Scan barcode
Reviews
Discontent and its Civilizations: Dispatches from Lahore, New York, and London by Mohsin Hamid
kingabzpro's review against another edition
3.0
Good to read but hard to digest. it took 1 year to finish this book, usually, i take a few weeks to complete and even day if the book is interesting
catherineelkhattabystrauch's review against another edition
5.0
Oh BOY I LOVE MOHSIN HAMID AND HIS WRITING. He writes about literature as a shared experience - the author creates but the reader does as well, and I definitely felt that when I read this collection. I really loved the structure of this collection - it truly made me feel like I was getting to know Hamid and then hearing about his thoughts. I want to read every single thing he has ever written.
sonyareadsstuff's review against another edition
5.0
“Civilizations are illusions, but these illusions are pervasive, dangerous, and powerful. They contribute to globalization’s brutality. They allow us, for example, to say that we believe in global free markets and, in the same breath, to discount as impossible the global free movement of labor; to claim that we believe in democracy and human equality, and yet to stymie the creation of global institutions based on one-person-one-vote and equality before the law.”
Not only is the title of this book brilliant, but its contents are amazing! I was first introduced to Mohsin Hamid’s writing when I read Exit West, which I really enjoyed. After reading Discontent and its Civilizations, I now see Hamid not just a wonderful fiction writer, but also deeply engaged in thinking about politics, art, and humanity. This book is split into three sections: Life, Art, and Politics, but it contains multitudes. Hamid writes with such wit and charm, tackles big ideas, and delivers incisive critiques of how globalization has exacerbated inequalities.
Some things I particularly enjoyed/learned about from reading this book:
- how the consequences of the post-9/11 “war on terror” reverberated globally, especially affecting Pakistani politics
- Pakistani politics in general (and also that there is so much about the world I do not know!)
- what happened that time Hamid told Toni Morrison he makes “a mean pasta” and invited her over to try (lmao read to find out)
- essays on reading/writing fiction: “enduring love of the second person”; “where is the great american novel by a woman?”; “are we too concerned that characters be ‘likable’?”
I hope this small taste of themes Hamid covers shows you the breadth of his thought and writing! This essay collection was such a delight to read. My conclusion when I finished this book: when I grow up, I want to write like Mohsin Hamid! 😂 Also that I *need* to go read his other novels.
Not only is the title of this book brilliant, but its contents are amazing! I was first introduced to Mohsin Hamid’s writing when I read Exit West, which I really enjoyed. After reading Discontent and its Civilizations, I now see Hamid not just a wonderful fiction writer, but also deeply engaged in thinking about politics, art, and humanity. This book is split into three sections: Life, Art, and Politics, but it contains multitudes. Hamid writes with such wit and charm, tackles big ideas, and delivers incisive critiques of how globalization has exacerbated inequalities.
Some things I particularly enjoyed/learned about from reading this book:
- how the consequences of the post-9/11 “war on terror” reverberated globally, especially affecting Pakistani politics
- Pakistani politics in general (and also that there is so much about the world I do not know!)
- what happened that time Hamid told Toni Morrison he makes “a mean pasta” and invited her over to try (lmao read to find out)
- essays on reading/writing fiction: “enduring love of the second person”; “where is the great american novel by a woman?”; “are we too concerned that characters be ‘likable’?”
I hope this small taste of themes Hamid covers shows you the breadth of his thought and writing! This essay collection was such a delight to read. My conclusion when I finished this book: when I grow up, I want to write like Mohsin Hamid! 😂 Also that I *need* to go read his other novels.
8little_paws's review against another edition
4.0
Solid collection--many of the essays hold up even though this collection is about 5 years old. Set up in 3 sections--life, art, and politics. They're all very short essays, and the politics section talks a lot about Muslim identity and Pakistan too. I do hope he publishes another essay collection--I'd pick it up on a timely basis and not wait this long! His prose is really enjoyable to read regardless of if he's writing fiction or nonfiction I have found.
atsundarsingh's review against another edition
4.0
Hamid's voice might be even clearer in non-fiction. I was cheered by his pieces on art and its purpose, and his political essays are concise in a way that makes the point unavoidable, but not bludgeoning or overly aggressive. Instead Hamid is like the unflaggingly honest advisor we all want in our lives. He's right about many things, he's poetic about the more important ones, and he hasn't given up on the tough goings he has encountered. There is a kernel of optimism in each piece of Hamid's writing it would be nice to see more of. Maybe that's the key that keeps people coming back.
pgchuis's review against another edition
3.0
I haven't read any of Hamid's fiction, although I plan to try "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", but the premise of this book interested me. In the end, though, I was disappointed. The section dealing with his life was mildly interesting, but superficial. He identifies with Pakistan as home, but is that mostly because his family lives there? I was hoping for more cross-cultural insights. What makes one country home, even if its language is not your first language? The section on art I found dull.
