by Mohsin Hamid
"EXCUSE ME, SIR, but may I be of assistance? Ah, I see I have alarmed you. Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America. I noticed that you were looking for something; more than looking, in fact you seemed to be on a mission, and since I am both a native of this city and a speaker of your language, I thought I might offer you my services."
Review:
The novel centers around Changez, a young Pakistani who tells his story (a single monologue) to a nameless, mysterious American who sits across from him at a Lahore cafe. The conversation has him reminiscing an immigrant’s dream of America in the wake of September 11th. He was at the top of his class at Princeton, snapped up by the elite valuation firm of Underwood Samson and has started a romance with elegant, beautiful Erica. What more could you ask for? Once again I was captivated by "a day in the life of" story and was pleasantly pleased. This story is the extreme, since it only revolves around an encounter in a restaurant. I persevered and made it out alive in two sittings. I started early evening Saturday and finished late night Sunday. I definitely recommend this to anyone who isn't sick of the Middle East, 911 and such in this time of war.
