The Namesake
Author Name : Jhumpa Lahiri
Number Of Pages : 291
Genre : Fictional Literature
Target Audience: Indian Americans
Age Rating: All Ages
Approximate Reading Time : 6-7 Hours
Publisher : Harper Collins India
“My grandfather always says that’s what books are for. To travel without moving an inch.”
― Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake
I recently finished reading this book. To begin, I do want you to know that this review contains mild spoilers but they are important to know.
This book has already received a lot of critical acclaim from a variety of authors and esteemed newspapers. So I’d rather not say if it is ‘good’ or ‘bad’. I will brief you up with what’s in there so y’all can decide for yourselves.
The story is about a boy named Gogol who is a Bengali but lives in suburban America in the time setting of the 1970’s. He has an unusual name and the author shows his walk through different parts of life, all having their own ups and downs. Later he discovers that his identity is not just his name but a lot more than that.
The authors writing style is highly descriptive and in third person perspective. This book is not a page-turner but will keep you hooked a t a medium pace. No particular part of this book is boring and can be skipped. It is a long read and I would not recommend this for a single-sitting read neither for beginners. Gogol has a family which basically forms the side characters, which are equally interesting and worth knowing about.
This book delves deep into the Bengali culture of India and provides the rich inside of the same. It includes various emotions of love, hate confusion and betrayal.
I would recommend this book to an avid reader or anyone who wants to dig deeper into the pool of self-introspection, as this book will make you rethink about your existence.
Rating 4.5/5