The Namesake: A Novel (Edition 001)

THE NAMESAKE is Jhumpa Lahiri's complex and moving story of love, grief, identity and fate. A chance encounter with a stranger on a train in Bangladesh causes a young Bengali man to change his life and to pass that magic onto his son many years later in America. The son undergoes many changes as he finally comes to understand his name, his family, his life and his destiny. Made into a rich and...more

THE NAMESAKE is Jhumpa Lahiri's complex and moving story of love, grief, identity and fate. A chance encounter with a stranger on a train in Bangladesh causes a young Bengali man to change his life and to pass that magic onto his son many years later in America. The son undergoes many changes as he finally comes to understand his name, his family, his life and his destiny. Made into a rich and complex movie starring Kal Penn ("Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle") and directed by Mira Nair ("Monsoon Wedding," "Mississippi Masala," "Vanity Fair").   hide

The Namesake describes the relationship (and struggle) between first generation Bengali immigrants to the USA and their children - namely their son, Gogol. Moving between Calcutta, Boston, and New York City, the novel examines the nuances of being caught between two conflicting cultures, with their distinct religious, social, and ideological differences. For anyone who grew up in a country...more

The Namesake describes the relationship (and struggle) between first generation Bengali immigrants to the USA and their children - namely their son, Gogol. Moving between Calcutta, Boston, and New York City, the novel examines the nuances of being caught between two conflicting cultures, with their distinct religious, social, and ideological differences. For anyone who grew up in a country foreign to his/her own, this book will ring true on so many levels... that balancing act of trying to fit in while preserving your cultural and social traditions. Overall a good read, although I was expecting a more powerful ending.   hide

Lahiri's words reach out to the reader in all its simplicity. Places and events are described delicately, the motivation and intents of the character are made known while sometimes left for one to interpret. More captivating are the anecdotes of memories that give the reader a greater recognition and empathy for the characters. I relate with Ashoke and Ashima being in a foreign laund and...more

Lahiri's words reach out to the reader in all its simplicity. Places and events are described delicately, the motivation and intents of the character are made known while sometimes left for one to interpret. More captivating are the anecdotes of memories that give the reader a greater recognition and empathy for the characters. I relate with Ashoke and Ashima being in a foreign laund and trying to assimilate, coming from a different background myself, while from an age-perspective understanding the "embarrassments" that the new generation of Gogol and Sonia go through in order to be seen a certain way. The book is about reconnecting with one's identity and heritage, while grasping that the past shapes us but does not, at least should not, hinder us for the future.   hide

Jhumpa Lahiri writes here about cultural differences, relationships, their complications and much more. A son burdened by the weight of an unusual name, A father whose life was gifted by the same name, A mother who was a victim of a cultural and emotional clashes, A daughter who unlike the rest of the family grew up to be an 'American'...this is the Ganguli family!..and this is what the writer...more

Jhumpa Lahiri writes here about cultural differences, relationships, their complications and much more. A son burdened by the weight of an unusual name, A father whose life was gifted by the same name, A mother who was a victim of a cultural and emotional clashes, A daughter who unlike the rest of the family grew up to be an 'American'...this is the Ganguli family!..and this is what the writer talks about throughout the novel. I could feel connected to the story at many places. The protagonist throughout his life hates his name Gogol, which excludes him from the rest of the 'American names' crowd. Towards the end of the story however, we find a different Gogol who is struck by the revelation that after his mother's dead, probably no one's gonna call him Gogol- the name he was 'born' with, they'll know him as Nikhil for years to follow! The name mocks him, consoles him, and in the last few pages we find him finally reading the Short stories of writer Gogol after whom he was named   hide

I picked this up with hesitancy. I've read a lot of books about immigrints and how alienated they feel in the United States, how their culture conflicts, blah blah blah. It's really interesting during the first, second, third books, but slowly, you begin to realize-- they're all the same. The characters have nothing else on their minds but their old life compared the new. And it gets...more

