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Exit West

Mohsin Hamid

Start date: June 1, 2020

Finish date: June 29, 2020

Discussion: Monthly Bonus Reads

Why we're reading this: June Bonus Read: World Refugee Day

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
[close] June Bonus Read: World Refugee Day

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

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What Members Thought

Sep 16, 2017 Puck rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: people-of-colour, romance, adult, important

"For when we migrate, we murder from our lives those we leave behind."

Exit West is a beautiful and brutal book, yet it sadly missed something vital to make it stick. This is too bad, because now more than ever we need books like this: showing us the desperation and struggle of immigrants searching for safety.
But I agree with Thomas: “the story won over my mind but not my heart.”

I’m not sure there is one element to ‘blame’ for this. The writing style was fluid and free, but the harsh reality "For when we migrate, we murder from our lives those we leave behind."

Exit West is a beautiful and brutal book, yet it sadly missed something vital to make it stick. This is too bad, because now more than ever we need books like this: showing us the desperation and struggle of immigrants searching for safety.
But I agree with Thomas: “the story won over my mind but not my heart.”

I’m not sure there is one element to ‘blame’ for this. The writing style was fluid and free, but the harsh reality brings the story down. How it goes from describing Nadia and Saeed smoking weed on her balcony, to war cruelties taking place in the city hit me hard, just like it should. Your safe haven can be gone in a *snap*

I liked our main characters Saeed and Nadia as well: the growth of their relationship and their own feelings felt genuine and very bittersweet. Their love for each other is true, but it’s so hard to hold on to when you’re constantly living in uncertainty of the future.

“To flee forever is beyond the capacity of most: at some point even a hunted animal will stop, exhausted, and awaits its fate, if only for a while.”

I think my issue with this book lies with the magical-realism aspect. Not that I minded the doors: I actually found them a clever find, because the doors place the focus on an immigrant-issue that bothers most (nationalist) people: the housing of refugees in rich Western cities.

But by making the refugee’s flight as ‘simple’ as stepping through a door, you take away the part of a journey that can literally mean life or death for someone. Summer is here and several thousand people are dangerously crossing the Mediterranean Sea, and it’s so easy to grow numb to that. It shouldn’t. It mustn’t.

That’s why – in this book where Hamid hits so many marks when it comes to immigrants and immigration – there should've been more pain to their journey to the West. Many readers however found that the author did dig deep enough, and just like them I want to push this book into people’s hands going “READ IT!”
But for a higher rating and a more memorable experience, I needed this story to have something more. ...more

19 likes · Like · see review

Sep 12, 2020 Melania 🍒 added it

3.5|5

- Book Riots 2020 Read Harder Challenge -19.Read a book by or about a refugee -

12 likes · Like · see review

May 13, 2018 Cecily Black rated it it was ok

Was really hoping this book was going to be awesome but it just never really got exciting and that was a bit disappointing. Just not really my thing I guess. Meh

1 like · Like · see review