Rating: 
Summary: Essentially boring
Review: I was eager to begin this book as I love to read books set in and about people from that part of the world. But this one was a huge disappoitment. Others reviewers have echoed my own feelings about this book so I won't go into the details here; and others have said how much they loved it so this seems to be one of those books readers either love or hate. Certainly, it seems to have struck a nerve with many readers, who seem to have been deeply moved by it. I was simply - bored. Feelings aside: I do believe it is seriously, objectively flawed on account of the letters written by Nazneem's sister. While they provide a bit of variety they were an agony to read. And the question remains as to why they were in broken English; where did Hasina learn English, and why should she write in English to Nazneem, who did not speak a word of it? But if they were written in Bangladeshi, why "pijin" Bangla, when that was their native tongue? The mistakes Hasina would have made - assuming Ali wanted to recreate the lack of formal education - would have been in spelling and grammar. Thus the correct correlation would be misspelt, ungrammatical written English - not the foreigner's English that we were given. Whether one loves or hates the novel, this aspect of it - which after all forms a major part of the novel - is a huge defect and I wonder why the editor let it pass. Especially as it makes such unnecessarily difficult reading. That said, I will certainly read Ali's next novel and give her a second chance.
Rating: 
Summary: "If you mix with all these people¿you give up your culture."
Review: Nazneen, a young bride married at sixteen to a 40-year-old man, is wrenched from the only life she has ever known in the countryside of Bangladesh and conveyed to England, where her new husband, Chanu, has a job. Taught from the day of her birth that "fighting against one's Fate can weaken the blood," or even be fatal, she accepts the miserably lonely existence that fate has bestowed on her in a London council flat. Nazneen's only contact with home is the letters she exchanges with her sister Hasina, whose own fate back home in Dhaka changes throughout the fifteen years that this novel takes place. Through these letters, author Ali shows the similarities and contrasts in the lives of Nazneen and Hasina, both subservient to their husbands, and, like other Bengali wives, powerless to control their fates in the culture in which they live. With warmth and sensitivity, author Ali draws us into Nazneen's world, showing it in all its earthy details. The reader sees her increasingly cluttered apartment, hears the constant excuses and boasts from Chanu, gets lost with her on a walk in the city, and feels Nazneen's confusion and frustration with the isolation of her life, as she continues to act the dutiful wife, cutting Chanu's corns and trimming his nose hair while planning mini-rebellions. Her sister, eventually alone in Dhaka, struggles to support herself, doing whatever she has to do to stay alive in a culture in which her life has no value. But, as their mother once said, "If God wanted us to ask questions, he would have made us men." Speaking directly to the reader in unpretentious but vividly descriptive prose, Ali recreates the minutiae of Nazneen's life, showing how the seemingly unimportant decisions she begins to make acquire new meanings in her life. Through striking details, the reader watches her gradual acceptance of a new culture (which some would call "growth"), while her husband Chanu remains anchored in the traditions of the past. Her slow evolution is neither simple nor without conflict, and no member of the family escapes her transformation. Brick Lane reveals the emotional conflicts and the subtle changes that occur when an immigrant sees the possibilities inherent in a new culture, radically different from the culture of the past, and begins to embrace it.. Step by inevitable step, Ali shows just how this process evolves, creating a vibrant portrait of a family in transition and of a woman coming into her own. Mary Whipple
Rating: 
Summary: Dhaka on the Thames
Review: I thought that "Brick Lane" was a very good first novel, but not quite worthy of the hype it's been given in the UK. That's hardly surprising, as most things are hyped up these days, and perhaps it's unfair on this novelist - expectations are raised, and it would have been remarkable if the novel had been as good as its press. Nonetheless, it's still a good, though slightly uneven read. The territory is familiar to anyone who has read authors such as Rushdie and Kureishi - how do British Asians fit into modern Britain? How does Britain treat them? Are they really British or really Indian/Pakistani/or as in "Brick Lane" Bangladeshi? Or are they really caught in a social and cultural limbo between East and West (part of both, but really belonging to neither)? Monica Ali treats this difficult subject with as much skill as other authors I've read, and because the characters in her novel are British Bangladeshis, has the added "problem" that they are Muslims. This enables Monica Ali to look at how modern life affects Moslems - not only in the West (the heroine of the novel, Nazneen, has come to Britain due to an arranged marriage with Chanu, and encounters the young Moslem radical, Karim), but also in Bangladesh - the latter obliquely, through letters sent by her sister Hasina and her memories of her childhood. What Monica Ali seemed to be saying is that the idea of a Moslem life often bears little reality to its actuality - faith is often honoured only in the breach. The usurious Mrs Islam (never mind the lack of subtlety, I got the message!) being the embodiment of this contradiction. "Brick Lane" is full of such contradictions between image and reality, indeed it depends on them: Chanu's idealisation of Bangladesh is not shared by Nazneen, as she was brought up there. Chanu's disillusionment with life in Britain is due to the Walter Mitty-like hopes he had. Karim's Moslem radicalism contrasts with his amoral behaviour, and his misinterpretation of Islamic teaching. All these themes lend a remarkable strength to "Brick Lane". What I thought let it down slightly was that in the middle section, Chanu becomes slightly less prominent. The tensions between Chanu and Nazneen had been (up to that point) the main driving force in the narrative. Karim's arrival did not really compensate for that, partly because Karim felt more of a characature than Chanu - a less well-rounded figure. Karim's radical group "The Bengal Tigers" also felt less than convincing, again they felt like a group of stereotypes. Both these factors meant that I felt the novel lost pace and conviction in places. But that's because the rest of it was so good. In summary, a fine first novel, well worth the read. G Rodgers
Rating:
Summary: extremely well written book;great perspective of subculture
Review: The author has a beautiful writing style, and is able to delve into the sensitive issues affecting an Islamic minority subculture during the events of September 11th. She succeeds because it is done through the eyes of Nanzeen, someone who believes in her religion strongly, but not in violence, and silently but diligently observes those within her community.
