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nomadjg 's review for:
Brick Lane
by Monica Ali
I picked up this book in a used book store on Koh Tao in Thailand that alphabetized its collection by author's first name. I just had to add that little detail. I decided to read it because so much of the criticism I was reading about British Caribbean authors kept referring to her book as groundbreaking.
The author that she reminds me of most is Dickens because of the characters she creates and the setting of council housing. She captures the meagerness, unease, and almost impossibility of achieving even basic dreams like a Dickens novel. An example of what I am talking about is the money lender, Mrs. Islam's treatment of the family. The limited scope of Nazneen's life in London seems accurate based on poverty and culture. I love when she refers to a picture she has of the England she has never seen.
It is significant that most of Ali's comments on political and religious activities and conflicts are through Nazneen's very reasonable point of view.
I thought her vehicle of letters from Hasina was an interesting and effective technique, but didn't quite come together in the end.
One thing I really admired was how Ali portrayed the pain involved in Nazneen's decision to stay in London with her children and the way she showed Nazneen's love for Chanu. The way her mother hangs around her life like a spectre was well done also.
Most of all, I loved her portrayal of Chanu. He was full of contradictions and so ineffectual in almost everything he did - buffoon-like, but loveable at the same time. While his lack of success might have had a lot to do with his personality, it is also true that it's difficult to make your way in a new place, and she showed that very subtlely. He was obviously very intelligent, but this was only recognized by Dr. Azad, and didn't help him succeed.
The author that she reminds me of most is Dickens because of the characters she creates and the setting of council housing. She captures the meagerness, unease, and almost impossibility of achieving even basic dreams like a Dickens novel. An example of what I am talking about is the money lender, Mrs. Islam's treatment of the family. The limited scope of Nazneen's life in London seems accurate based on poverty and culture. I love when she refers to a picture she has of the England she has never seen.
It is significant that most of Ali's comments on political and religious activities and conflicts are through Nazneen's very reasonable point of view.
I thought her vehicle of letters from Hasina was an interesting and effective technique, but didn't quite come together in the end.
One thing I really admired was how Ali portrayed the pain involved in Nazneen's decision to stay in London with her children and the way she showed Nazneen's love for Chanu. The way her mother hangs around her life like a spectre was well done also.
Most of all, I loved her portrayal of Chanu. He was full of contradictions and so ineffectual in almost everything he did - buffoon-like, but loveable at the same time. While his lack of success might have had a lot to do with his personality, it is also true that it's difficult to make your way in a new place, and she showed that very subtlely. He was obviously very intelligent, but this was only recognized by Dr. Azad, and didn't help him succeed.