 'love-hate' relationship between East and West and does it with great subtlety and art. As a Westerner, I think it brings the complex issues of Islamic fundamentalism and America's 'war on terror' to the fore with great sympathy and balance. So much so, that the ending, being ambiguous, leaves you facing your own prejudices. Who is in danger at the end, Changez or the American? Has Changez lured the American into a trap, as part of his new strategy to stop America, or is he entirely innocent? Is Changez under threat from the American or not? I don't believe that the ending is a weakness of the book. Rather, it is purposefully, wonderfully ambiguous, leaving the reader to challenge your own preconceptions and sterotypes - who do we see as the real enemy?
In conclusion, I think this book is excellently, sensitively written, delicately handling complex issues. It is not perfect, and at times the monologue style of the narrative can seem a little limiting or clumsy. But it is a very well-written, thoughtful book, that deserves a thoughtful, considered response.
Compelling, tight, classic. February 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm going to have to read this book again because like other reviewers I found the ending ambiguous. It's not clear who the reluctant fundamentalist of the title is, I'm not entirely sure it's the narrator, it may be the voiceless American he's addressing. It seems that different people have understood different things from this book which I guess is a testament to its cleverness.
Either way I found this a hugely intelligent book, exploring the 'journey' of the narrator, Changez, through a changing world. Other reviewers have given the outline of the story, so I won't repeat them, but throughout the narrator's voice is consistent, calm, and compelling. I could 'hear' his voice and felt as if I knew him and also I felt that I liked him. Although nothing much actually happens in the book (it's just two strangers sharing a meal) there's an incredible tension and there's a distinct possibility of extreme violence after the closing pages. I do need to read it again, but if you like books which make you think, but which are still easy to read, please consider this one.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
