Exit West is the story of Saeed and Nadia. They are two young people who fall in love. Their unnamed city is descending into a brutal civil war. When their world begins to collapse around them, they discover a series of magical doors that transport them instantly to distant locations. This novel moves away from the traditional “journey” narrative of migration to explore the immediate and disorienting reality of being displaced in a globalized world.
By using these doors as a narrative device, Hamid focuses on the psychological and social labour of building a new life when the physical barriers of geography are removed. The narrative reflects the emotional complexity of leaving one’s past behind while trying to maintain a sense of self in an increasingly divided and fearful global landscape.
[Hamid, M. (2017). Exit West. Einaudi.]
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2017/03/01/515438471/escaping-a-world-on-fire-in-exit-west
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/02/exit-west-mohsin-hamid-review-andrew-motion-migrants