To me the book is about Nanzeen- and she is engaging.
She is a young village girl propelled into London where she meets her selected husband, does as he says(he is good for he does not beat her-this is her initial diagnosis), speaks only her native tongue, and her husband discourages any outside work or classes to learn the language.
She transforms, through trials of her own, and those of her sister, into a woman with her own income, a lover which plagues her with guilt, two children, and a husband she has come to care for over time.
Some say the book is tedious, or the letters are too long, or boring, but I think it well worth the read. Her writing is really beautiful in itself, and the book gives a really different insight into the events surrounding Sep. 11th, and the repercussions thereafter.
Rating:
Summary: Boring and did not make me care
Review: For someone who never puts a book down once I have started no matter how little it appeals to me, I did the impossible and gave up reading the rest of Brick Lane when I arrived at 200 pages. The reviews on Monica Ali's book promised so much, but gave so little. A long drawn out book with a few redeeming scenes (when Nazneen's first child was ill in hospital and she and Chanu took turns to keep watch), Brick Lane is tough going. Especially annoying was the gibberish from Nazneen's sister which I assumed was meant to be Bengali expressed in direct transliteration. The characters were neither fascinating nor inspirational nor interesting nor deserving of empathy. Of course if I had plodded on I might have changed my mind, but the point being that it was so un-engaging there was no desire on my part to get to the end of it.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing first novel!
Review: The main, only really, lesson Nazneen's mother teaches her is submission to fate. Indeed, Nazneen is "left to her fate" from birth, when she is at first thought to be stillborn. This is a recurrent theme and it's interesting to see how it plays out in her life.
Nazneen's sister Hasina's long letters in broken English -- I suppose it's supposed to be broken Bengali -- at first seem a bit tough to read. But *do* read them as they add a lot to the story.
One reviewer poses the rhetorical question "Who wants to read about some Bangladeshi housewife (or, for that matter, any housewife) holed up in their (sic) boring existence? Well, speaking as on of those boring housewives, I had a hard time believing that we'd read the same book (boring?). I guess fine storytelling, culture clash and psychological insights won't interest everyone.
The one criticism I have is that Monica Ali ties up all the loose ends a bit to neatly for my taste. Brick Lane is so rich and complicated -- until the last few chapters where ALL IS EXPLAINED.
All in all, though, Brick Lane is a definite must-read.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: Just really never got in to the characters and I felt the book jumped all over the place. Also, thought the relationship w/the young man Nazneen meets would be more exciting or refreshing -- a total let down.
I didn't care about the characters at all and felt overwhelmed by all of the "letters" regarding Hasina, Nazneen's sister.
Really didn't enjoy it at all.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing Read
Review: I bought this book months ago during a book-buying frenzy and just got to it this month. The beginning of the book is so much better than the middle and the end. I never really got to know Nazneen well enough to care what happened to her. The book dragged way too much: the prolonged speeches by Chanu were unnecessary. Once we (the readers) figured out that Chanu liked to talk on and on and on rather than take action, all his subsequent speeches are unneccessary (so I skipped them). The long letters from her sister Hasina are also very annoying. The broken English (which I guess is supposed to be broken Bengali) really dragged the story down. When faced with 20 pages or more of italic printing (Hasina's letters) my interest waned. Not a good way of showing the passage of time. To better show the contrast of lives between the sisters, the author should have written chapters alternating between the two sisters' lives. That would have made Hasina seem more real to me, not just another annoyingly long letter I had to skim through. Also, because the description of the book tells the reader that Nazneen gets involved with a young man, I was looking forward to this event and was (again) ultimately disappointed. The love affair doesn't seem very intense and I don't see how it changed Nazneen at all. Although I applaud Nazneen's decision regarding the direction of her life, it seemed to come about it a rather ho-hum type of way. I found the book less than thrilling and am amazed at the 2-4 pages of quotes inside the book from critics (and other authors) deliriously declaring that this book is genuis and beautiful and worthy of tears of joy upon finishing it. I think they are crazy. I have read books worthy of shouting and crying, but not this one. If you want a good read by a new author, read The Time-Traveler's Wife. It is wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: A Woman's Awakening
Review: The Story tells the story of one woman's journey to find her true self-desires, interests, opinions. I had a difficult time putting it down, but there were parts that were somewhat dry.
Rating:
Summary: Just a bit boring
Review: After 160 pages, I finally gave up. I tried and tried and waited for it to turn a corner and turn interesting, but it just never did, so I stopped and moved on to my next book. The writing is pretty good, but the story is very slow moving and a bit dull. Disappointing, considering so many others have said they liked it.
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