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Muhlenberg Common Read

The Common Read at Muhlenberg College unites the community around one title read by all.

Common Read 2019: Exit West

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
@Trexler Library: 813.54 H216e, on reserve and in circulating collection

WINNER OF THE 2018 LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR FICTION  and THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE

FINALIST FOR THE 2019 INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD

FINALIST FOR THE DAYTON LITERARY PEACE PRIZE

TEN BEST BOOKS, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

 

In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet—sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors—doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through. . . . Exit West follows these remarkable characters as they emerge into an alien and uncertain future, struggling to hold on to each other, to their past, to the very sense of who they are. Profoundly intimate and powerfully inventive, it tells an unforgettable story of love, loyalty, and courage that is both completely of our time and for all time.

~ Provided by publisher.

Themes around Exit West

Examining Exit West can be done through a variety of different lenses. Below are links to other library guides related to some of the themes that come through in Mohsin Hamid's Exit West. The list below provide just a few of the themes that can be explored more deeply, but does not represent a complete listing of possible themes of this novel. 

Are you examining Exit West in a way that is not represented here? Explore other library guides for resources and links. 

Library Resources on Mohsin Hamid

Gale Literary Criticism Online

MLA International Bibliography on Mohsin Hamid

Other works by Mohsin Hamid at Trexler Library

 

Review & Interviews

Reviews

Alter, Alexandra. "Global Migration Meets Magic in Mohsin Hamid’s Timely Novel; Profile". The New York Times, March 7, 2017.

Gilbert, Sophia. "'Exit West' and the Edge of Dystopia". The Atlantic, March 8, 2017

Kakutani, Michiko. "Review: In ‘Exit West,’ Mohsin Hamid Mixes Global Trouble With a Bit of Magic; Books of The Times". The New York Times, February 27, 2017.

Schaub, Michael. "Escaping A World On Fire In 'Exit West'". NPR Book Reviews, March 1, 2017.

Tolentino, Jia. “A Novel About Refugees That Feels Instantly Canonical.” New Yorker, March 10, 2017

Video Interviews

"‘Exit West’ Author Mohsin Hamid Answers Your Questions." PBS NewsHour, March 30, 2018.

Fresh Air. "From Refugees To Politics, Mohsin Hamid Writes The Change He Wants To See." NPR, March 8, 2017. 

Waterstones. “Mohsin Hamid on Home, Identity, and Exit West.” YouTube, February 12, 2018

Campus Events

Exit West – An Invitation to the Conversation
September 3, 2019 (7–8:45 p.m.)
Miller Forum, Moyer Hall
Faculty Panelists: Jim Bloom, Ioanna Chatzidimitriou and Sharon Albert

This opening event features a panel of Muhlenberg faculty presenting brief reflections on Mohsin Hamid’s novel, Exit West, followed by an invitation to the campus community to join in an opening discussion of the Center for Ethics theme via key themes, moments, characters and symbols presented in Hamid’s work.

Additional Programs: Center for Ethics
Center for Ethics Readings and Videos for Fall 2019

Mohsin Hamid will have an author event at Muhlenberg in April. Check back for details!