September 2025 - The Last White Man
The novel imagines a world where white-skinned people suddenly begin to wake up with darker skin and how individuals and communities respond when their identities seem to shift overnight. This immediately prompted a lively and thought-provoking conversation. At just over 180 pages, it is a slim novel, but one that generated one of our richest discussions this year.
The group’s overall impression was positive, with most members appreciating Hamid’s writing style where each sentence was a whole paragraph! Two members found the style difficult, even frustrating. Still, even those less taken with the writing agreed the central idea was powerful. For many, the story was not a traditional book with plots and sub plots, but more a provocation, an invitation to look at the world differently especially relevant in today’s world. Most members felt it succeeded in sparking reflection, and several admired the way he used the book and the structure to address themes of race, identity, fear, and belonging.
For the majority, however, the book resonated on a personal level. And everyone had personal experiences to share, stories about cultural misunderstandings, religious differences, and moments when race or identity shaped the way they were seen. Our group being such a diverse one, the discussion opened space for sharing personal experiences around racial, social, and religious differences, whether from encounters with prejudice, cultural crossings, or reflections on privilege. While not universally loved, everyone agreed this was a novel that did what a book club choice should do, it opened space for reflection, disagreement, and meaningful conversation.
In the end, our group felt that The Last White Man is less about plot and more about the questions it raises. It is a short novel, that created a long conersation. One that enourages readers to imagine what it might mean if categories like race and colour, that we take for granted, suddenly shifted.
Our group rated this book 7/10.
Review thanks to Nabila Ahmad