Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri


The Namesake: A Novel


I very much liked the collection of short stories that I just read by Jhumpa Lahiri, so I was eager to get into The Namesake which is supposed to be her best novel.

I'll be short and sweet with this review.  It's about a Bengali man who moves to the US and soon brings a wife over to live with him.  They start a family and the story moves to the point of view of their first son and his life which seems stuck between the two cultures.

Most of the book made me feel sad.  The way he was torn between the life of his family and the life of his 'american' friends put so much stress on him and his relationships.  Toward the end he starts to appreciate his family's culture so he grows as a character which is interesting to see.

The writing was ok... Lahiri style is very simplistic and to the point which makes for quick easy reading, but sometimes felt unfinished or unprofessional.

Overall it was a good book.  I won't put it on my list of favorites, but I did enjoy the story and the characters.

~Kelly

1 comment:

  1. Great review! Very honest. :) I am glad that you enjoyed this book, but it's a shame that the writing wasn't better.

    New to your blog,
    Steph @ Stepping Out of the Page

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