Monica Ali's gorgeous first novel is the deeply moving story of one woman, Nazneen, born in a Bangladeshi village and transported to London at age eighteen to enter into an arranged marriage. Already hailed by the London Observer as "one of the most significant British novelists of her generation," Ali has written a stunningly accomplished debut about one outsider's quest to find her voice.
What could not be changed must be borne. And since nothing could be changed, everything had to be born... (show more)
Monica Ali's gorgeous first novel is the deeply moving story of one woman, Nazneen, born in a Bangladeshi village and transported to London at age eighteen to enter into an arranged marriage. Already hailed by the London Observer as "one of the most significant British novelists of her generation," Ali has written a stunningly accomplished debut about one outsider's quest to find her voice.
What could not be changed must be borne. And since nothing could be changed, everything had to be borne. This principle ruled her life. It was mantra, fettle, and challenge.
Nazneen's inauspicious entry into the world, an apparent stillbirth on the hard mud floor of a village hut, imbues in her a sense of fatalism that she carries across continents when she is married off to Chanu, a man old enough to be her father. Nazneen moves to London and, for years, keeps house, cares for her husband, and bears children, just as a girl from the village is supposed to do. But gradually she is transformed by her experience, and begins to question whether fate controls her or whether she has a hand in her own destiny.
Motherhood is a catalyst -- Nazneen's daughters chafe against their father's traditions and pride -- and to her own amazement, Nazneen falls in love with a young man in the community. She discovers both the complexity that comes with free choice and the depth of her attachment to her husband, her daughters, and her new world.
While Nazneen journeys along her path of self-realization, her sister, Hasina, rushes headlong at her life, first making a "love marriage," then fleeing her violent husband. Woven through the novel, Hasina's letters from Dhaka recount a world of overwhelming adversity. Shaped, yet not bound, by their landscapes and memories, both sisters struggle to dream -- and live -- beyond the rules prescribed for them.
Vivid, profoundly humane, and beautifully rendered, Brick Lane captures a world at once unimaginable and achingly familiar. And it establishes Monica Ali as a thrilling new voice in fiction. As Kirkus Reviews said, "She is one of those dangerous writers who see everything." (show less)
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This was a good book, but it didn't live up to its hype. Others in my family circle love it, to my mind they need to read more late 20th century li... (show more)
This was a good book, but it didn't live up to its hype. Others in my family circle love it, to my mind they need to read more late 20th century literature!
There was an interesting story lost amongst the poor characterization, reliance on stereotypes and a weak ending. The main character is cast as a victim as she is uprooted from her culture and her homeland, yet she's mainly just bored of a dull husband. I also found her sister's life to be more intriguing than hers.
And yes I did read it when it came out, and have read it more recently too. I enjoyed it more on first reading, it was only afterwards that I questioned the strength of the story etc; saying that, large parts of the story remained with me and I was interested in it enough to watch the film/ tv adaptation that was on in the last few years too. So it must have a certain something that holds it in your mind in spite of the flaws. (show less)
Didn't grip me as I had hoped it would. Very slow, and I found it fairly dull, am sorry to say I didn't finish it.
At the risk of a wholly autobiographical review, I feel the need to introduce Monica Ali’s Brick Lane with some personal back story. Since December of 2007, my reading was almost entirely confined to non-fiction of the historical/political variety. While interesting, it was also heavy and dry. I eschewed fiction beyond brief forays into a mystery or a romance. Then, in February of 2009, I picked up Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, anticipating the same enjoyment I felt while reading ... (show more)
At the risk of a wholly autobiographical review, I feel the need to introduce Monica Ali’s Brick Lane with some personal back story. Since December of 2007, my reading was almost entirely confined to non-fiction of the historical/political variety. While interesting, it was also heavy and dry. I eschewed fiction beyond brief forays into a mystery or a romance. Then, in February of 2009, I picked up Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, anticipating the same enjoyment I felt while reading The Satanic Verses. However, I put the book down after ninety pages. To Rushdie’s credit, the world he created was incredibly consuming. But I felt indignant about the care he lavished on the significance of the size of a character’s nose when it could have been better utilized to effect change. Because I admire Rushdie’s work so much, I realized the fault was mine and that I had so far distanced myself from the world of literary fiction that I had no idea when or if I could return.
Brick Lane was a wonderful return to literary fiction. The story centers on the relationships a Bangladeshi wife has with her family and neighbours after being transplanted to London. Ali uses carefully chosen adjectives to draw her character in mosaic: corns and yellowing toenails versus a gold chain snaking through a thicket of chest hair, for example. There is no attempt on the author’s part to write a “great novel.” However, since she tells her story with a simple and unassuming manner, one cannot help but get sucked into the tale. Though the drama is largely domestic and the main character sometimes maddeningly self-effacing, Monica Ali’s Brick Lane is a wonderful book with which to return to the world of literature. (show less)
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I have to say that the hype around this book had the effect of putting me off slightly and perhaps for me it did suffer a bit from being so highly recommended in that my expectations were very high. The first few pages threw me in at the deep end with Nazneen’s dramatic birth and the story of “How I was left to my fate”, and I very much enjoyed reading about Nazneen’s first impressions of England in contrast to that. In particular, I loved the bit where she watches the “Ice-eskaters” on telev... (show more)
I have to say that the hype around this book had the effect of putting me off slightly and perhaps for me it did suffer a bit from being so highly recommended in that my expectations were very high. The first few pages threw me in at the deep end with Nazneen’s dramatic birth and the story of “How I was left to my fate”, and I very much enjoyed reading about Nazneen’s first impressions of England in contrast to that. In particular, I loved the bit where she watches the “Ice-eskaters” on television and is totally enamoured by their beautiful outfits and how they seem to float on the ice. some very sweet and witty moments! However while I did think that the book was very well written and enjoyed reading it I didn’t find it to be a book I was rushing to pick up. Perhaps it was because I didn’t feel that I warmed to the main character as much as I could have and also I didn’t really feel that I had a sense of how much time passed throughout the story. I lost interest a little around the middle of the book, exactly at the time when it should have become more interesting with the arrival of Karim (Nazneen’s love interest).
I don’t think that I’m alone in finding this a difficult read. A quick glance at Amazon ratings reveals some mixed feelings about the book. Also I was interested to read up on Wikipedia that there was actually quite alot of controversy surrounding the book in the way that Ali represents certain groups and on top of that, she managed to annoy the Richard and Judy producer Amanda Ross (oops!) causing her to say that Brick lane is the only book that Ross selected for the book group that she didn’t believe in.
However I’m glad that I persevered with this as in the final part of the story you really see Nazneen’s character develop and see her making some difficult decisions...
Full review at http://novelinsights.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/brick-lane-monica-ali-did-it-live-up-to-the-hype/ (show less)
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brick LANE
great, YOU CAN SMELL THE STREET, IT IS PERFECTLY DESCRIBED
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