Title: Exit West
Publication Year: 2017
Plot: The plot follows the lives of Nadia and Saeed, who meet and fall in love in a city on the brink of civil war. As the conflict intensifies, they decide to flee using mysterious doors that lead to different parts of the world. Their journey takes them through various locations, each with its own challenges and opportunities, as they grapple with their relationship, identity, and the broader implications of migration in a world in flux.
Trivia: Written within the era of Trump and Brexit, Mohsin Hamid wrote Exit West as a way for readers to look at the refugee crisis from a different perspective. Hamid explains that borders for countries are extremely “unnatural” and the issue with migrants and refugees is that their movement is thought of as a problem that needs to be solved.
As we got talking about the book, before anyone could really offer up their opinion, the group leader wanted to talk about the doors. “The function of doors is really interesting. Like it says in the book, when you leave through one, you die, but when you come through one, you are reborn.” The readers talked about the overarching metaphor of the novel which uses doors as a way to explore immigration. They commented that when you immigrate somewhere, a part of you does die, but you are in a new place where you are reborn—you get to start over. “I have moved before because I was exhausted and burned out,” said one reader. “So I wanted to be reborn and get some new energy.”
Another reader gushed about the “panoramic descriptions” in the novel. He really liked the scenery. He said he often felt like he was with them in the streets, or in a building. “The author takes us from one place to the next and helps us feel like we are there with them, which makes us care for them.”
We talked a lot about the role of borders. This novel imagines a world where people can effortlessly travel from one country to another, without paperwork, money, or achieving a certain status. This lead to the group talking about pros and cons of borders. Some readers said this idea in the novel is nice, but it’s just not practical. “We don’t have one government ruling over every country. Different places have different laws.” Some readers wanted to imagine a world where this was the case. “Why is it so formal? If I want to go to Canada or Iceland, can’t I go without anyone knowing?”
The ending of the novel struck the readers. The main characters ended up back where they began. “You know, you can run from a lot and try to be ‘reborn’ somewhere else. But the grass is not always greener,” said one reader. The group talked about the call of home that many people feel. They said no matter where they settled down, home always had a special feeling for them, whether it was Virginia, Wyoming, or Mexico.
Overall, the group liked the book. Page-wise, it’s a light read, but packs a lot of ideas and emotions in its story.
That’s it for this week’s discussion. The next discussion will be on a favorite of mine, A Place For Us. We hope you’re reading something good.
Until then,
E.
If you would like to read Exit, West, here are some links: