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helenadotcom's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
leahnott's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
bhnmt61's review against another edition
3.0
This book wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I knew something about a young couple in love escaping from their war torn home country through magical doorways— it sounded like a quest/adventure and for some reason I thought time travel would be involved.
But actually, other than the doorways, Exit West is set in a detailed, realistic world easily recognized as our own. At first, it really worked and for about the first half I loved it. Saeed and Nadia are well-drawn and believable, and their escape through the unexplained doorway is compelling. But by the end the premise had worn thin, and the ornate writing style with its long, piled up sentences went from evocative to annoying. I loved the mind bending insights into economic inequality and migrations of people, but in the end I was disappointed. Still, worth reading, and it’s fairly short so doesn’t require a big commitment of time.
But actually, other than the doorways, Exit West is set in a detailed, realistic world easily recognized as our own. At first, it really worked and for about the first half I loved it. Saeed and Nadia are well-drawn and believable, and their escape through the unexplained doorway is compelling. But by the end the premise had worn thin, and the ornate writing style with its long, piled up sentences went from evocative to annoying. I loved the mind bending insights into economic inequality and migrations of people, but in the end I was disappointed. Still, worth reading, and it’s fairly short so doesn’t require a big commitment of time.
jessapplecrisp's review against another edition
3.75
At times beautiful, boring and profound. I especially loved all the mini scenes that took place around the main narrative.
tombennett72's review against another edition
4.0
Oof. Gripping, intense, clever, and spare.
Not entirely sure how I feel about it, but I think that’s the point. Dystopia done well.
Not entirely sure how I feel about it, but I think that’s the point. Dystopia done well.
lawbooks600's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Score: Five out of ten.
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid is like a novel wrapped in incoherent and incorrect English where the first half is incredible but the second is a letdown. I remember reading a blurb saying Exit West meets An American Marriage, so after an entire year and a few months, I read Exit West, ignoring the low ratings, but it was underwhelming.
It starts with Saeed and Nadia living in an unnamed city in an unnamed country in a civil war that grows closer the more pages I read. Saeed and Nadia (who are already in a romantic relationship) have to flee, beginning the second half of the narrative, but Exit West is no ordinary refugee story. Do they cross countries or get on a boat? No, rather they discover a magical black door that can take them to any country in the world, so they enter it and land in Greece.
However, they discover another door so they can travel to America, London in the UK, and finally, Marrakech in Morocco. Sounds tedious? It is. If the only problem in Exit West are those doors, then I would be done with this review, but I'm not done. These doors represent an effortless way out, which misrepresents refugee experiences. In reality, some survive but have to face challenges. Some die, and no refugee has the privilege of teleporting out of their country. The characters are difficult to relate with, but adding depth could improve the reading experience.
The most frustrating aspect are the run-on sentences. Hamid, have you heard of splitting sentences? That could help. One sentence lasted for one page and a few lines, so imagine reading that. This creation attempts a heartwarming conclusion with Saeed and Nadia in Marrakech together, but I didn't think they had chemistry. Exit West is another disappointing piece of literary fiction, so my search for an enjoyable one continues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Xenophobia, War, Grief, Drug use, and Racism
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
Full trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, physical assault and injury, fire, death of people in an explosion, refugee experiences, displacement, drug use, racism, white supremacy, xenophobia, blood, grief and loss depictionmisfate's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mward89's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
kate10322's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
A standalone story of magical realism that brings a sad hope to so many seeking to escape the violence of civil war.
Exist West was nominated in 2017 for the Man Booker Prize.
My Take
It’s an unsettling tale using third-person point-of-view that gives insight into the plight of refugees, desperate for safety and a home, as seen through the eyes of one couple in a relationship imposed by circumstances.
It’s a conflict of being true to themselves, of having a choice. The independent Nadia and the suddenly religious Saeed, as they struggle to survive insurgents, other refugees, and those native to the countries to which they flee.
I’m tellin’ ya now that I have a prejudice against militants who try to enforce their beliefs on others, so it may well color this review. More resentment is due to my not understanding the bit about those doors. I thought it was supposed to be a real thing until it dawned on me: magical realism. Duh. And that’s the whole point of magical realism, that it feel so real with just that touch of fantasy.
My favorite part of this story was Nadia’s reason for wearing her all-concealing black robe. Smart girl, lol.
It’s an interesting look into another culture, another way of life. Of the constrictions between unmarried men and women. Of refugee problems as well as understanding the anger on the part of those whose lands are being “invaded”. It’s a catch-22 of survival.
The Story
In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet — sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. Their furtive love affair is soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city.
When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors — doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price.
As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through.
The Characters
Nadia works in an insurance office. Her family cast her off for wanting to be independent.
Saeed works in outdoor advertising. His mother is a retired teacher while his father is still a university professor, but on reduced wages. Both his parents were readers…so romantic IMO.
The Cover and Title
The background of the cover is a gradient of deep, deep blue that pales into the middle before descending into a grayed-out red-violet. The title and author’s name are in a pale blue scratchy sort of font that reinforces their desperateness, words that begin to disappear into the background at the bottom. Both title and name are on a slant, although each has its own angle, rushing to leave, just as Nadia and Saeed rush.
The title is what Nadia and Saeed seek, an Exit West to escape the turmoil in their country.
Exist West was nominated in 2017 for the Man Booker Prize.
My Take
It’s an unsettling tale using third-person point-of-view that gives insight into the plight of refugees, desperate for safety and a home, as seen through the eyes of one couple in a relationship imposed by circumstances.
It’s a conflict of being true to themselves, of having a choice. The independent Nadia and the suddenly religious Saeed, as they struggle to survive insurgents, other refugees, and those native to the countries to which they flee.
I’m tellin’ ya now that I have a prejudice against militants who try to enforce their beliefs on others, so it may well color this review. More resentment is due to my not understanding the bit about those doors. I thought it was supposed to be a real thing until it dawned on me: magical realism. Duh. And that’s the whole point of magical realism, that it feel so real with just that touch of fantasy.
My favorite part of this story was Nadia’s reason for wearing her all-concealing black robe. Smart girl, lol.
It’s an interesting look into another culture, another way of life. Of the constrictions between unmarried men and women. Of refugee problems as well as understanding the anger on the part of those whose lands are being “invaded”. It’s a catch-22 of survival.
”…by making the promise he demanded she make she was in a sense killing him, but that is the way of things, for when we migrate, we murder from our lives those we leave behind.”Hamid is smooth and his voice is consistent, as he slowly pulls us back and forth emotionally, following the downward slide of our protagonists. It’s a realistic exploration of a relationship founded more on desperation than actual love, and I felt so sad as I read this. I imagined my own life imploding as was theirs...and I couldn't. I didn't want to.
The Story
In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet — sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. Their furtive love affair is soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city.
When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors — doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price.
As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through.
The Characters
Nadia works in an insurance office. Her family cast her off for wanting to be independent.
Saeed works in outdoor advertising. His mother is a retired teacher while his father is still a university professor, but on reduced wages. Both his parents were readers…so romantic IMO.
The Cover and Title
The background of the cover is a gradient of deep, deep blue that pales into the middle before descending into a grayed-out red-violet. The title and author’s name are in a pale blue scratchy sort of font that reinforces their desperateness, words that begin to disappear into the background at the bottom. Both title and name are on a slant, although each has its own angle, rushing to leave, just as Nadia and Saeed rush.
The title is what Nadia and Saeed seek, an Exit West to escape the turmoil in their country.