Finally, the section on politics suffered from being (necessarily) out of date. Although he grouped the articles and thoughts in approximate chronological order, there was no overall coherent time line and no explicit commentary on whether things he had hoped for had indeed occurred. While I am sure no one would disagree that peace in Afghanistan and peace with India are important goals, I was hampered by a lack of in depth knowledge to evaluate his views. He writes as an author living in Pakistan who has lived in the US and UK, which gives him a unique perspective, but I wonder what other "experts" would say on the topics he discusses. The political points he made were all "big picture" points and I found his repeated hopes for Pakistan made me want to tell him to stop writing and go and do something about it.
Finally, the section on politics suffered from being (necessarily) out of date. Although he grouped the articles and thoughts in approximate chronological order, there was no overall coherent time line and no explicit commentary on whether things he had hoped for had indeed occurred. While I am sure no one would disagree that peace in Afghanistan and peace with India are important goals, I was hampered by a lack of in depth knowledge to evaluate his views. He writes as an author living in Pakistan who has lived in the US and UK, which gives him a unique perspective, but I wonder what other "experts" would say on the topics he discusses. The political points he made were all "big picture" points and I found his repeated hopes for Pakistan made me want to tell him to stop writing and go and do something about it.
lnatal's review against another edition
2.0
From BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week:
Collected essays that encompass memoir, art and politics.
Collected essays that encompass memoir, art and politics.
kingabzpro's review against another edition
3.0
Good to read but hard to digest. it took 1 year to finish this book, usually, i take a few weeks to complete and even day if the book is interesting
hzboy's review against another edition
4.0
I read in English but this review is written in Bahasa Indonesia
Belakangan ini mood membaca kebanyakan karena butuh inspirasi. Tidak salah kalau pilihanku malah jatuh pada buku-buku non-fiksi. Aku belum pernah mengetahui siapa itu Mohsin Hamid, pun, membaca karyanya. Ketika buku ini ada di Periplus, aku tertarik dengan desain sampul dan juga sinopsis yang ada di balik bukunya. Hamdalah! Pilihanku tidak salah. Buku ini bisa aku habiskan dengan cepat karena kontennya yang memang menarik.
resensi lengkapnya
Buku ini membuat kita yang ada di Indonesia bersyukur, setidaknya hidup di Indonesia masih relatif lebih kondusif ketimbang di Pakistan dan harus berpindah-pinda dari New York ke London. Pembaca dibukakan matanya bahwa masi ada banyak permasalahan yang lebih berat di luar sana, bahwa hidup menjadi minoritas itu selalu saja mendapatkan perlakuan yang berbeda. Hamid mencoba menggugahh empati pembaca melalui tulisan-tulisannya yang lembut namun tegas tersebut.
Belakangan ini mood membaca kebanyakan karena butuh inspirasi. Tidak salah kalau pilihanku malah jatuh pada buku-buku non-fiksi. Aku belum pernah mengetahui siapa itu Mohsin Hamid, pun, membaca karyanya. Ketika buku ini ada di Periplus, aku tertarik dengan desain sampul dan juga sinopsis yang ada di balik bukunya. Hamdalah! Pilihanku tidak salah. Buku ini bisa aku habiskan dengan cepat karena kontennya yang memang menarik.
resensi lengkapnya
Buku ini membuat kita yang ada di Indonesia bersyukur, setidaknya hidup di Indonesia masih relatif lebih kondusif ketimbang di Pakistan dan harus berpindah-pinda dari New York ke London. Pembaca dibukakan matanya bahwa masi ada banyak permasalahan yang lebih berat di luar sana, bahwa hidup menjadi minoritas itu selalu saja mendapatkan perlakuan yang berbeda. Hamid mencoba menggugahh empati pembaca melalui tulisan-tulisannya yang lembut namun tegas tersebut.