The Perfect Gentleman: a Muslim boy meets the West

''Brilliant'' Dr Jane Goodall, The New York Times

Both deliciously funny and deeply insightful, THE PERFECT GENTLEMAN is a beguiling multi-layered memoir that has touched the hearts of readers all over the world and has received a truly astonishing list of endorsements from all quarters across the political, religious, ethnic and cultural spectrums. (Some say spectra, but spectrums is also valid.)

At the age of one (and-a-half, nearly), Imran Ahmad moved from Pakistan to London, growing up torn between his Islamic identity and his desire to embrace the West.

Join Imran in his struggle against corruption and injustice, his eternal quest to be the quintessential English gentleman (The Saint), his yearning for the coolest car (Jaguar XJ-S), his desire for the perfect girlfriend (preferably brunette, but any kind considered). Can he maintain a James Bond persona without the vodka, cigarettes and women – even whilst his parents are trying to arrange his marriage? Will he really burn in Hell for all eternity if he follows the wrong religion? If you pray to God to help you pass an exam, do you still have to study for it? What are the correct protocols to follow on your wedding night?

But, as noticed by many readers, the memoir format is merely a vehicle for an expansive array of discussions encompassing: philosophy, ethics, sociology, theology, modern history, politics, personal development, racism, feminism, classism … as well as being a poignant and evocative journey through the rapidly transforming social landscape of the United Kingdom in the late twentieth century … and yet the most consistent description of this book is its effortless readability. ("Yes, you can laugh while having your consciousness raised ... this memoir proves it." O, the Oprah Magazine.)

Imran''s unimagined journey makes thoughtful, compelling, and downright delightful reading. With a unique style and unflinching honesty, THE PERFECT GENTLEMAN addresses serious issues in an extraordinarily light way, and will leave readers both thinking deeply and laughing out loud.

Originally published in the UK and Australia as Unimagined; picked up by Hachette for US publication as The Perfect Gentleman (in American English, with additional material and an extended ending); now re-translated back into British English as a global edition with even more material, a new Afterword by the author and, most helpfully, some notes to explain matters peculiarly British (especially for American readers). This edition precedes the upcoming sequel, The Imperfect Gentleman, and the sequel’s sequel, The Gentle Man – which together form the UNIMAGINED Trilogy.

---

Selected in ‘Best Books of the Year’ lists of:
Guardian
Independent
Sydney Morning Herald
Belfast Telegraph

‘Yes, you can laugh while having your consciousness raised; this Pakistani immigrant’s memoir of aspiring to be the ideal Englishman proves it.'' O, The Oprah Magazine (No 1 in ‘10 Titles to Pick Up Now’)

‘Imran Ahmad’s light touch and sense of humanity displayed so skilfully in The Perfect Gentleman ensures that his words have a deeper meaning and a wider application … If you read nothing else this year, discover this book.’ New York Journal of Books

‘A feminist and a peacemaker … impatient for the sequel.’ Maclean’s magazine, Canada

‘Hurrah for a memoir that isn’t miserable! Hurray for Imran Ahmad’s terrific sense of humour … an entertaining, moving and thoroughly thought-provoking tale of our times.’ Daily Mail

‘Wonderfully evocative and strangely touching.’ The Sunday Times

‘A compelling quest for belonging’ The Guardian

‘Successful in striking that balance, by presenting a thought-provoking debate even as it makes you laugh out loud.’ The Hindu

‘What a very strange book. There’s more to it than meets the eye … this Trojan horse of a book.’ The Book Magazine