I enjoyed this book very much, and can't remember feeling this attached to a fictional family in quite some time. I found both Nazneen, the protagonist, and Chanu, her older husband, to be really sympathetic characters, and I appreciated the glimpse Brick Lane provided into the interior lives of a Bengali-English family, trying to find their way in a culture so at odds with their own. No doubt my fascination is partly voyeuristic -- a literal "peeking behind the veil" at hidden faces and lives to which I've had so little exposure (I found myself looking differently today at a woman on the commuter train platform wearing a hijab...). But the overall feeling I'm left with is that underneath even profound cultural differences, the fundamental struggles of this life are surprisingly constant: the love/hate of family, sexual fidelity, the struggle to get ahead financially and the circuitous journey Home -- wherever that is.

Addendum (09/22/04): if you enjoyed, or are interested in, Brick Lane, you might also be interested in Nadeem Aslam's Maps for Lost Lovers, a very different take on the experience of South Asian immigrants in England in the "00"s.

INTERNATIONAL BOOKRING

Rules of this bookring:
1. This is an international bookring -- if you join, you must be willing to ship anywhere.
2. Please journal the book when you receive it, and again when you mail it out -- that way, everyone will know the book's approximate location.
3. If you don't think you'll be able to read this book within a reasonable time of receipt, please let me know before it's sent to you by the previous reader, and I'll be happy to move your name down the list.
4. Whether you have read the book or not, please do not keep it longer than six weeks. Thanks!

Participants:
1. weeblet - Reston, Virginia, USA - rec'd September 13, 04; mailed September 27, 04.
2. Puppetlady - St. Louis, Missouri, USA - rec'd October 1, 04; mailed November 22, 04.
3. zugenia - Providence, Rhode Island, USA - rec'd November 30, 04; mailed December 24, 04.
4. vibrant-art - Kingston, Ontario, Canada - rec'd January 24, 05; mailed February 13, 05.
5. Secretariat - Carlsbad, California, USA - rec'd February 22, 05; mailed March 22, 05.
6. jenvince - Sherman Oaks, California, USA - rec'd March 26, 05; mailed April 14, 05.
7. fayking - Nottingham, England, UK - rec'd April 19, 05; mailed June 29, 05.
8. devilinpinksox - Nottingham, England, UK - rec'd June 29, 05; sent September 28, 05.
9. Flicki - Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany - rec'd November 16, 05; sent January 2, 06.
10. gypsysmom - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - rec'd February 22, 06.
11. lauraloo29 - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - rec'd March 31, 06; sent April 06.
12. geishabird - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - rec'd May 01, 06; sent May 20, 06.
13. honey1982 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - rec'd May 28, 06.
14. hunnyb - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - rec'd June 27, 06.

I'm starting this ring off by sending the book to weeblet in Virginia, USA. Happy reading, and best wishes from New Westminster, British Columbia (at left: the Fraser River, as seen from the top of my street).

got it!
6 weeks? i think i'll be able to manage that ;)
thanks goatgrrl!

i am about halfway through, and enjoying it *tremendously*. my favorite bit so far was Nazneen executed her domestic guerilla actions on Chanu- hilarious :) this book also made me incredibly hungry, so tonight i'm going to make lentil curry with poories on the side- yum!
i'll update soonly.

what a great book. very dense- the second half didn't read as fast as the first, as there was so much to take in.
i loved all the characters- sweet, bumbling chanu with his ever-present throat obstruction; hasina, who won't give up; the enigmatic dr. azad; and of course, nanzeen- who gave her life to fate, then created her own.
mrs. islam i could've done with out ;)
thanks for sharing, goatgrrl!

mailing today!

What a day - four books (three bxing books) from two bookcrossers in one day! I got this one from weeblet, with a lovely little bonus - a cookbook called Currying favours with the Maharajah! Will read soon and send on.

Someday I'll accept the fact that I don't have to like all the books that other people like. I've been having a hard time getting through this book - not because it's difficult, but because, unlike goatgrrl and weeblet, I _haven't_ found Nazneen engaging. I think it's partly because she seems to have very little agency - a very Western view, I know, and a bias, but it is a struggle for me. So, after having it by my bedside for longer than my 6 weeks, I'm going to move it along to others who will probably like it! I love bookcrossing for that!

Book is on its way to RI!

This just arrived in the mail from Puppetlady. I will read it soon and get it moving. Thanks to everyone for sharing!

I thought this was a beautifully written and accomplished first novel (it is Ali's first, right?). Perhaps the book's greatest accomplishment was the character of Chanu, whom I found extremely moving, if not always respectable or sympathetic. The story of his and Nazneen's relationship nearly brought me to tears, and I wasn't sure exactly why. I look forward to reading more of Ali's work in the future.

Thanks to goatgrrl for sharing! It's on to Ada2 in Australia as soon as I have her address.

