Why people recommend it
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid is a contemporary magical realist novel that explores migration, refugees, and global upheaval through the lens of a couple fleeing a war-torn country. On The Book Review, the novel was frequently highlighted by hosts and guests alike. Gilbert Cruz included it among the best books of 2017, and Greg Coles discussed its strong position on the hardcover fiction bestseller list. John Williams mentioned picking up the highly anticipated novel, noting he had not read the author previously. Alexander Alter highlighted the book's inclusion on the Man Booker shortlist, pointing out its fantastical premise involving magical doors that facilitate mass migration. Jenny Schuessler shared that she borrowed and enjoyed a copy while spending a weekend at a beach in New Jersey. Later, Alexandra Alter discussed how the narrative directly addresses the refugee crisis and migration from Middle Eastern and Asian countries impacted by war and extremism. Across these varied conversations, the speakers underscored the novel's thematic resonance, capturing how Hamid managed to blend fantastical elements with urgent, real-world geopolitical issues to create a compelling and widely discussed story of displacement and human resilience.
Who recommended it
- Gilbert Cruz Recommended
- Greg Coles Discussed
- John Williams Discussed
- Alexander Alter Discussed
- Jenny Schuessler Discussed
- Alexandra Alter Discussed
Gilbert Cruz — 2 mentions
“exit West by Mosen hammed”
“and then it kind of brings us naturally to exit West by m ham yeah”
Greg Coles — 1 mention
“well the most interesting thing on the fiction side of the hard cover lists is um Moen hammad's new novel exit West which you've discussed on the podcast is new on the list at number five”
John Williams — 1 mention
“speaking of Exile I am reading um exit West which is a much anticipated new novel by Mosen Hamid and I've never read him before”
Alexander Alter — 1 mention
“for the non-americans on the list Mosen hammed made the short list for exit West which was his you know novel that sort of has a Fantastical premise”
Jenny Schuessler — 1 mention
“so I was at the uh beach in New Jersey over the weekend and I borrowed a copy of Mosen Hamed's recent novel exit West what did you think I really liked it”
Alexandra Alter — 1 mention
“his last novel exit West was about the refugee crisis and migration um particularly migration from countries in the Middle East and Asia where war and extremism has been a problem”