Scan barcode
paigehf's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Racism, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
Minor: Gun violence
atomicbritt's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Death of parent, and Racism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
hanreadin's review
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
deedireads's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Last White Man is another stunner from Mohsin Hamid and his heartbreaking commas. It’s a quick read with lots of layers that kept me thinking long after I’d closed it.
For you if: You like novels that use magical realism as a metaphor.
FULL REVIEW:
First, thank you to Riverhead for the advanced copy of this book. Exit West is an all-time favorite, and The Last White Man was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I’m happy to report that it is excellent, with lots of layers that kept me thinking long after I’d closed it.
This is a quick read (under 200 pages), but so resonant. The story is about a gym instructor named Anders who, in a reimagined-Kafka moment, wakes up one day to find out that his skin has gone from white to brown. He’s not alone; more and more people’s skin changes until there’s (briefly) only one white man left. We also see a lot of Oona, a white yoga instructor who’s casually sleeping with Anders. Both of their parents factor heavily into the story as well, in ways I’ll let you discover for yourself.
The book is, of course, an exploration of whiteness from within, as Hamid has said in previous interviews. But in the letter printed at the front of my advanced reader’s copy, he also talks about how he’d been “white enough” (PhD, etc) to enjoy a certain level of privilege in the US — until 9/11, at which point only his skin mattered. I found that holding both of these approaches to the story in my mind as I read (what would happen if white people lost their whiteness, vs the metaphor of a non-white person grappling with a lost illusion of inclusion) made the reading experience even richer, with even more reflection.
Some of the other things I’m still contemplating about this book include the identity of the last white man and how his time as such ended, and the exploration of different kinds of deaths and how they impact loved ones.
And, of course, I fell hard (again) for Hamid’s signature long, beautiful sentences — aside from the opening line, I’m not sure there’s a single paragraph that isn’t just one single sentence. This won’t be for everyone, but I love their momentum, how they pull you along and crest into a wave that breaks on the paragraph’s last few words, again and again and again for a whole book.
Oh, there’s so much more I could say if all of you had already read it. I think we’ll be seeing this on the Booker Prize longlist next week.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Last White Man is another stunner from Mohsin Hamid and his heartbreaking commas. It’s a quick read with lots of layers that kept me thinking long after I’d closed it.
For you if: You like novels that use magical realism as a metaphor.
FULL REVIEW:
First, thank you to Riverhead for the advanced copy of this book. Exit West is an all-time favorite, and The Last White Man was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I’m happy to report that it is excellent, with lots of layers that kept me thinking long after I’d closed it.
This is a quick read (under 200 pages), but so resonant. The story is about a gym instructor named Anders who, in a reimagined-Kafka moment, wakes up one day to find out that his skin has gone from white to brown. He’s not alone; more and more people’s skin changes until there’s (briefly) only one white man left. We also see a lot of Oona, a white yoga instructor who’s casually sleeping with Anders. Both of their parents factor heavily into the story as well, in ways I’ll let you discover for yourself.
The book is, of course, an exploration of whiteness from within, as Hamid has said in previous interviews. But in the letter printed at the front of my advanced reader’s copy, he also talks about how he’d been “white enough” (PhD, etc) to enjoy a certain level of privilege in the US — until 9/11, at which point only his skin mattered. I found that holding both of these approaches to the story in my mind as I read (what would happen if white people lost their whiteness, vs the metaphor of a non-white person grappling with a lost illusion of inclusion) made the reading experience even richer, with even more reflection.
Some of the other things I’m still contemplating about this book include the identity of the last white man and how his time as such ended, and the exploration of different kinds of deaths and how they impact loved ones.
And, of course, I fell hard (again) for Hamid’s signature long, beautiful sentences — aside from the opening line, I’m not sure there’s a single paragraph that isn’t just one single sentence. This won’t be for everyone, but I love their momentum, how they pull you along and crest into a wave that breaks on the paragraph’s last few words, again and again and again for a whole book.
Oh, there’s so much more I could say if all of you had already read it. I think we’ll be seeing this on the Booker Prize longlist next week.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Cancer, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug abuse and Gun violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
More...