Book Review: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Fiction.  This was the book I had intended to read by Lahiri, but I checked it out twice from my library's digital consortium and never managed to read it during the busy semester.  So, at the end of the semester here, I was able to check out the short stories first, and then this novel.  I am glad I read them in that order though, because I was set up for her style and insights before reading the novel.  

This one focuses on a Bengali boy who ends up going by his family name, Gogol, instead of his good name for most of his life.  It is explained in the work, that Bengalis give their children two names: one to be used amongst family and at home, another to be used in public, for things like school, jobs and so forth.  However, the tradition was also to have an older woman in the family give him his name, but the Gangulis never received the letter.  When time ran out and they had to put something on a certificate, figuring they could change it later when the letter finally arrived, they put down his nickname, Gogol, after a Russian writer that was important to his father.

Gogol is vexed throughout the work by his name and what it represents to him, not knowing where his father actually obtained it until much into Gogol's adulthood.  He is constantly walking the line between wanting to honor his parents and his heritage while simultaneously growing up as an American and wanting to be like other boys/men in the U.S.

It is an excellent work, and I would recommend it to all readers, but especially those interested in learning something about one of India's many cultural groups, the issues faced by immigrants and their families, and how we form our identities as we grow up.

And so it goes...

Book Review: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Fiction - Short Stories.  I am not usually a big fan of the short story genre, but this is an excellent work that I totally recommend.  Lahiri has included a number of short stories related to the different ways contemporary Indians are living today, both in India and the U.S., with different perspectives and voices in each.  The one that stuck with me the most was the car driver in India who takes tourists to different locations in India, to show them the sacred sites and beautiful views, as one of his jobs.  The family he is driving around is from the U.S. and they have come to India to go sightseeing and learn something about their heritage.  The driver/tour guide observes some details about them, ones that most of us born and raised in the U.S. would not even think about as standing out or as odd.  Lahiri has a marvelous writer's voice and knows her characters well, she includes everything from negotiating marriage and children, how to reconnect with each other when electricity is taken away and we are not distracted by our separate lives, to trying to learn about our past.  I recommend this to those interested in Indian culture, issues that immigrants and their families face, and those looking for good stories that give incite on the human condition.

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Book Review: Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

Read for the library's non-fiction book club (February 2013 - Crystal Lake Public Library).

     I liked it because it read like a novel and not just a list of facts, and also because it helps you see what life is like by those who live it everyday in the slums of India, right next to the burgeoning wealthier class.  I felt it was a truthful account that tried to lay out how things work and why for some of the poorest people in the world.  It makes you appreciate when you have your water shut off or heat shut off because of lack of money.  This happens to those of us who are underpaid in the U.S. at least a few times a year, but it is a normal part of their lives to never even have it to begin with, so despite our struggles in the U.S., we should definitely appreciate what we have no matter what the circumstances.  I definitely would recommend this book to those interested in contemporary life in India and those who want to appreciate what they have and the meaning of working smart in dire situations.

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Book Review: One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Read for book club (9/2011). This book is a twist on "The Canterbury Tales" by Chaucer, the connection is made obvious because the character Uma (a college student) has brought a copy along with her to the Indian consulate. While bored in the waiting room there is an earthquake, and Uma suggests as a way to pass the time while waiting for rescue or death, they each share a story about their lives. For me, most of the stories were not terribly flushed out and seemed unfinished. The author apparently left them intentionally unfinished but, it did not feel like this was cleverly thought of; rather, it felt as if she ran out of ideas most of the time. It seemed as though she thought of each story individually as short stories but couldn't be bothered to fully develop them and so she placed people into neat little stereotypes (especially the young Muslim man Tariq) and just didn't finish their tales because she ran out of ideas, not because she was clever. It was an O.K. read but it did not change the way I feel about anything nor do I think it will be remembered for generations to come. The novel is a nice quick read though so if you need something for a short train/bus/airplane trip it could fill the time pleasantly enough.

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