The Reluctant Fundamentalist

At a cafe table in Lahore’s Food Street, a bearded Pakistani man converses with a mysterious American stranger. As dusk deepens into night, the young Pakistani begins the tale that has brought both of them to this fateful chance encounter. Encapsulated within the form of a remarkable dramatic monologue, the story of Changez, who graduates from Princeton University and joins a top New York consultancy firm, unfolds. We learn how, following the 9/11 attacks, he experiences discrimination, which sets off his journey of alienation—his inner struggle, the change of his relationships with others, and the transformation of his personality.