Terrorist

Well done, though some incidents felt predictable. If the story was not fiction, it would have required more characters, a challenge that Updike solves with some coincidences that keep the tale to a limited number of characters, and at a reasonable length. This book succeeds in part because there are so few competitors writing in English about Muslims in America. Glad I invested the time.

Using his characteristically clear, sharp prose, Updike depicts the reasons he feels many Muslims hate the Great Satan, America. What motivates his protagonist to undertake an act of terror are all the evils of our culture today: using sex to sell products, the superficial goals of many of our young people, you name it. But how successfully has he entered the mind of his main character? Is this really the way an 18-year-old Muslim son of an Egyptian father and an Irish-American mother would view our American culture, even if he had sat for years at the feet of a Muslim teacher who thinks our society is bankrupt of relgion, morals, and ethics? Did Updike talk to many Muslims here in the States? Are there really lots of young men like Almed walking among us? I don't know. At times I felt the character stretched the limits of credibility. But I enjoyed the book. My only other two adverse reactions would be that there was too much gratuitous sex and the ending was cheesey.

Not his best work. Characters made no sense at all. Why Ahmad wanted to become a terrorist at all was incomprehensible and his acts became more and more nonsensical as the plot progressed. Don't read it.

Updike is top notch, so smart, such a great character study. It's slow build of story is very compelling. Makes you care about these people living quiet lives of desperation. He's as good an American writer as there is.