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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A whole new view of the world, that is often unheard of but still as plausible and valid as the other. Open-ended questions spring up to motivate us toward solving the big societal and stereotypical problems and gain a broader perspective towards global calamities.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Changez is the narrator of this book and while the story is not that engaging, it is the writing style that kept me engaged till the end. I am still not sure what to make of the abrupt end, but at least I have read it before I watch the movie. As excited as I am for the movie, I am more excited for the soundtrack which includes music from our very own Rohail Hayat, Ali Azmat, Atif Aslam and Meesha Shafi.
SPOILERS Ahead. Consider yourself warned!!
Changez sits down with a mysterious American at the Anarkali Bazaar, Lahore and starts to tell him about his life.....how he graduated from Princeton College, got a job with his dream firm, why New York reminded him of Lahore, how he met Erica...the woman he loves, but who is still in love with her dead childhood sweetheart. The story gradually turns to the events of 9/11 and how in spite of being not much affected by it's backlash by the West, Changez begins to yearn for his homeland. The book ends with Changez dropping off the American stranger at his five star hotel...so is that an ending open for interpretation? Was he actually a CIA spy and was the bulge under his coat actually a gun? Was he going to kill Changez after hearing his story? or am I thinking of John Grisham's The Firm? What exactly is Changez up to back in Lahore? I guess I'm still confused...or maybe this is just not my genre!!
SPOILERS Ahead. Consider yourself warned!!
Changez sits down with a mysterious American at the Anarkali Bazaar, Lahore and starts to tell him about his life.....how he graduated from Princeton College, got a job with his dream firm, why New York reminded him of Lahore, how he met Erica...the woman he loves, but who is still in love with her dead childhood sweetheart. The story gradually turns to the events of 9/11 and how in spite of being not much affected by it's backlash by the West, Changez begins to yearn for his homeland. The book ends with Changez dropping off the American stranger at his five star hotel...so is that an ending open for interpretation? Was he actually a CIA spy and was the bulge under his coat actually a gun? Was he going to kill Changez after hearing his story? or am I thinking of John Grisham's The Firm? What exactly is Changez up to back in Lahore? I guess I'm still confused...or maybe this is just not my genre!!
It seemed that the author was writing with caution on this touchy subject. I felt the book was unfinished... However, it is still worth a read as it "puts a human face on a currently demonized culture"
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was so excited to pick up this book after Exit West ended up as my favourite book read in 2023. Hamid tells this poignant story in a fascinating style and makes keen but not spiteful criticisms of the treatment of foreigners in America, particularly in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.
I loved reading about the juxtapositions between New York as a microcosm independent of the greater region of America before the 9/11 tragedy and how the perspective changed after the fact. I also appreciated the protagonists development of their view of themselves as a foreigner profiting off of America's chokehold over so much of the world, including Pakistan. There were clear parallels between this development over time and the love story throughout the book between Changez and Erica.
I wasn't aware of this novels infamous ending until after I read the book and some of the reviews here and I can understand why it is so unpopular. I felt that the ending turned the novel from a casual and polite conversation into a very brief, yet stabbing criticism of America' blanket approach to its treatment of foreigners after the events of 9/11, which was very much in contrast with the rest of the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I don't think it's quite a 5-star book for me like Exit West was because of the way the story was written, sort of a one-sided conversation transcript. There was some beautiful writing though and the themes of the book were explored in very intelligent ways.
I loved reading about the juxtapositions between New York as a microcosm independent of the greater region of America before the 9/11 tragedy and how the perspective changed after the fact. I also appreciated the protagonists development of their view of themselves as a foreigner profiting off of America's chokehold over so much of the world, including Pakistan. There were clear parallels between this development over time and the love story throughout the book between Changez and Erica.
I wasn't aware of this novels infamous ending until after I read the book and some of the reviews here and I can understand why it is so unpopular. I felt that the ending turned the novel from a casual and polite conversation into a very brief, yet stabbing criticism of America' blanket approach to its treatment of foreigners after the events of 9/11, which was very much in contrast with the rest of the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I don't think it's quite a 5-star book for me like Exit West was because of the way the story was written, sort of a one-sided conversation transcript. There was some beautiful writing though and the themes of the book were explored in very intelligent ways.
In a subway car, my skin would typically fall in the middle of the color spectrum. On street corners, tourists would ask me for directions. I was, in four and a half years, never an American; I was immediately a New Yorker.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes