The Reluctant Fundamentalist

This is first time I am reading Mohsin Hamid, so really wasn't sure of what to expect.

The book is about an encounter between an American ('you') and a bearded Pakistani ('Changez') in a restaurant on the streets of Old Anarkali road in Lahore. This is a story of just one evening where Changez narrates his experience of America. He talks about his graduation, his first job, his high flying career and his love life and how things change since the attack on the World Trade Centre.

The book stands by his name 'Reluctant Fundamentalist'. Changez is an unwilling fellow, he has been hesitating to take decisions throughout, and if he takes any, he still has doubt about those. And post 9/11 shows his fundamentalist character. He leaves his high flying career and decides to settle in his hometown, Lahore.

The story telling in the book was really good, this is the first time I have seen such a story telling. The pace of the book is really slow and it never grips you because, while reading you are sure of what is in store next. If the author wanted to display the trauma of post 9/11, he could have it by taking some other real life characters, who have actually gone through the suffering. The character in the book haven't gone through anything, he is a person earning a healthy salary and just decides to quit America because of his religious thoughts.

I would say one can happily avoid it, if one wants to unless you love non-fictional a lot.
My Verdict would be just 2 stars. One for the story telling and other for the character which I liked the most, 'Erica'.