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Mac Navins

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The Reluctant Fundamentalist

by Mohsin Hamid

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(page 60 of 228)
"I find it interesting how Changez strikes up a new friendship at Underwood Samson, and how it might affect him later on. Changez mees Wainwright, the only other non-white person in the office, and they become friends. I also found it interesting that the author show Pakistani culture in the form of Changes giving change to a homeless man. This is supposed to show that he is being giving, and it is engrained in him." — Jan 15, 2026 03:33PM

Jan 08, 2026 03:20PM

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Montana 1948

by Larry Watson (Goodreads Author)

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Mac Navins said: " This book was a change for me in what I usually like to read. It had lots of sensitive topics, in the form of a coming of age story narrated by a 12 year old boy named David Hayden. Through the narrative of this story written by Larry Watson, who is This book was a change for me in what I usually like to read. It had lots of sensitive topics, in the form of a coming of age story narrated by a 12 year old boy named David Hayden. Through the narrative of this story written by Larry Watson, who is an American author who has written many books along with Montana 1948, David progresses on the path to adulthood through the family struggles going on. I was able to better understand the message the book was sending as I am also a boy around his age going through the same things, though not the same family affairs he has to deal with. Being able to thoroughly process the book and the message it is sending really helps to encapsulate the hidden meanings in the text, which adds a deeper level of reading to it. This story, though set in a small town in Montana nearly 70 years ago, still has a level of excitement and discovery that I have not found in other books.

Though this book is connected to a series of events that end with a tragedy, it still has the hidden metaphors and messages that slowly eat away at David's childhood, leading into adulthood. While there were many instances where this progression was shown, I think the most moving to me was when he realizes that things can be bad, when he finds out incriminating information on his Uncle from overhearing his dad and mom talking. David's family's resident housekeeper becomes ill, and David's Uncle is a doctor, but the housekeeper, Marie Little Soldier, doesn't want to see him. Later David overhears his mom saying, “He takes liberties, indecent liberties”. (Watson, P. 34) This realization that not everything is perfect is very jarring for David, and it is the thing that sets off the series of events. If David had not eavesdropped, then he would have known nothing about what happened with his Uncle, allowing him to continue living and experiencing innocence. Reading this book in class was a change for me, as we really focused on the small details and understanding a book in a way I hadn’t before, reading for thought, not for plot. It was definitely an interesting read, and could be confusing at times, but overall a well written and thought out book.

In summary, Montana 1948 was a challenging book to comprehend, but if you can it is very interesting to read. I would recommend it to anyone who can handle mature content, as there is a fair amount mentioned in the book. If you are looking for a book that is not just entertaining but engaging, this is the book for you. If you are looking for a chill read, I do not recommend this as it is not that style. ...more "

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(page 186 of 186)
"It was interesting that to finish Franks story of sin, the author had him kill himself instead of facing punishment. This was not much of a surprise considering his reputation. I think this was added in because he knew that his life was over either way and he wanted to go out on his own terms. He decided to end his life early and keep his reputation in the afterlife. This added a sad touch to the end of the book." — Nov 16, 2025 11:54AM

Nov 22, 2025 08:06PM · see review