Monday, October 16, 2006

Words: The Namesake

I thought I read this book. Maybe I started it but didn't finish. But I began to read it again when Luna said she was and I always like to talk about books and I figured it would be good airplane material.

I was right. Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake follows the life of Gogol, the Massachusetts born son of Bengali immigrants. We see him navigate life trying to balance his duty to his family with the all too familiar trappings of the "American" life.

Lahiri does a great job. I know I am not Indian but Coffee Bean and Lady Godiva are and I've seen how they feel the pressure from two sides to be Indian but a desire to fit in to American lifestyle as well. Furthermore just the coming of age as a young man resonates because it doesn't seem that he always knows what he wants. It's like he's following a script that someone gave to everyone. It's only when the script goes seriously awry that he slows down and figures things out.

It's a great read. Very insightful into the human condition. Stars abound

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