EXIT WEST by MOHSIN HAMID // Marko Book Club Review #5

[@zoilasegarra9150]

One race, human race. We can’t wrap our heads around this. I could watch you book club forever. Nice job.

[@anantgrewal5080]

Very well reviewed. The part about how some people travel for leisure and the others out of necessity conveys one reason why it is a very important book and topic to address. 🙂

[@tarac5137]

Thank you for the recommendation! I borrowed the e-book from the local library. I found it beautifully written and an insightful story. “We are all migrants through time.” I will certainly check out other novels by the author. Good review, you could have been a history or literature professor!

[@MarkoAyling]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! And thank you for the compliment!

[@vijay_64800]

Very good narration Marco 🙂👍 You are great as always 👍

[@MarkoAyling]

Thank you Vijay!

[@teaandcakee]

I’m reading this book now and I really like it, it’s so easy to read and difficult to put down! Your synopsis really hit the nail on the head and I’m looking forward to reading more of the books from the group. This recommendation might be more environmentally themed, but This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein has been recommended to me by a friend and I think lots of people might be interested in it too. Have a great day! 🧡

[@chrisalvarez8500]

What do the doors mean!!!!

[@Lauren_aida]

I'm really glad you touched on how travel for pleasure is a privilege. I think this is something that needs to be addressed more in the travel community because I've heard too many times people use catch-all phrases like "anyone can travel" and while sure, there are people who don't realize how easy travel can be for them to whom the phrase is directed, but saying something like that comes from a place of serious privilege and ignorance of that privilege.

[@MarkoAyling]

I totally agree. Maybe I will dive into this further in a future video!

[@mhollick63]

I just finished Exit West and I agree it is a great read. Thanks for the suggestion. I look forward to more books to read.

[@christinecziglan4859]

I'm jazzed to see a book already on my "to read" list a part of your book club! Do you write reviews on good reads at all?

[@TheMelimog]

I'm french and here we are very concerned by the migrants crisis. I'm very interested by this book !!

[@jestypesty0]

This sounds like such a great book and I am exited to read it soon. As someone who was born in the US but lived my whole life in Mexico (and consider myself Mexican) and then moved back to the US, I can relate because people call me illegal and undocumented all the times, even though I am not. I love Mexico and if I could I would love to go back but unfortunately the cartel violence is uncontrollable. Also, I love school and I love learning new things, but unfortunately a college in Mexico is not the most helpful, unless people have the $$ to spend on the huge school, unfortunately my family did not. So I am very grateful to be here and expand my education. But I want to let people know that we leave our country not because we think the US is better, we leave because we have no choice. Unfortunately, I feel that the US lives in such incredible luxuries that people are blinded by what is going on in the world around them. I am very glad you bring this book and I am very interested in reading it. Thank you 😊 looking forward to more✌🏽

[@MarkoAyling]

Thank you for sharing Jessica! Yes, I think the immigrant experience is quite universal. The Arab vs Mexican stories have some notable differences but I’m sure you will enjoy reading this book!

[@xusanchez6142]

We all come from immigrants, one big family. Want to read this book, hope I can find it in Spanish. Thanks for your book enlightening 🧡

[@MarkoAyling]

I’m sure it’s been translated by now!

[@eduardorey4420]

Xu Sánchez Hi Xu,I’ve just read this book in Spanish,“Bienvenidos a occidente”.I hope you like it ;)

[@amelel-rayis]

The first thing that came to my mind when I read the title is Exit Ghost by Philip Roth. I would recommend this book as well.

[@footontheway]

„Globalization and its discontents“ by nobel prise J. stiglitz, is a book of some years ago, but I found it very useful to understand what were the reasons why all of this is happening now....by the way. Keep on working on this channel, you make great content, entertaining and inspiring. 👍

[@MarkoAyling]

It’s a great book! I read that one a while back but maybe I should revisit it

[@josephsjourney3387]

Great video! I didn’t like this book, but I loved his other two novels “How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia” and “the Reluctant Fundamentalist,” the latter of which I just uploaded a review of. Cheers!

