A review by sharkybookshelf
How to Leave the World by Marouane Bakhti

4.0

Constantly asked to categorise himself - French? Moroccan? Gay? Muslim? - Bakhti has written a book in response…

I enjoyed this one, but must admit that although I only read it a few weeks ago, it has not proved particularly memorable. It’s filled with pithy, self-aware, snapshot observations but they are not quite tied together into a greater whole with staying power.

I love a story of messy identities that don’t perfectly fit into boxes, and it was interesting to read how the narrator navigated his relationship to his two cultures and how that changed over time - it’s a story of finding one’s place in the world (on multiple levels) and the expectations, shame, forgiveness and familial love that are part of that journey. I especially appreciated the perspective of growing up as a kid of the Moroccan diaspora in rural France (as opposed to the more frequently explored urban experience).

A sharp, jaunty story of complex identity, familial and societal expectations, self-acceptance, and forgiveness.