[Book Review] “Exit West” by Mohsin Hamid

Thursday, May 10, 2018

(This book was recommended by a heavy-reading couple of friends — thanks a ton Daniel & Kim!)

Looking back in the past few years, the Syrian Crisis and related forced migrations might have been one of the biggest and most important stories of the decade.

This is the background for Mohsin Hamid’s book “Exit West”. Despite the several surrealistic elements, it is a book that looks at the present and tries to paint a difficult if optimistic snapshot of what the world is, and what it may turn out to be.

Through the perspective of two young lovers (and countless other migrants around the world), we are transported throughout the globe, left to reflect upon man-made crisis and how to deal with influx of migrants in the most humane way possible.

This book does a lot in terms of empathy towards people facing difficult conflicts, and although the plot tends to accelerate or jump ahead of time quite a bit towards the end, it does so as a way to push you deeper into its character’s’ story.

I really enjoyed this book and it’s been a while since something hit me in the feels the way “Exit West” did.