Exit West

Unfortunately I think this is a case of ‘it's not you it's me'. I was not in the right head space for this - easily distracted, anxious (aren't we all) and generally sad with the state of the world. It was beautifully written with important messages around refugees and immigrants- but I couldn't connect- or maybe couldn't allow myself to connect.

I think there's some fuzziness to the novel's purpose that keeps it from being great–should borders be eliminated? should people stay put? should migrants always be welcomed with open arms?–but it certainly raises these important issues. The introduction of the magical realist element in an otherwise realistic story reminded me of The Underground Railroad.

So I'm confused about the book. I really liked the underlying theme but didn't like the writing style -
those long, never-ending sentences. I also felt there were some parts in the book that really could've been skipped. Like explaining Saeed's parents' life when the latter were young. I didn't understand the significance of that. I also ended up not liking both protagonists, Saeed and Nadia. Additionally I think the scenes of physical intimacy could have been toned down.