Play Book Tag discussion

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri - 4 stars - My Review

PBT Comments: This book could probably be considered international, but I am posting it under "other" since the majority of the book is set in the US. The family makes annual trips to India.

Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli have moved from Calcutta, India, to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their son, Gogol, is born in the US in 1968. He is named after Nikolai Gogol, whose short story The Overcoat has played an important role in his father’s life. The storyline follows Ashima as she adjusts to life in the US and how she dearly misses her extended Bengali family environment. The narrative gradually shifts to Gogol as he grows up, changes his name, forms relationships, and eventually learns to appreciate his parents’ aspirations and struggles.

The author portrays how Gogol and his sister are at ease in American culture. They deal with family pressures and resist the cultural traditions of their parents. It is a low-key story about acculturalization and the ups and downs of life. This novel is well-crafted and flows beautifully. I particularly enjoyed Lahiri’s elegant writing.

“He wonders how his parents had done it, leaving their respective families behind, seeing them so seldom, dwelling unconnected, in a perpetual state of expectation, of longing. All those trips to Calcutta he’d once resented – how could they have been enough. They were not enough. Gogol knows now that his parents had lived their lives in American in spite of what was missing, with a stamina he fears he does not possess himself.”

I like this author and enjoyed the book too. Thanks for a nice review.

Susan wrote: "I like this author and enjoyed the book too. Thanks for a nice review."

Glad you enjoyed it too, Susan!

Good review. I also love Lahiri's lyrical writing.

Thanks, BC! This was my first book by Lahiri and I am looking forward to reading more of her work. I have a copy of The Lowland sitting on my bookshelf, so I hope to get to it in 2021.

Great review. I had forgotten much of this book, and your key points really helped. I read her short story book more recently and I loved it. Many of the stories are balanced by another one, so that she doesn't create unfair cultural stereotypes in the minds of the readers. I think I might have Lowlands too.

NancyJ wrote: "Great review. I had forgotten much of this book, and your key points really helped. I read her short story book more recently and I loved it. Many of the stories are balanced by another one, so tha..."
I have a copy of Lowlands, so I will be reading it at some point.