The Reluctant Fundamentalist

December 11, 2006
Hamid's second book (after Moth
\t\t Smoke) is an intelligent and absorbing 9/11 novel, written from the
\t\t perspective of Changez, a young Pakistani whose sympathies, despite his fervid
\t\t immigrant embrace of America, lie with the attackers. The book unfolds as a
\t\t monologue that Changez delivers to a mysterious American operative over dinner
\t\t at a Lahore, Pakistan, cafe. Pre-9/11, Princeton graduate Changez is on top of
\t\t the world: recruited by an elite New York financial company, the 22-year-old
\t\t quickly earns accolades from his hard-charging supervisor, plunges into
\t\t Manhattan's hip social whirl and becomes infatuated with Erica, a fellow
\t\t Princeton graduate pining for her dead boyfriend. But after the towers fall,
\t\t Changez is subject to intensified scrutiny and physical threats, and his
\t\t co-workers become markedly less affable as his beard grows in ("a form of
\t\t protest," he says). Erica is committed to a mental institution, and Changez,
\t\t upset by his adopted country's "growing and self-righteous rage," slacks off at
\t\t work and is fired. Despite his off-putting commentary, the damaged Changez
\t\t comes off as honest and thoughtful, and his creator handles him with a
\t\t sympathetic grace.

May 28, 2007
Hamid grabs hold of the American Dream as seen through the eyes of a young Princeton grad from Pakistan in a post-9/11 world. As the protagonist, Changez, finds moderate business success and romantic love in New York City, his heritage and identity will be lost in a sea of subtle and blatant bigotry as well as international politics. In relating this journey from loving to loathing of all things American, Changez speaks to a nameless and speechless American whom he encounters in the marketplace of his home city, Lahore, Pakistan. Bhabha’s English-influenced Pakistani accent proves soothing and inviting for listeners. His gentle demeanor captures the courteous and polite manner of Changez. His American accent comes in the form of a Midwestern accent with a confident—almost arrogant—lilt. He lapses when it comes to vocalizing women. Though lighter, his voice exudes a stoic resonance instead of a feminine one. But the casual tone of Changez telling his life story translates perfectly with the help of Bhabha’s velvet voice. Simultaneous release with the Harcourt hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 11).