robdabear's review against another edition
5.0
This is an absolutely fantastic and beautiful book. Seeing this one evening on my tumblr dashboard, I had noticed John Green talking emphatically of this book, and decided to blindly give it a shot.
A stunning second-person narrative, this book takes a rather mocking tone of a self-help book into telling the story of you, an unnamed man in an unnamed city (probably Lahore) in rising Asia. From humbling poverty to, you guessed it, being filthy rich, this book takes you through many stages of life that bring you, the reader, along a constant emotional journey. Notably, this book is more of a love story, with the single recurrent theme being your love for the pretty girl (it makes sense if you read it) along the many stages of your life.
From the beginning to the end you'll be hooked to this beautiful and emotional prose that at times can be any mixture of humorous, dark, romantic, sad, humbling, and happy, and probably more. This is definitely a recommended read.
A stunning second-person narrative, this book takes a rather mocking tone of a self-help book into telling the story of you, an unnamed man in an unnamed city (probably Lahore) in rising Asia. From humbling poverty to, you guessed it, being filthy rich, this book takes you through many stages of life that bring you, the reader, along a constant emotional journey. Notably, this book is more of a love story, with the single recurrent theme being your love for the pretty girl (it makes sense if you read it) along the many stages of your life.
From the beginning to the end you'll be hooked to this beautiful and emotional prose that at times can be any mixture of humorous, dark, romantic, sad, humbling, and happy, and probably more. This is definitely a recommended read.
palomapepper's review against another edition
4.0
Couched as a self-help book (and narrated in the second person), How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia depicts the arc of a man's life, starting with his impoverished childhood in rural Pakistan.
A lot in this book reminded me of Saramago: no names, no specific places, and long, often self-referential sentences flowing easily from one train of thought to another.
Second-person narration can be grating when done unnecessarily or badly, but I think it's used interestingly here: for immediacy and attachment to the main character, but also as a backdrop against which the author-who-is-not-quite-the-author can speak to the reader-who-is-not-quite-you.
A lot in this book reminded me of Saramago: no names, no specific places, and long, often self-referential sentences flowing easily from one train of thought to another.
Second-person narration can be grating when done unnecessarily or badly, but I think it's used interestingly here: for immediacy and attachment to the main character, but also as a backdrop against which the author-who-is-not-quite-the-author can speak to the reader-who-is-not-quite-you.
mo13's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jennamirchin's review against another edition
3.0
- Enjoyment: ★★★☆☆
- Pacing: ★★☆☆☆
- Setting: ★★☆☆☆
- Writing style: ★★★☆☆
- Characters: ★★☆☆☆
- Plot: ★★☆☆☆
- Romance: ★★★☆☆
- Dialogue: ★★★☆☆
- Ending: ★★★★☆
- Would read again: no
- Pacing: ★★☆☆☆
- Setting: ★★☆☆☆
- Writing style: ★★★☆☆
- Characters: ★★☆☆☆
- Plot: ★★☆☆☆
- Romance: ★★★☆☆
- Dialogue: ★★★☆☆
- Ending: ★★★★☆
- Would read again: no
rfelt's review against another edition
3.0
Read for Life's Library
The 2nd person narration was really fascinating, and I enjoyed it for the most part. The love story did suck me in a bit, but my favorite part was surprisingly the ending when "you" are old.
"...so may all of us confront the end."
The 2nd person narration was really fascinating, and I enjoyed it for the most part. The love story did suck me in a bit, but my favorite part was surprisingly the ending when "you" are old.
"...so may all of us confront the end."
sillyduckie's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
legocoffeecup's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
okay second person pov. wowie. and the ending made any gripes i had worth it holy hell
arixen's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant author. His words are poetic in the elements that he writes about. The title is misinforms the reader but one should realize that this is what Mohsin does. It is one of his shorter novels I've read by him, but I loved his characters just the same. I appreciated the story. The parallels between the pretty girl and the main character. You want so badly for him to make things work with the pretty girl. But you can not be filthy rich and have the love he felt for the pretty girl, you sacrifice one for the other.
“We are all refugees from our childhoods. And so we turn, among other things, to stories. To write a story, to read a story, is to be a refugee from the state of refugees. Writers and readers seek a solution to the problem that time passes, that those who have gone are gone and those who will go, which is to say every one of us, will go. For there was a moment when anything was possible. And there will be a moment when nothing is possible. But in between we can create.”
“We are all refugees from our childhoods. And so we turn, among other things, to stories. To write a story, to read a story, is to be a refugee from the state of refugees. Writers and readers seek a solution to the problem that time passes, that those who have gone are gone and those who will go, which is to say every one of us, will go. For there was a moment when anything was possible. And there will be a moment when nothing is possible. But in between we can create.”
skybuffalo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Written in the form of a self-book, this exploratory novel was well-paced, appropriately descriptive, and held a lot of provocative ideas. I really enjoyed the voice of the book.