The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid [Review]

Synopsis:
At a café table in Lahore, a bearded Pakistani man converses with an uneasy American stranger. As dusk deepens to night, he begins the tale that has brought them to this fateful meeting . . .

Changez is living an immigrant’s dream of America. At the top of his class at Princeton, he is snapped up by the elite "valuation" firm of Underwood Samson. He thrives on the energy of New York, and his infatuation with elegant, beautiful Erica promises entry into Manhattan society at the same exalted level once occupied by his own family back in Lahore.

But in the wake of September 11, Changez finds his position in his adopted city suddenly overturned, and his budding relationship with Erica eclipsed by the reawakened ghosts of her past. And Changez’s own identity is in seismic shift as well, unearthing allegiances more fundamental than money, power, and maybe even love.


Review:
 This is another book for english we had to read and i immedeatly thought "ugh it looks boring" (i didnt have that cover) But i was completely wrong! I was blew away by how interesting i found this story. It was so great to read and to indentify myself with some of the things that the character Changez was telling, since I, myself , live in a different country than my birth. As a non-american i really liked this book and surprisingly connected in some ways with the main character.The plot builds up to a really unexpected ending that i did not expected. basically great plot twist.

The writing style is something i have never seen before in my life. The writer, Mohsin, writes this book as if Changez is having a conversation/telling a story to some american man but you read only what he is saying and telling him. I had a bit of difficulty starting it but after a while i flew through it just fine.

I love how Erica is potrayed and described and how she deals with Chris and everything i just really liked how the author didn't sugar coat it or tried to romanticize it like it is usually done. She kept firm in her "issues". and i liked that.
Changez on the other hand, was creepy in a lot of ways and i didn't expect the plot twist at the end till it actually happened and then everything clicked in place, little clues the author leaves behind during the book, like the smile and stuff. I loved that, but not the way he was forcing Erica, that part was disturbing.

The relationship that Jim was trying to build with Changez, in my point of view, it seemed a bit more trying to be romantic with him and he didn't even notice. But oh well.

I really liked this book, if you like books with plot twists and that deals with cultures, the way you integrate yourself in a culture that isn't yours and try to deal with the demonisation of your culture. This is the book for you.

I gave this book ★★★★ on Goodreads