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Search - The Namesake
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Book Description:
Jhumpa Lahiri's debut story collection, Interpreter of Maladies, took the literary world by storm when it won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000. Fans who flocked to her stories will be captivated by her best-selling first novel, now in paperback for the first time. The Namesake is a finely wrought, deeply moving family drama that illuminates this acclaimed author's signature themes: the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, the tangled ties between generations.Members who requested this book also requested:
The Namesake takes the Ganguli family from their tradition-bound life in Calcutta through their fraught transformation into Americans. On the heels of an arranged wedding, Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli settle in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Ashoke does his best to adapt while his wife pines for home. When their son, Gogol, is born, the task of naming him betrays their hope of respecting old ways in a new world. And we watch as Gogol stumbles along the first-generation path, strewn with conflicting loyalties, comic detours, and wrenching love affairs.
With empathy and penetrating insight, Lahiri explores the expectations bestowed on us by our parents and the means by which we come to define who we are.
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Top Member Reviews
Rachel W. (
7 member(s) found this review helpful.
I just read this book in 6 hours, the day after I received it in the mail. Very well written, excellent description but not drawn out. Not predictable. Definitely worth reading.
6 member(s) found this review helpful.
About the experience of an immigrant family to the USA. A very good read. I read it straight through and got very little sleep. Have not seen the movie, yet!
6 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of the most moving books I have ever read. It is one of the best depictions ever of the longing for a former homeland and the sense of not yet belonging to the new one that exists. Any immigrant or descendant of one will find an echo of his/her own life in this book. A lovely story of family, tradition and pride...it makes you laugh and cry at the same time!
Christy C. (
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
very touching. read it in two days. extremely atmospheric. made me want to put on some ravi shankar, drink indian tea, and eat chicken masala all day long. :)
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
I was unsure whether I would enjoy the book, but I found it hard to put down. The prose is effortless, wrought with detail but taut and fast paced. Not many surprises in the book - I felt I knew how it would end, but this was not disappointing. Overall, a great read, one I will remember.
Kristy M. from HAMMONTON, NJ wrote on 5/31/2007...
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Well-written and rich with detail. Great book!
Dee P. from PORTLAND, OR wrote on 4/28/2007...
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wonderful, insightful story! I wanted to read the book after seeing the movie (which I also loved!) - the book gave more depth to the story...
Joan L. (
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a lovely book...beautiful prose, very well written and an interesting tale of an Indian family.
Elaine P. from GREEN BROOK, NJ wrote on 4/18/2007...
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Written by Pulitzer Prize winner, jhumpa lahiri - straightforward telling of a story that pulls you through the book - clashing of cultures - poignant and believable. I couldn't put it down.
Rate These Member Reviews
I love how richly the charcters are developed. You really get a sense for who they are and its a beautiful glimpse into the lives of this immigrant family. A wonderful read, I really enjoyed it!
I loved this book. It was interesting to see the main character grow from an immature boy who pretty much turned his back on his heritage to a man who embraced it.
Jeanne S. from GREENSBORO, NC wrote on 6/16/2008...Excellent book! I highly recommend this one for anyone looking for something different.
Cristy L. (I found the first 100 pages of this book to be a little slow and while it did a good job of setting up the story, there were times that I felt like the story had no direction. The middle and up until the last three pages, I became extremely engaged in the book - not wanting to put it down. The end was satisfying but not exciting. Overall, it's worth the read but not one that will find a permanent space in my bookcase.
Melva S. (Lahiri describes very vividly the experiences of growing up American with immigrant parents. Gogol's stuggle to come to terms with his heritage and discover his identity are realistically poignant. Lahiri's writing is descriptive but easy to read - each sentence just flows into the next. As someone considering an intercultural marriage, it brought to light a lot of issues I hadn't considered before.
This book is a keeper for me!
What a surprise this book was. I was not expecting to like this book at all, it took me a couple of years to actually sit down and read it. I LOVED it! This has to be one of the best books I've read in a long time. I enjoyed every page from cover to cover. I would recommend everyone to read this book. Jhumpa Lahiri does a beautiful job describing a Bengali/American heritage. She is a beautifully talented author.
Linda S. (Gogol Ganguli is The Namesake of the title of this book. A first generation American, born to Bengali parents, Gogol is named after a Russian author is father admires. The name was given to him as a temporary name, while is parents await a letter from home in which a grandmother will send with his true name. The letter never arrives and Gogol becomes a name that never seems to fit, just as Gogol himself never seems completely at home in America or on his frequent trips back to his parent’s home country Bangladesh.
A very good story about the difficulties of assimilation and loss of identity, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Gogol and his family’s trials and tribulations in America.
Elizabeth B. (Despite some of the sad and depressing moments, I enjoyed this book, learning about Indian and Bengali culture, and observing both American and Indian culture through the eyes of natives and non-natives. Being familiar with at least the basic themes from Nikolai Gogol's "The Overcoat" will help with understanding some of the issues at hand. Not always cheerful, but a good view of human nature from several cultural standpoints. Recommended.
Liz N. from NORTHBOROUGH, MA wrote on 8/5/2007...Meet the Ganguli family, new arrivals from Calcutta, trying their best to become Americans even as they pine for home. The name they bestow on their firstborn, Gogol, betrays all the conflicts of honoring tradition in a new world -- conflicts that will haunt Gogon on his own winding path through divided loyalties, comic detours, and wrenching love affairs.
the author brilliantly illuminates the immmigrant experience and tangled ties between generations.
A definite page turner. It made me think of my own immigrant parents and how I dealt with life. A great book for all who had a different culture other than an American life.