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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 depictionviolerwolf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hamid’s circular, winding prose is definitely not for everyone, and I think it probably turns a lot of people away from this book. This style works really well though at creating a sense of calm inevitability throughout the book, that everything that happens will happen because of who the characters are and what the world is. Hamid’s focus on intersectionality within the novel plays well with the larger themes of immigration and community. Similarly, the lack of specificity of where Nadia and Saeed are from creates the sense that they could be anyone and everyone. I did find the characterization awkward at points, and I went into the book originally assuming the doors to be a much larger part of the plot rather than a simple allegory for open/uncontrolled borders, but overall I’m excited to check out Hamid’s other work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Police brutality, Grief, Sexism, Drug use, Death of parent, Abandonment, Classism, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Death, War, Confinement, and Racism
paigehf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, and Gore
Moderate: Misogyny
kashrae99's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, War, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Violence, Death, and Genocide
maybreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
A very quick read which explores some very interesting concepts. I felt that the magic doors were not fleshed out fully and the random cutaway scenes did not always jive with the larger narrative. What I really liked about this story was the way it explored the relationship of the protagonists and the strain which war and constant flight put on it. I thought the first half of the story was better, afterwards there are practically no even slightly fleshed out character's besides the main two. Up until they go through the door you have some relevant side characters, namley the parents. Afterwards every other character feels like a plot device which I thought was sad.
Another thing is the style of the prose which was something I had never encountered before. It's incredibly descriptive, maybe poetic while simutaniously feeling almost deadpan and detached. It was a very curious thing to read. Still, or maybe even due to this peculiar narrating voice, the novel was a very easy read and truly enjoyable.
Another thing is the style of the prose which was something I had never encountered before. It's incredibly descriptive, maybe poetic while simutaniously feeling almost deadpan and detached. It was a very curious thing to read. Still, or maybe even due to this peculiar narrating voice, the novel was a very easy read and truly enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, War, Death, and Drug use
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Rating: 3/5 stars
Nadia and Saeed flee their war-torn nation through a magical door that can help people travel long distances.
I buddy read this one with my friend Hannah and our conversation about it was…probably my favorite part of the read. This wasn’t bad, exactly, but I never really got pulled into the story, and I found myself feeling like this book was trying to make deep points with meaningfully political commentary, yet none of it was landing for me. I couldn’t even tell you what I thought the main philosophical/intellectual takeaways from this were, which is never a great sign.
That said, this is a very short read, and others might find more to connect with! For me, I wanted to see the magical realism element explored a LOT more, and wanted more plot points that grabbed me and made me feel emotionally connected with the story.
CW: Violence/war/blood; death of parent; xenophobia/racism
Nadia and Saeed flee their war-torn nation through a magical door that can help people travel long distances.
I buddy read this one with my friend Hannah and our conversation about it was…probably my favorite part of the read. This wasn’t bad, exactly, but I never really got pulled into the story, and I found myself feeling like this book was trying to make deep points with meaningfully political commentary, yet none of it was landing for me. I couldn’t even tell you what I thought the main philosophical/intellectual takeaways from this were, which is never a great sign.
That said, this is a very short read, and others might find more to connect with! For me, I wanted to see the magical realism element explored a LOT more, and wanted more plot points that grabbed me and made me feel emotionally connected with the story.
CW: Violence/war/blood; death of parent; xenophobia/racism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Racism, Religious bigotry, and War
chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Excrement, and Car accident
Minor: Infidelity
cerilouisereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Violence, Racism, and War
rhi_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gun violence, Self harm, Grief, Suicide, and Genocide
Minor: Sexual harassment and Drug use
savvylit's review against another edition
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
Exit West utilizes magical realism to discuss very weighty topics such as living in active battle zones, refugee resettlement, strict Islamic cultural norms, and xenophobia. Hamid deftly imbues Exit West with the twin stresses of a relationship's honeymoon period and civil war. New relationships are difficult enough as is but Nadia & Saeed's young love faces incredible obstacles. As seems befitting of sudden violent skirmishes, Nadia and Saeed are forced to quickly adapt to drastic loss. Loss of paychecks, food, electricity, loved ones... It takes hardly any time for their lives to become incredibly narrowed by war. But the next step of escaping to a resentful, wealthy region is not an easy task either. Ultimately, this is a gorgeously written book about human resiliency, sacrifice, and keeping your promises no matter what happens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Death, and Death of parent