181:, he vacationed in Greece with fellow Princetonians, where he met Erica, an aspiring writer. He was instantly smitten by her, but his feelings remained almost unrequited because she was still grieving over the death of her childhood sweetheart Christopher Zee, who succumbed to lung cancer. After a date, they return to his place and he proceeds to have sex with her, but stops because her emotional attachment to Chris prevents her from becoming aroused. After this incident there is an interlude where neither contacts each other. But soon they go on another date, after which they have sex when Changez convinces Erica to close her eyes and fantasize that she is with Chris. Though Changez is satisfied at this development in their relationship, this irreversibly damages their relationship. Soon she begins treatment in a mental institution. He notices she is physically emaciated and no longer her former self. After this meeting he travels to Chile on an assignment. When he returns to meet her, it is found that she has left the institution and her clothes were found near the Hudson River. Officially she is stated as a missing person, as her body has not been found. Christopher Zee has claimed another victim.
204:. "Yes, despicable as it may sound, my initial reaction was to be remarkably pleased", he tells the American. He observes the air of suspicion towards Pakistanis. Changez, due to his privileged position in society, is not among those detained or otherwise abused, but he notices a change in his treatment in public. To express solidarity with his countrymen after his trip to Chile, he starts to grow a beard. After the
216:
demonstrations against policies that were detrimental to the sovereignty of
Pakistan. Changez advocates nonviolence, but a relatively unknown student gets apprehended for an assassination attempt on an American representative, which brings the spotlight on Changez. In a widely televised interview, he strongly criticizes the militarism of
227:
on which he is repeatedly messaging, and that under his clothing there is a bulge which might be a gun. Changez walks the stranger toward his hotel. As they walk, the
American, now highly suspicious that he is in immediate danger, reaches into his pocket, possibly for a gun. Changez says he trusts it
161:
The story begins in the streets of Lahore. A Pakistani man, Changez, offers to direct an
American visitor where he can find a good cup of tea. As they wait for their tea, Changez begins to weave a long story about his life, especially his time living in the United States – in between making remarks
531:
has assigned this novel to their incoming freshmen as part of their summer reading program. The
University of Evansville in Indiana uses the novel as a tool in the freshman First Year Seminar program. This program has the purpose of engaging incoming first-year students to topics of leadership and
536:
chose it for the first year common reading for the Class of 2018. The
University of Pretoria has this novel as part of the set work and reading list for English 220. New York City's CUNY Hunter College, department of English, assigns this book in an Asian American literature course for public
215:
After returning to Lahore, he becomes a professor of finance at the local university. His experience and insight in world issues gains his admiration among students. As a result, he becomes a mentor to large groups of students on various issues. He and his students actively participate in
184:
In his professional life, he impresses his peers and gets earmarked by his superiors for his work, especially Jim, the person who recruited him, develops a good rapport with him, and holds him in high esteem. This prompts the firm to send him to offshore assignments in the
Philippines and
134:
cafe, where a bearded
Pakistani man called Changez tells a nervous American stranger about his love affair with an American woman, and his eventual abandonment of America. A short story adapted from the novel, called "Focus on the Fundamentals," appeared in the fall 2006 issue of
544:," M. S. E. Madiou goes against mainstream criticism, analyzing the historical and artistic contingencies Mohsin Hamid has faced while writing his novel focusing on 9/11 as one of Hamid's "Eureka" moments that has significantly contributed to the production of his novel.
38:
189:, Chile. In Chile, he is very distracted due to developments in the world and, responding to the parabolic suggestion of the publisher his company is there to assess (which would lead to its breakup), he visits the nearby preserved home of the late left-wing poet
604:
Madiou, Mohamed Salah Eddine. "Mohsin Hamid
Engages the World in The Reluctant Fundamentalist: 'An Island on an Island,’ Worlds in Miniature and 'Fiction' in the Making". Arab Studies Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 4, 2019, pp. 271–297. JSTOR,
514:
has incorporated the novel into their unique Common
Intellectual Experience for freshmen students. Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas uses the book in all honors rhetoric classes for first-year students.