[@pashe01]

This is an awesome post. Thank you. I think discussing more viewpoints from other marginalized communities is a great idea.

[@MarkoAyling]

Thank you! Do you have any ideas for what those viewpoints could be?

[@pashe01]

Here is a link with a good place to start. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/books-contemporary-immigrant-experience-america

[@pashe01]

Also I would recommend behold the dreamers and things fall apart.

[@amelel-rayis]

I would recommend his novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist. It's amazing and yes you will find it ambiguous not only about the place, but also about the identity of the characters. The ending is amazing, so I would be waiting for your feedback. I am sure you're going to like it. It's a page-turner and it's a novella, so you can finish it in one sitting.

[@brinadeleon2314]

This is such a beautiful important concept thanks for making this video! So excited to read this one

I really need to up my reading game, haven't started "Silk Roads" yet, but this one sounds really, really good! As someone who is living in Denmark(even though I am European, I also sort of am immigrants, since I am from Latvia) amongst people who have migrated here for different reasons, it is interesting for me to really dig deeper in understanding different perspectives. I think I am kind of in the middle when it comes to assimilation - I try to learn the local language and adapt traditions because I think it a form of respect for a country one lives in, but I also want to cherish my countries and families traditions. Totally off topic - do you perhaps have any suggestions for books about South Africa - culture, history, people?

[@MarkoAyling]

Hahaha! Well, you don’t have to read every book to still take part! Exit West is a pretty easy read and sounds relevant to your experience in Denmark. Maybe start with that one and try Silk Roads afterwards? And no, I’m not aware of any books from South Africa specifically but I’m sure there are some good ones! Maybe someone else can recommend?

[@babitajoseph]

Do give ' Chasing the Monsoons' by Alexander Frater a try. It's a highly entertaining travelogue of one man's journey following the monsoons on their path throughout India. You're sure to love it!

[@MarkoAyling]

Sounds great!

[@balwantrai1446]

You got any tattoo #despite!!?

[@Maykono1]

Love this recommendation! I think that a very interesting subject that could be treated through the lens of books is integration, assimilation and inclusion of migrants in the "host/asylum" countries. It can be a very polarizing subject. Here in France for example, there's a lot of discussion about the hijab. Politics are claiming to free the women by forbidding the wear of the head scarf when actually it is often perceived as the opposite by these women. There's a lot of difference in the way countries decide how migrants should be included/assimilated/integrated in the new culture and even among the migrants themselves it can be a tricky subject as some might be rejected of their families if they leave aside too much of their "root" culture. From what you said I think that Exit west touches on this topic and I think it would be great to expand on that.

[@MarkoAyling]

Salut Laila! I agree that the balance of assimilation and cultural preservation is central to finding an immigration solution that works for everyone. “Exit West” does touch on the topic, but I think “In the Name Of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong” by Amin Maalouf is even better. I will certainly feature that book on a future non-fiction review for the book club!

[@batoulmansour8901]

i'm from syria and i love my country so much (called the jasmine country) but i dream to migrate to america or canada to continue my masters and phD studies because i love science and i love to develop myself in the field of my studies always and to know all the developments around the world and work with them and it is not possible here besides , i love travel and integration with other societies and i feel i can do it my great and eternal love is "italy" it is very similar to my country"syria" i feel that i can't live in italy because i love it to the point of madness but i dream to visit it one time every year i will be happy to read this great book i invite you to visit syria after war

[@MarkoAyling]

Thank you for sharing your perspective as a Syrian. I am sure that you’ll get a lot from this book and I encourage you to share another comment after you’ve read it. I look forward to hearing what you think!

[@stargazer5073]

Your mindset, so open to others is because you were raised in CA.

[@Luna-rm4ll]

The beard is back!

[@echa9446]

and he just cut his hair few days ago

[@MarkoAyling]

😎