How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia is the third novel by writer Mohsin Hamid.The novel uses a second-person perspective, referring to the protagonist only as "you." The story takes place in an unnamed country that resembles Hamid's home country of Pakistan. It details the protagonist's beginnings as a poor boy, and quest for wealth and love as he moves to the city and enters the bottled water business. The Telegraph called it "his most impressive yet"; other critics did not regard it as a highly as his previous novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
I can't say that this is my favorite book, but I can tell you that it is very good. about 50% is a captivating narrative, and the other 50% is an emotional sledgehammer. If you have the opportunity, give this book a chance...I hope (and honestly believe) you will like it.
Interesting but not moving. Funny how the second person, which forces the reader into the role of protagonist, almost always makes it harder for me to connect to the narrative. (The exception happens to be my favorite book, If on a Winter's Night a Traveler.)
This novel is written in the second person and presented as a self-help book, but it's brief enough that the conceit is neither too intrusive nor wears thin. None of the places or characters are given names, but it's a vivid story nonetheless, chronicling a poor rural South Asian boy's rocky rise to power. The voice reminded me a bit of Chuck Palahniuk, but with a bit less misanthropy. Still, it doesn't shy away from presenting the uglier aspects of third world life, corruption, and unfettered capitalism. Fans of Slumdog Millionaire or the novel its based on (Q&A) would probably enjoy this.
