Everyone’s
been talking about this book and movie lately. And of course, the
timing of everything. Yeah, timing is something, because I came across
this book a few weeks ago by chance, and after reading the first page, I
checked it out, came home and read it all in one sitting. It is that
much of an intense and interesting book. Only later did I realize that
it was soon coming out (well it has come out as I type) as a movie,
adapted and directed by Mira Nair. Coincidence, really. Timing again.
Since
everyone’s been talking about this book/movie, dissecting and
articulating all the powerful themes questions, I am now at a loss for
words Everything has already been said. Anything I say now is going to
seem paraphrased, regurgitated from captions and headlines. So, keeping
aside the themes, here are some thoughts about the book itself. It is
beautifully and intelligently written. Its narrative structure is
extremely unique and very well handled.
At a quaint cafe in Lahore,
Changez, a smart Pakistani, strikes up a conversation with a mysterious
American man about his life and experiences in America. Actually, it is
much less of a conversation and more of a monologue, especially how the
narrative is, but despite it being so, it is one of the best
monologue-esque narrative pieces I have read. It is crisply written with
wry humor, sarcasm, intelligence, and eloquence. The American on the
other side is never described, only implied. Yet, his character assumes a
definitive personality - perhaps tinged with some generalization, but
vivid and realistic for the reader to place him. The subject of torn
identity/loyalty between one’s country of origin and the country of
promise & opportunities is at the core of the book, but that’s not
all there is to it. And thankfully, the story doesn’t take us down trite
and beaten paths on which several books and movies have ventured. It
explores the complicated net of issues surrounding identity, racism,
patriotism, capitalism, and fundamentalism as perceived by a Pakistani
Muslim post the pivotal turning point of 9/11. The author compellingly
drives home the point that anything in its fundamentally extreme state
is unfair and dangerous - be it religion or capitalism.
The
story moves at a taut and gripping pace. Almost all of us can relate to
Changez’s angst, regardless of where we come from. It raises all the
hairy and complicated questions that we try to evade and ignore as we go
through life just focusing on our little bubble and making sure it
stays afloat. But when our bubble gets pricked or comes dangerously
close to being destroyed by political forces beyond us, it’s only then
do we pause to confront and deal with the difficult questions. According
to me, these political questions are far more relevant and thorny than
just the socio-cultural dilemmas frequently discussed in this genre.
The
ending is ambiguous, yes, but it fits in line with the book’s
character. The few characters, and the minimal number of words and pages
belie the impact of this book. It’s a very interesting read that I
recommend.