493:
assigned this book to all incoming freshmen as a topic for later discussion during
Freshman Orientation. This book kicked off the theme of the school's 2007-08 year, which focused on diversity. The following year,
212:. Noticing the US response to this situation, he has an epiphany that his country is being used as a pawn. With no job, an expiring visa and no reason to stay in the United States, he moves back to Lahore.
1173:
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to all of 1,500 new undergraduates as part of a new incentive to "offer students a common topic for discussion and focus energies on reading and intellectual debate". In 2010,
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gave the book to each of its incoming freshmen, as a part of the "Freshmen Reading Program." Georgetown University chose this book for incoming freshmen's summer reading.
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223:
As they sit in the cafe, Changez keeps noting that the American stranger is very apprehensive of their surroundings, that he is in possession of a sophisticated
273:
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is simply his holder of business cards. But the novel ends without revealing what was in his pocket, leaving the reader to wonder if the stranger was a
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agent, possibly there to kill Changez, or if Changez, in collusion with the waiter from the cafe, had planned all along to do harm to the American.
177:
student who, after completing his bachelor's degree in finance, joined Underwood Samson, a consultancy firm, as an analyst. After graduating from
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and society of Lahore, his native city which he loves and of which he is proud. The unnamed American is restless but remains to listen.
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and comes to see himself as a servant of the American empire that has constantly interfered with and manipulated his
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Meghani, Shamira A. (2019). "White gay men in two post-9/11 novels: "Cultural surveillance" and historical echoes".
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gave the novel to all new undergraduates as part of the Tulane University Reading Project. In 2009, the
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220:. This act makes people surrounding him think that someone might be sent to intimidate him or worse.
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150:
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197:. He returns from Chile to New York without completing the assignment and ends up losing his job.
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in Loudonville, New York use the novel as an introduction to their First Year Seminar programs.
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began broadcasting an abridged version on 22 August 2011, read by British actor
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became a million-copy international best-seller. It reached No. 4 on the
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discourse and a level of understanding of a post-9/11 age in America.
131:
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The reveal kickstarts the BBC's year-long celebration of literature.
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Government of Western Australia: Department of Culture and the Arts
229:
918:"PAST EVENT: Freedom of Expression Awards 2008: the nominees"
200:
Politically, Changez is surprised by his own reaction to the
540:
In his critique entitled "Mohsin Hamid Engages the World in
616:"The Reluctant Fundamentalist Opens Venice Film Festival"
255:
Upon release, it was generally well-received. Globally,
1052:
893:"Commonwealth Writers' Prize Shortlist | Book awards"
605:
www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/arabstudquar.41.4.0271.
527:assigned all incoming freshman this novel in 2012.
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announced that they would be sending a free copy of
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The New York Times Best Seller List (29 April 2007)
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88:
78:
57:
47:
1064:"Taking a hermit to a party and letting him dance"
997:"Debut novelist takes €100,000 Impac Dublin prize"
703:"100 'most inspiring' novels revealed by BBC Arts"
1053:"Washington University Freshmen Reading Program"
1174:Works originally published in The Paris Review
8:
28:
944:"Top writers in running for literary prize"
600:
598:
208:, India and Pakistan mobilize leading to a
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36:
27:
1169:Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa fiction
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474:Premio Speciale Dal Testo Allo Schermo
1184:Oxford University Press Pakistan books
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173:Changez tells the American he was an
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837:The Asian-American Writers' Workshop
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1139:Pakistani novels adapted into films
1134:Ambassador Book Award-winning works
1021:"Tulane University Reading Project"
463:International Dublin Literary Award
367:Arts Council England Decibel Award
21:The Reluctant Fundamentalist (film)
1037:"St Andrews' Booker Prize Project"
508:Washington University in St. Louis
126:The novel uses the technique of a
14:
1144:British novels adapted into films
261:says "Generally very impressed".
