''How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia'' is

Mohsin Hamid Mohsin Hamid ( ur, محسن حامد; born 23 July 1971) is a British Pakistani novelist, writer and brand consultant. His novels are ''Moth Smoke'' (2000), ''The Reluctant Fundamentalist'' (2007), ''How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia'' (201 ...

's third novel, published in 2013 by

Hamish Hamilton Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half-Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton (''Hamish'' is the vocative form of the Gaelic Seumas eaning James ''James'' the English form – which was ...

in the United Kingdom and

Riverhead Books Riverhead Books is an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) founded in 1994 by Susan Petersen Kennedy. Writers published by Riverhead include Ali Sethi, Marlon James (novelist), Marlon James, Junot Díaz, George Saunders, Khaled Hosseini, Nick Hornby, ...

in the United States. 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 Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. 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 Bottled water is drinking water (e.g., well water, distilled water, mineral water, or spring water) packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not. Sizes range from small single serving bottles to large car ...

business.

Reception

''How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia'' was generally well-received, including a starred review from ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'', who called it " other great success ... and another illustration of how richly the colonial margins are feeding the core of literature in English." ''The Telegraph'' called the novel Hamid's "most impressive yet."

Nick DiMartino ''Nick Joseph DiMartino'' (born November 11, 1946) is a Seattle-based author, playwright, book reviewer and bookseller. To date he has published 15 novels, 2 non-fiction books and has had over 20 plays in full production. Many of his books fe ...

, writing for ''

Shelf Awareness Shelf Awareness is an American publishing company that produces two electronic publications/newsletters focused on bookselling, books and book reviews. Overview With offices in Seattle, Washington, and Montclair, New Jersey, ''Shelf Awareness' ...

'', applauded how Hamid "combines extremely lean prose and a wry sense of irony to create a dramatic monologue with a wickedly satirical vision of modern times." ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' noted that "though readers may find it frustrating that tory arcs for the protagonist and love interestnever overlap for long, the intermittent intersections provide them an anchor to the lives they left in desperation." They continued, stating, "The book takes its formal cues from the self-help genre, but the adopting of that form’s unceasing optimism also nullifies any sense of depth or struggle. Fortunately, Hamid offers a subtle and rich look at the social realities of developing countries, including corruption, poverty, and how economic development affects daily life from top to bottom." In their review of the audiobook, ''Publishers Weekly'' noted that while the novel's use of the second-person perspective can yield a "curious listening experience ... it works exceedingly well here because ... listeners wait with great anticipation to learn what will happen to 'you.'"

References

{{reflist 2013 British novels Novels by Mohsin Hamid Pakistani novels Hamish Hamilton books Riverhead Books books Novels about businesspeople