Ada2 seems to be on vacation, so this is on its way to vibrant-art in Canada.

Received this last week and will read & send it on within the next few weeks. Looking forward to it!

The book is now on its way to Secretariat in California. Like Puppetlady, I had trouble feeling engaged in the story (and empathy for the characters--I found Chanu particularly hard to handle...though it seems others really enjoyed this character!). I read it in bits and pieces, and am passing the book along...thanks for having me as part of this ring.

This bookring has made it safely through the California deluge. I should be able to start it in the next few days and will pass it on as oon as possible.

RELEASE NOTES:

What an amazing and wonderful book. I became so comfortable with Nazneen, Chanu, Dr. Azar, Raiza, Hasina, and the girls that I felt they lived in my neighborhood.

The first portion of the book is told from Nazneen’s perspective and since she does not speak English and is a quiet person anyway, she was a wonderful observer of those around her. As a result we are treated to virtual slices of life for Chanu, Dr. Azar, Raiza, and the others. Hasina is not fully introduced until she begins sending letters to Nazneen and then we are privy to her life and thoughts, as well. I found it interesting that Hasina, of the two, is really the naïve one, though she is the sister who rebels and goes out into the world (where Nazneen is the dutiful daughter with an arranged marriage and when she goes to England is kept inside both by Chanu’s insistence that she doesn’t need to venture out and by her lack of English language skills [again Chanu insists she doesn’t need to take English classes]).

Since our view of Chanu is from Nazneen’s eyes, he is not at first a sympathetic character. Only toward the end does she see him in a kinder light. He is very much a product of his culture and though he considers himself an educated man he is mostly incapable of breaking those cultural bonds, returning to Bangladesh much the same as he had left it.

The affair Nazneen entered into seemed very out of character for her, but I accepted it given the age difference between her and Chanu, his unlikeability, and her virtual imprisonment in the neighborhood. I found it very realistic when at the end of the affair even Nazneen doesn’t understand what she saw in her callow lover.

I think we have all known a Dr. Azar, one of those people who are so structured that they are unable to bend. Yet Dr. Azar was able to help Raiza’s son and helped his friend, Chanu, return to Bangladesh. I was fascinated by this man who on the surface seemed to have success, but when the curtains were pulled back proved to have a very unhappy life.

I did find that the book had a couple of slow spots and Chanu, who was not a particularly likeable character for more than half the book, began to wear on me, but I persevered and was very much rewarded. On its way today to Jenvince. Thanks so much for a wonderful literary ride!

It's here. Will get to it soon.

This was a good story. Enjoyed reading it. Thank you for sharing. :)
This will be in the mail to fayking tomorrow.

Arrived today...very quick! Will start it tonight :)

To be honest I found the book a little slow and frustrating. I did finally manage to finish it and its off to devilinpinksox today.

Thanks to Fayking for dropping this in to me. Apologies for taking so long to register :)

PMd devilinpinksox seeking an update on how he/she is doing with Brick Lane. Thanks very much, DIPS, for any update you can provide.

Update: devilinpinksox PMd on September 28/05 to say Brick Lane is on its way to the next reader.

Arrived today with apologies from the Royal Mail! Still, it doesn't look as bad as it sounds! :-) Hoping to get to it soon.

Sorry, I have to send this on as I don't manage to read it!

On its way to gypsysmom!

My this book took a long time to arrive but it's here in my hands safe and sound. It looks like another book I can read for Sheepseeker's 5x5x5 challenge so I'm doubly glad.

This was an interesting look at the life of a Bengali woman, Nazneen, who moves to London after her marriage to a much older man. I especially liked the parts which described her childhood in a small village. I suppose she would be considered to have improved her life by moving to England. However, her life was so circumscribed as a mother and wife living in the projects in London. Nazneen hardly seems to have gone anywhere and the descriptions of the flat make it seem claustrophobic. Her sister, who married for love, and ran away from the village didn't fare much better as witnessed by the letters she writes to Nazneen. I found it difficult to believe that Nazneen had an adulterous affair and even more difficult to believe that her husband would meekly return to Bangladesh without Nazneen or the children. I was pleased by the ending in which Nazneen makes a life for herself and the girls without either her husband or her lover. Her sister seems to still believe in the power of love as she runs away with the cook from the house she is working in as a maid. At least both women are making their own decisions!

I have pm'd sqdancer who is next on the list but haven't heard from her yet. I'll give her a few more days and if I haven't heard yet I'll try her again.
Update: Mar 24/06 - sqdancer has asked to be left off this bookring so I have pm'd lauraloo29.

Arrived safe and sound today. My dilemma is this is the 3rd bookring book in my possession at the moment. Not to worry. I hate stalling books, so it will keep moving. For now, it will sit near the top of the TBR pile. :)

Update - April 10 - started to read.

