Pages: 228
Genre: Fiction
Read: September 2017
Rating: 7/10
Adjectives To Describe This Book: Simple, True, Real, Subtle, Bittersweet
From the first page, I was struck by the simplicity of the prose. This was a book that just flowed and before I knew it, I was done with the journey. So much happened and yet it didn’t feel like the journey was that tedious.
I had been wanting to read this book for quite a while but after it got longlisted (and subsequently shortlisted) for the Man Booker Prize 2017, I knew I had to consume it now.
The story is of two people – Nadia and Saeed who are stuck in a war-torn country and fall in love. Their lives are described and their characters are etched out through the book. Soon, they get to hear of these magical doors that have been popping up around the world that are a portal of some kind that allows people to travel distances. They escape the country they are in through one of these doors and the rest of the book is their journey – physically, mentally, individually and as a couple.
By introducing this tinge of magical realism via the doors, Hamid removes the arduous journey of the refugees that everyone seems to focus on and focuses more on the refugees as people themselves. You can feel the palpable angst, the actual feelings and the normalcy of them.
Another thing I loved about the book is that the author never stated where these refugees were coming from or what their religion was. It was obvious that they were Muslims but it was never stated. By not putting them in a box, the characters are more relatable. They could have been in Iran, Bangladesh or even India. Who knows.
So would I recommend this book? Yes. It’s a short read with some breathtaking deep dives into real emotions with real characters with actual flaws, despite the ‘magical realism’ bit.
Sant Reads 