Exit West

by

English language

Published Feb. 17, 2017

ISBN:
978-0-7352-1220-6
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5 stars (2 reviews)

Exit West is a 2017 novel by Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid. It is Hamid's fourth novel. The main themes of the novel are emigration and refugee problems. The novel, which can be considered fantasy or speculative fiction, is about a young couple, Saeed and Nadia, who live in an unnamed city undergoing civil war and finally have to flee, using a system of magical doors that lead to different locations around the globe.Hamid has recently emerged as a respected writer and writes Exit West during a time of much controversy over refugees and immigration. Scholars analyze Exit West for its suggestions about global politics, use of technology, and calls for better treatment of the environment. Exit West won Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction (2017) and Aspen Words Literary Prize (2018) and was shortlisted for a number of other awards.

4 editions

reviewed Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

An Interesting Take On Migration

4 stars

The writer's style makes this book a quick and easy read. That's how things seem on the surface. Two young people, Nadia and Saeed, escape their war-torn country through the use of 'doors' that instantaneously transport a person from one country to another. The author does not explain how the doors came into being, just that at some point they began appearing and people began using them. An uncontrollable mass-migration begins as people attempt to escape war, poverty or just want a better life. Through this premise, Hamid explores notions of racism, nationalism, cultural clashes and religion. Most of this is done through relating the experiences of Nadia and Saeed as we see how their relationship alters as they travel through a rapidly changing world. This book is a reminder to keep the doors open.