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A review by reads2cope
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
4.0
“… the apocalypse appeared to have arrived and yet it was not apocalyptic, which is to say that while the changes were jarring they were not the end, and life went on, and people found things to do and ways to be and people to be with, and plausible desirable futures began to emerge, unimaginable previously, but not unimaginable now, and the result was something not unlike relief.”
It took me a long time to get a grip on this book, but I flew through the last half of it. A lyrical story of migration and travel, physically and metaphysically, through space and through time. I really appreciated how Hamid was able to show the perspectives of both the main refugee couple and those they end up traveling with as well as the people living in the places they land without the story becoming convoluted or too bogged down in individual politics. While some of the outcomes feel too utopian for our time (in one example, a western government gives shelter and jobs to refugees for building their own permanent housing in a former green space) it mostly felt hopeful rather than absurd.
The crisis and response was easily connected to many of the issues right now, from COVID-19 to climate catastrophes and easily to war and revolutions. We should all be building community to create more resilient safe places.
“…and Saeed said, "It feels natural to have you here."
It took me a long time to get a grip on this book, but I flew through the last half of it. A lyrical story of migration and travel, physically and metaphysically, through space and through time. I really appreciated how Hamid was able to show the perspectives of both the main refugee couple and those they end up traveling with as well as the people living in the places they land without the story becoming convoluted or too bogged down in individual politics. While some of the outcomes feel too utopian for our time (in one example, a western government gives shelter and jobs to refugees for building their own permanent housing in a former green space) it mostly felt hopeful rather than absurd.
The crisis and response was easily connected to many of the issues right now, from COVID-19 to climate catastrophes and easily to war and revolutions. We should all be building community to create more resilient safe places.
“…and Saeed said, "It feels natural to have you here."
"For me too," Nadia replied, resting her head on his shoulder.
"The end of the world can be cozy at times."
She laughed. "Yes. Like a cave.’”