The Reluctant Fundamentalist

One word to describe this book: Brilliant. I am a kind of speechless to describe it. Written by Mohsin Hamid, a Pakistani who now lives in London, this book has been translated into 20 languages (including Bahasa Indonesia, published by Penerbit Mizan on July 2008) and soon to be a major motion picture directed by Mira Nair.

The story presents an interesting perspective of life in America in the aftermath of 9/11 tragedy. The main character is Changez, a brilliant young Pakistani who finishes at the top of his class at Princeton and is hired by the most prestigious and world-famous corporate valuation firm based in New York city. He has a perfect life there. He finds his true love, Erica, a charming American woman. He adores America very much.

Things are totally differrent just after the 9/11 tragedy. Changez gets confused either to stay in America or to return back to his home town in Lahore Pakistan. He is in a big dilemma.

There’s no action (no bombs, no bullets, no noisy chaos), but there is a gripping suspense. The story is started at a restaurant in Lahore market, Pakistan, where Changez spends his time having dinner with an unknown American guy. All these mesmerizing stories about his life in America are conveyed through the narrative voice of Changez interpreting the American’s reaction as story unfolds.