A review by jenniferthinks
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

dark emotional reflective relaxing sad medium-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

4.5

I recommend the audiobook if you’re looking for a smooth, poetic telling of a parable on migration and immigration, of an intimacy over time, of a relationship weaving its way through life. 

I saw the mixed reviews, and I’m one for whom the writing resonated so deeply. I loved the feeling that I was being told a story by generations in the future, by someone who knows how it all unfolds, but gently brings us there with him. And the confidence in which each character is written and acts is admirable. 

One aspect that I really appreciate about the story is how Nadya’s veil is treated as a personal choice, and how she wears it as a form of resistance. I appreciate that the veil is nuanced, and personal, and not looked at through the eyes of a euro-centric perspective.
 
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