Monica Ali, Brick Lane Review

Overall Rating

I am a translator and I have translated Monica Ali's Brick Lane into Turkish. It will be published two or three months later. I am happy to finish translating, because I did not really enjoy it. In my opinion, the characters lack any depth. They did not move me. Also the letters from Hasina are annoying. On the other hand translating the letters were difficult sometimes, as I do not completely understand them. But I like the ending. I can not consider it either tragedy or comedy. I find Chanu a bit disgusting (when making Nazneen cut his corns and forcing his daughters turn the pages of his book), also he has a pompous character. I like the parts when Nazneen's mother comes and comments on her daughter's attitudes. But Monica Ali, as I think, gave so many details about cooking. Also I do not think Muslim's can have such organisations.
When we look at the whole, we find that it is not so bad. It's worth reading. We find a group of sub-cultured, uneducated people. Each person can find this fiction different.