The Reluctant Fundamentalist
CDN$ 13.10
Fascinating and brilliant book - This book is a brilliant presentation of a personal moral position reflecting a complex political situation from the perspective of one single human being, who narrates throughout - a difficult technical achievement which the author brings off very well.The previous review exposes some strands of this narrative but draws conclusions from it that not all may share, and for me underplays the uncertainty of outcome at the story s conclusion. I would also add that in a subtle way the book presents a richness of cultural perspective that is powerfully influential and extends the book beyond either the personal or the political realms. The ambiguity that is woven into this book is one of its major strengths. There are no certainties - personal, political or moral - and this is a book for those who wish to make up their own minds in a world which is frequently presented to us with clear rights and wrongs. If you think that you know the answer to fundamentalism, you don t understand the problem
A tale of place versus opportunity - You gotta read this book. It s a dinner table conversation that takes place between two men at a restaurant in Lahore, Pakistan. One will kill the other before the evening ends. Changez ,tells his tale to our unidentified, American guest. It s a tale of place versus opportunity. Up until September 11, 2001, life is a world of opportunities for Changez. He has received a scholarship from Princeton University, been hired by a prestigious accounting firm, and fallen in love with a beautiful girl. Life couldn t be better, especially for a young born to modest means in a developing country. The problem is that he can t separate himself from his connection with that country. His appearance is constantly reflected to him in the eyes of the world following the attacks of September 11. It s symbolized in his love for the beautiful girl who only feels a mutual attraction when he pretends to be her dead boyfriend. It s manifested in the treatment he receives everytime he boards and plane. And it s made real by the confrontation with the publisher of a small publishing company who accuses him of being a Janissary, the perfect soldier being one who s lost his roots. You gotta read the book.