The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Yesss, finally I completed reading through this book in I-can’t-even-remember number of instalments. This was one of those books which at the start seemed to challenge me if I can even read the whole book, becomes kind of soon-to-get over with so that I could turn to other book but as it tends to approach the end, it catches you off-balance and makes you more mystified than you’d have ever thought. I wished to give a 3.5(on a scale of 5) rating to the whole rigmarole.

A brilliant monologue, and a perfect story which makes American intention naked to the whole world so humbly, a cunning plot, this is all what is present inside this book.

The character of Changez, brilliant, smart, torn between two earth and sky ideologies., has been portrayed very nicely. The character of Jim too, has been identified as a “god-friend” like character, his beliefs in Changez’s capabilities even after his last-minute betrayal is so emphatic.  

Deliberate rhetoric comments about “fundamentalism” were deft. Calling the ‘fundamentalist’ reluctant I believe is another nice touch, so deliberately humourous. Always seeming to be reticent, but just the other moment complaining everything in somewhat harsh tone, making the listener uneasy; putting the listener at ease at one moment, suddenly catching him off-guard at the next were the 'hots' of the book.

The conflict shown in Changez’s mind if he is doing something wrong by joining America’s side and not doing any anything for his own country and running away from the atrocities thrusted upon by America  on his own country-men was brilliantly portrayed so when he decides to shift side suddenly, it felt right on his part.

Another aspect of the story involving Erica was another contributor enhancing Changez’s character. With this reference, it is showed that he tried to figure what was needed to be done, what kind of person he was and what has he become and what he wanted to be.

I was really spooked by the end, so crafty and so clever ending. I liked it a lot.  

But even then, in spite of all the good things, it missed the verve to some extent. The writing sometimes missed to incite excitement, made it into a draggy account. Way more ornated than needed, the metaphors way overrated. Plus writer demeaning India to be a ‘blobheaded’, so much swayed by America in all attempts to try everything out with Pakistan, was in no way justified. It was prejudiced to its every end, and in no way neutral about the whole affair.