Changez, a Pakistani, and Bobby, an American journalist are sitting at a cafe in Lahore, Pakistan. Changez is treating Bobby to a traditional dining experience of many courses and flavors, tea, dessert, and conversation. It's 2011.
Bobby learns that Changez was such an exceptional student in Lahore that he applied for and won financial aid to attend Princeton where he continued to excel, especially in finance. Upon graduation, Changez was selected by Underwood Samson, a Wall Street firm that values companies being considered for purchase or takeover. In the summer of his graduation year, 2000, he moves to NYC, but not before taking a deserved vacation trip to Greece with a group of fellow Princeton grads. He finds a friend in Erica, one of those trust fund babies that dot the Hamptons.
Underwood is a high stakes firm. They hire only the best and expect the best out of their new associates. Changez proves his worth by outthinking and outworking his rookie partners and impresses his bosses. He is amply rewarded, loves living and working in Manhattan. He spends more on coffee in a month then his parents spend on food for the entire family for 6 months. Life is good for a smart, ambitious Pakistani who has become quite taken with the direction his life is taking in America. And over that next year, he learns much more about Erica, wanting to get closer to this woman whose past keeps her interested and interesting, but nonetheless distant.
An assignment takes a group of Underwood analysts to the Philippines. The job goes well. Changez continues to impress the bosses. They are all preparing to return to New York. It is Sept 11. In his hotel room, Changez watches the Towers crumble . . . and to his continuing dismay, he smiles.
Upon arrival at JFK, and despite the protests of the Underwood brass, Changez is subjected to humiliating questioning and repeated searches. People on the street practically scream derogatory epithets. "I may be Muslim, but I am not an Arab." And Erica is pulling farther away.
In the post 9/11 world, tensions between Pakistan and India are rising. Changez goes home for a holiday in late December. He can't resolve his guilt about his reaction to seeing the Towers fall, his anger at ignorant Americans who taunt him, and being of prime age to serve his country if hostilities with India explode yet living in NYC still earning the big bucks. And now he hardly hears from Erica.
Upon returning to New York, and more unwarranted hassles at JFK and the city streets, he starts to withdraw from everything and everyone. His work suffers. He is given a chance to redeem himself with an assignment in Chile, which he manages to also fail to live up to his past performances. He gets fired and returns to Lahore where after a few years in a funk, he lands a job as a university lecturer in finance. He agrees to meet Bobby for dinner to give background for Bobby's assignment. Then Changez politely walks him back to Bobby's hotel.
That's it.
This is one hugely fascinating book. Not just the story, but also in it's presentation. It is told entirely as a 1-sided conversation. The reader sees/hears only what Changez says. Not what he thinks, just what he says. No other character says a single word. The entire duration of the book is dinner. The only descriptions of the area, the dinner, people, are what Changez says out loud. It's sort of like reading a transcript of a phone call where we only experience one side of the conversation. Hamid offers a clue or two, but we never really know what happened to Erica after that trip to Greece. Nor do we know who Bobby really is and why he is in Lahore. Is Changez really just background, is he Bobby's subject, or is he Bobby's target? We don't know. Bobby could be who he says he is or he could be something entirely different and more sinister. Hamid never tells the reader. Instead Hamid lets each reader dream up an ending that is most apropos to each reader's view of the story, the time, and their personal history/prejudices. And Hamid pulls this off in masterful fashion.
Another thing that makes this fascinating is that the book could probably be read in the length of time it takes for Changez to deliver his monologue to Bobby over dinner. This 6x9" book with generous margins is only 184 pages. That's 184 pages packed with questions, intrigue, and unknowns.
When I went looking for a cover image, I learned that this is a current movie in limited, independent release. And that day I also found out it was here in Raleigh in its last night, and it was 950pm with the last show at 1005p in a theater about 30 minutes away. Had I learned that bit of information earlier in the evening, I would have made tracks for the theater, but now will have to wait to see if it hits the 2nd run theaters, go the Netflix route, or buy the DVD, which I may well do. My son mentioned the movie to me a week or so ago, but the title didn't click as I had not yet picked up the book. While the trailers look very interesting, this is one of those books (like Schindler's List) where the real genius will be with the screenwriter(s) who take such a unique presentation and turn it into movie.
East Coast Don
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