863:"Australia-Asia Literary Award"
643:Journal of Postcolonial Writing
557:New York Times Best Seller list
432:James Tait Black Memorial Prize
995:Flood, Alison (11 June 2009).
808:"The Reluctant Fundamentalist"
782:"The Reluctant Fundamentalist"
677:"The Reluctant Fundamentalist"
341:of the English Speaking Union
115:is a "metafictional" novel by
1:
970:"South Bank Show Awards 2008"
655:10.1080/17449855.2019.1617977
392:Australia-Asia Literary Award
378:Asian American Literary Award
206:2001 Indian Parliament attack
1106:The Reluctant Fundamentalist
553:The Reluctant Fundamentalist
542:The Reluctant Fundamentalist
504:The Reluctant Fundamentalist
447:Annual Award for Literature
406:(Eurasia Region, Best Book)
287:The Reluctant Fundamentalist
270:The Reluctant Fundamentalist
247:and autodiegetic narration.
241:The Reluctant Fundamentalist
112:The Reluctant Fundamentalist
30:The Reluctant Fundamentalist
1089:BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime
1041:St Andrews official website
948:The University of Edinburgh
757:"Mohsin Hamid – Literature"
274:100 most influential novels
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812:Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
404:Commonwealth Writers Prize
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16:2007 novel by Mohsin Hamid
1179:Pakistani-American novels
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354:Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
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325:Notable Book of the Year
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145:of the novel by director
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519:in Des Moines, Iowa and
500:University of St Andrews
264:On 5 November 2019, the
1025:Tulane Official Website
585:and premiered in 2012.
285:Awards and honours for
72:Oxford University Press
1154:Novels by Mohsin Hamid
149:premiered at the 2012
1189:Novels set in one day
1164:Hamish Hamilton books
579:film of the same name
339:Ambassador Book Award
123:, published in 2007.
1159:Novels set in Lahore
1112:17 July 2013 at the
548:Commercial reception
202:September 11 attacks
179:Princeton University
151:Venice Film Festival
1129:2007 British novels
1027:, 28 September 2009
922:Index on Censorship
873:on 19 February 2011
534:Bucknell University
417:Index on Censorship
289:
272:on its list of the
243:is an example of a
218:U.S. foreign policy
32:
485:Academic reception
284:
245:dramatic monologue
42:First edition (UK)
19:For the film, see
786:The Booker Prizes
709:. 5 November 2019
525:Lehigh University
496:Tulane University
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622:. 30 August 2012
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80:Publication date
64:(United Kingdom)
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871:the original
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841:the original
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788:. March 2007
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121:Mohsin Hamid
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84:1 March 2007
52:Mohsin Hamid
29:
25:
713:10 November
568:BBC Radio 4
563:Adaptations
128:frame story
1123:Categories
589:References
467:Shortlist
437:Shortlist
409:Shortlist
396:Shortlist
370:Shortlist
328:Selection
315:Shortlist
187:ValparaĂso
162:about the
74:(Pakistan)
687:4 October
663:199270679
626:3 October
583:Mira Nair
572:Riz Ahmed
489:In 2007,
251:Reception
175:excellent
168:landmarks
147:Mira Nair
117:Pakistani
58:Publisher
1110:Archived
833:"Awards"
707:BBC News
424:Nominee
266:BBC News
210:standoff
195:homeland
67:Harcourt
1006:3 March
980:3 March
954:3 March
928:3 March
902:3 March
877:3 March
847:3 March
817:3 March
792:3 March
766:3 March
299:Result
268:listed
164:history
119:author
661:
620:Screen
451:Winner
383:Winner
359:Winner
345:Winner
280:Awards
132:Lahore
48:Author
659:S2CID
459:2009
335:2008
307:2007
302:Ref.
293:Year
236:Style
89:Pages
1067:Dawn
1008:2022
982:2022
956:2022
930:2022
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879:2022
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819:2022
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768:2022
715:2019
689:2023
628:2012
141:. A
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651:doi
230:CIA
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