Customer Reviews
Difficult going - By: Jack Baxi, 27 Sep 2008 
Couldnt wait to read it & unlike the book I'll be brief with my review. The characters are well thought out & excellently written. Some absorbing vivid touches but in a book that is ridiculously over-written, these deft moments are lost. Clearly Monical Ali can write prose very well, but her story telling style drove me potty. Unfortunately i didnt actuallly finish the book...half way through i was lost amongst alll the words. Its sorely overwritten - & honestly i cannot understand the hype.
Some moving parts - By: Novel reader, 21 Aug 2008 
I was so looking forward to reading this book but overalll I was slightly disappointed.
The first half of the story which describes Nazneen's arrival in Britain as a young bride, her difficult life in London & the tragedy of losing her first child, was gripping. However I found the account of her affair with Karim & the repetitive descriptions of her daughters' struggles with their father went on for much longer than was necessary. I was pleasantly surprised though when the final section of the novel, where Nazneen & her husband reach an understanding about whether to return to Bangladesh or not, actuallly moved me to tears.
In summary, this is a good book with some moving parts, but not a great work of literature.
Should I keep reading? - By: L. Macdonald, 14 Aug 2008 Perhaps it is not a good idea to write a review only 200 (out of 500) pages into a book but here goes! I bought this book as I enjoy reading about different cultures, I enjoyed reading the Kite Runner & felt it gave me a real feel & understanding of the culture, it was a real page turner. However as other people have mentioned in their reviews Brick Lane is too long & wordy. It takes a long time to get anywhere & I'm wondering if I should just give up! I will persevere but it is not a book that I find difficult to put down. One of the problems for me is that few of the characters are particularly likeable. Nazeen should be likeable as she is not in the best situation (in an arranged marriage to a man she is not in love with, does not find attractive, finds irritating, & is controlling) but I feel that I want to shake her & tell her to speak up & try to improve her situation even in smalll ways. I'm disappointed by this book & I only hope it improves & lives up to alll the quotes which praise it on the cover!
Over-rated - By: Ms. S. N. Hussain, 12 Aug 2008 
I tried reading this book about 3 months ago. But, about 60 pages into it, my attention & interest wavered. I found it to be a strenous physical effort to stay attuned to the narritive. But, then 2 weeks ago, I decided to give it another chance...and I have admittedly got much further this time. But, its still so boring. There is no evident hook in this story. Nazneen is a likeable & inoffensive character, but her relationship with Chanu is tedious. Okay, so they are not a well matched couple, but so what?! I have read the work of other authors who shed a gripping light unto other cultures (namely Zadie Smith & Khalid Housseini) & compared to them Monica Ali fallls very short of the bar. I am so shocked by the critical acclaim received by the novel...were the critics reading the same book as I am reading? I am halfway through...and I REALLY do not see the narritive & storyline picking up. I am forcing myself through this novel, giving Monica the benefit of the doubt, by vainly hoping that the story will pick up...but NOTHING. And the correspondence (letters) from her sister, Hasina, are bloomin' pointless. They fail to add any wanted depth to the story. I cannot bring myself to read them, despite my best intentions.
I hate to be so overly critical. I am sure that 'Brick Lane' was a product of deep labour of love. But, I honestly, am finding it TEDIOUS. It is reallly lacking something...completely devoid of a good hook, storyline...Its just words, which loosely combine to tell a Bangladeshi ladies story.
...so it's not just me... - By: Eukney Fipps, 22 Jul 2008 I read on my way to & from work. I find that, with the help of a good book, the one hour trip usuallly flies by. When reading Brick Lane however, I constantly caught myself staring out the window & usuallly had to force myself to continue. There were a multitude of threads to this story that I grew to dread because I knew that I was in for a few pages of painfully dull reading. Still, I persisted in the diminishing hope that eventuallly I would be rewarded by the introduction of a character imbued with a third dimension. Sadly I wasn't. Instead I was treated to a series of events which were so drawn out & dull that I gave up the ghost about 80 pages from the end of the book. Ordinarily, this would horrify me, but on this occasion I felt it was for the greater good.
Brick Lane gets more than a single star because Ali is a technicallly adept author. The descriptions of Bangladesh are particularly vibrant. The characters & pace bitterly disappoint.