I picked this up with hesitancy. I've read a lot of books about immigrints and how alienated they feel in the United States, how their culture conflicts, blah blah blah. It's really interesting during the first, second, third books, but slowly, you begin to realize-- they're all the same. The characters have nothing else on their minds but their old life compared the new. And it gets really annoying. Get the times! I want to shout. You're in America! Adapt! Just quit moping and brooding all the time! Whether they're from Russia or Iran or China or Vietnam, the characters have no other personalities than "Gosh, I feel so left out of American life!" So yes, this book didn't look too appealing. But I started reading. And guess what? It was great. The story of Ashima, Ashoke and Gogol are compelling, beautiful and just so achingly real. Lahiri's prose is simple, yet describes gorgeously. The smallest moments are characterized to perfection, such as Ashima's slipping into Ashoke's shoes, or Gogol's observations of Ruth. Simplicity gives this story a wholesome, very emotional feel. I began to tear up at a couple of parts, namely Ashoke's rescue at the train station, and the image of the paper fluttering out of his hand, as well as his "You remind me of everything that followed" to Gogol. Powerful lines and images are conjured during this novel. A lot of other books about immigrints, I feel, are written because the characters are immigrints. The Namesake is different. The story doesn't revolve around the fact they're foreigners, doesn't exist because they're foreigners, but it is simply a gorgeous story with foreigners as the main characters. They are people, not mindless slabs of "Aww, I feel left out." Each sentence provokes thought and imagery that fills you completely. It's a great, fantastic read that's thoughtful as well as beautiful.   hide

Distant and informative - those are the two words that come to mind. A little underwhelming for me. I could certainly relate to Gogol - my (full) first name is a little different and my parents are immigrants - but I would have really liked to have read a little more dialogue. Did he share nothing with his sister? They seemed to be going through the same thing but I can only assume...I didn't...more

Distant and informative - those are the two words that come to mind. A little underwhelming for me. I could certainly relate to Gogol - my (full) first name is a little different and my parents are immigrants - but I would have really liked to have read a little more dialogue. Did he share nothing with his sister? They seemed to be going through the same thing but I can only assume...I didn't know what he wanted and at times I didn't care. The ending felt rushed and so overly cinematic the author should have just dedicated the book to Gary Marshall. I must say that I appreciated the insight into a culture I know next to nothng about, and was pleasantly surprised to find similarities between the Bengali culture and my own...a little slow but I didn't dislike it either. Meh.   hide

Jhumpa Lahiri seems to represent a niché society, even amongst 2nd generation Indian descendants outside India. I have several relatives scattered across the globe, including some in USA, who were born & brought up overseas. But none of them are a morose, negative minded & ultimately psychological failures like her characters of Indian descent

Gogol Ganguli, the child of immigrant parents from India, struggles with feelings of alienation. He is not really Indian, nor is he completely American. The plot kind of meanders, and the novel reads more like a collection of short stories than a cohesive novel. However, the characters are compelling and the language is absolutely perfect. If you enjoy a book that lets you revel in beautiful,...more

Gogol Ganguli, the child of immigrant parents from India, struggles with feelings of alienation. He is not really Indian, nor is he completely American. The plot kind of meanders, and the novel reads more like a collection of short stories than a cohesive novel. However, the characters are compelling and the language is absolutely perfect. If you enjoy a book that lets you revel in beautiful, expressive writing, The Namesake is sure to please.   hide

Being the first born of immigrant parents, I identified tremendously with the lead character. I also had two names, one for family (Yiddish) and one for public. Like the character, many of my weekends were spent with relatives and friends of relatives. Beyond my sympathy to character's predicament, I thought it was a great view into a different immigrant community. I was enthralled from the...more

Being the first born of immigrant parents, I identified tremendously with the lead character. I also had two names, one for family (Yiddish) and one for public. Like the character, many of my weekends were spent with relatives and friends of relatives. Beyond my sympathy to character's predicament, I thought it was a great view into a different immigrant community. I was enthralled from the first page and ended up reading all 280 pages in one day.   hide