Oh my! I struggled with this book. I didn't find much sympathy for Nazneen. Perhaps because she wasn't asking for any. I found so much left unsaid, but I got the impression that this was the way between Nazneen and Chanu, and also with Karim. I felt frustrated with the lack of emotion I got from Nazneen and Karim. I didn't need a big romance, just some emotion.

An interesting book.

I'll be sending it along to the next person, next week. Thank you for sharing!

Received today...thank you! I should be able to start on this by the end of the week. Looking forward to it.

I really, really enjoyed this book. Nazneen, Chanu, Raiza and Hasina were a fascinating mix of characters and personalities. I loved following Nazneen over the years and watching her intelligent and questioning spirit make sense of the changes to her world. Her quiet rationality and evolving sense of self were wonderful to behold. In recent years I have become very interested in books that are written from an Islamic perspective (I recommend Orhan Pamuk's Snow if you're interested in that sort of thing); it's a world that most Westerners aren't exposed to as we should be. I found Hasina's letters to her sister remarkably touching and poignant; I found myself transfixed by her ordeals and her courage. And like zugenia notes above, I found Chanu to be an unexpectedly complicated character, never exactly what you thought he was from one page to the next. Really a marvellous piece of storytelling. Thank you so much for sharing.

Mailed off to honey1982 today...enjoy!

It has arrived. I will just finish my current read (The Stone Carvers) and get right to it. Thanks for sharing.

I have finally finished this book. You know you have been reading something for a long time when your significant other comments.

I enjoyed this book. I too enjoy the eastern culture perspective and often find myself picking up books of this nature. We went to "Doors Open Ottawa" a couple of weeks back and toured a Mosque. This was right when I started reading the book. The culture is very fascinating. I noticed that throughout the tour the guide was careful not to put the men above the women. I'm not sure what that meant exactly (modern reform?), but that tour really gave me a lot to think about while reading the book.

I did find that Nazneen lacked emotion. Although she told the story of her life, it was as an outsider. I turned every page hoping for more from her. I was very frustrated, but am happy to see that others noticed this as well.

Thanks again goatgrrl for hosting this bookring. I'll be sending it off to Australia tomorrow.

Received this today. Thanks all. The irony is that I will be going to Canada in a week or so :)

After travelling with me to Canada and the United States, this book is back safe and read in Australia. I found it a bit slow at times but interesting. I found Nazneen hard to relate to in the beginning but she grew on me. The clash of cultures was really well articulated and explored. Thanks for sharing this book.

Am continuing the bookray for this... so far:

PurpleElephant (UK, int'l)

Thanks Hunnyb for posting all the way over here to the UK, got a couple of rays/rings on the go at the moment, will start reading as soon as I can.

Sorry to all on this list. I've been snowed under with college work in the past month and have got a little behind with my bookrings and rays.
I hope to get this book read in the next two weeks, I hope this is OK. If anyone has a problem with this and would rather I passed the book on without reading it then feel free to PM me.
Sorry once again.

I signed up for this bookring because I had been following the debates in the media following the attempt to film this novel in the real Brick Lane. As always I was desperate to see what all the fuss was about.
(If you are interested start here and follow some of the links; http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,1832871,00.html)

Reading the reviews so far in this bookring, it is easy to see how the recent attempt to film the novel has sparked such controversy. It seems you find the book either compelling or impenetrable; the characters either engaging or one-dimensional.

I, for one come down in favour of the work. It would have been so easy for Monica Ali to write a formulaic novel whereby the protagonist mercifully breaks free from her domineering husband, but far from what the protesters would have us believe, I see no evidence of such artlessness in Ali's novel. Almost from the beginning I found my heart breaking for Chanu's consistently failing dreams as much as for Nanzeen's entrapment. Even with the minor characters, such as Razia, Tariq and Mrs Islam, Ali works hard to retain a spec of empathy.

I understand that much of the protesters' vitriol lies at the unsympathetic portrayal of the characters remaining in Bangladesh. But it is surely worth noting that many of these characters such as Amma are long gone and are a figment of Nanzeen's memory. Characters from at least two generations ago, from a completely different political era risk severity in a novel from any culture. I also wonder to what extent Nanzeen is a reliable narrator on these events which occurred so early in her childhood.

As with many current political and cultural debates in the media, I wonder how many people have seriously protested against this book, how many have leapt upon the political bandwagon and how much of the whole debate has been blown out of all proportion by the media.

As I am last on the list, I have contacted Goatgrrl to see what she would like me to do with this book.

This one is going on another international ray. Please Pm me if you are interested.

1) Fushmush UK (posted)
2)lmjsmum Uk /?
3)blackadder75 US/US or Canada
4)Anyone else?

Wow! This one finally got here. I think it must have gone on a little holiday first.

This book is the next on my TBR pile.

An enjoyable read. I've posted this to the next on the list.

Finally recieved the book today, must of got mislaid with all the christmas post!!! It is next on my to be read pile looking forward to getting stuck into it.