The Namesake

May 30, 2012 Nataliya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads

Jhumpa Lahiri's excellent mastery and command of language are amazing. She writes so effortlessly and enchantingly, in such a captivating manner and yet so matter-of-factly that her writing completely enthralls me. Just look at one of my favorite passages - so simple and beautiful:

"Try to remember it always," he said once Gogol had reached him, leading him slowly back across the breakwater, to where his mother and Sonia stood waiting. "Remember that you and I made this journey together to a pl

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Feb 27, 2012 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: indian-lit

After finishing the Namesake, my thoughts were drawn to my last roommate in college, an Indian woman studying for her PHD in Psychology. When I first moved in, she had just broken up with her white boyfriend. “It never would have worked out anyway…” she had cried. By the end of that same year she was flying of to Houston to be wed to a man she had only seen once, a marriage arranged by their parents. Many nights my other roommate (an exchange student from Berlin) and I would sit out on the balco...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: immigration

It was so good to immerse myself in another of Jhumpa Lahiri's books. As with her other novels, I felt totally enrapt with the ebb and flow of her narrative. Her writing is lyrical and elegant, yet simple and warmly descriptive.

The focus of the immigration experience is clearly defined. One can easily sense the feelings of alienation of Lahiri's characters. Despite the attempts to become a part of American society, the older generation clings to their ethnic and national practises and shuns newe...more

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Aug 20, 2007 Sandhya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It would only be fair to mention here that I saw Mira Nair's adaptation of the book before I actually got down to reading this novel recently. Having loved the film, I was keen to see how Lahiri had approached her characters and where its cinematic version stood in comparison.

I'll say two things. First, I feel this is one of the few times when the film more than does justice to the book and second, that the book itself is a deeply involving and affecting experience. In fact, so compassionate and...more
It would only be fair to mention here that I saw Mira Nair's adaptation of the book before I actually got down to reading this novel recently. Having loved the film, I was keen to see how Lahiri had approached her characters and where its cinematic version stood in comparison.

I'll say two things. First, I feel this is one of the few times when the film more than does justice to the book and second, that the book itself is a deeply involving and affecting experience. In fact, so compassionate and compelling is the writer's understanding of her characters and their complexes, that the novel stays uniformly engaging till the very last page. Also, it helps that this is an extremely easy read and I for one, found myself going through it at a ravenous pace.

As a reader, one gets instantly drawn into the lives of young Ashima and Ashoke, who are a bundle of nerves in an alien country, far from adoring relatives and friends in Calcutta. The writer's description of how the couple grapples with the ways of a new world yet tightly holding on to their roots is deeply moving and rings true at every point.

When a letter from their grandmother in India, enclosing the name for their first born doesn't arrive in time, Ashoke instinctively and naively (as their son says later in life) names him Gogol- a name, derived from the Russian author, Nikolai Gogol, with whom the latter feels a deep connection. The name comes to embarrass their son as he grows older and is a reminder of his confused being -it's not even a proper Bengali name, he protests!

Gogol's agony is not so much about being born to Indian parents, as much as being saddled with a name that seems to convey nothing, in a way accentuating his feeling of "not really belonging to anything"
After much internal struggle, he changes his name to a more acceptable Indian name, Nikhil and feels it would enable him to face the world more confidently.

But for me personally, the best part of the novel was Gogol's marriage to his childhood family friend Maushami Muzumdar. The latter is far from a conventional Bengali girl and Gogol is attracted to her individualistic streak and high living. In many ways, Maushami bridges a certain important gap in his mind and presents to him the best of both worlds --- she's Bengali like him, so in a strange way that's a comforting feeling. At the same time, she displays the same excessive, broadminded living of the Americans.

However, the fact that this relationship collapses and leaves no mark in their individual lives whatsoever, is also a telling statement about how, ultimately, coming from a similar background provides no guarantee for marital success. On the other hand, his sister Sonia's marriage to an American proves to be quite blissful.

I've presented only an abridged version of my review but those with inclination to read further can see it my blog; www.sandyi.blogspot.com (less)

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Mar 13, 2009 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I liked the first 40 pages or so. I was very interested in the scenes in India and the way the characters perceived the U.S. after they moved. But soon I found myself losing interest. There were several problems. One is that Lahiri's novelistic style feels more like summary ("this happened, then this, then this") rather than a story I can experience through scenes. The voice was flat, and this was exacerbated by the fact that it's written in present tense. I never emotionally connected to these...more

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Aug 16, 2007 Waqar rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: culturally confused people, especially those from the subcontinent

This is yet another teary installation in the growing collection of books about and by the Indian diaspora, each of which competes with the others in the portrayal of the romantic nostalgia the main characters (Indians settled in the West) invariably feel towards their forsaken homeland, the clash of cultures they experience as they try to build a life in the West, and the inevitable dreariness of this life spent seemingly by necessity, not choice, in a land and culture that remain permanently...more

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Dec 30, 2007 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You've heard this story before. Junot Diaz, Julia Alvarez, Anzia Yezierska, and Edwidge Danticat are just a few of the authors who have told their own versions. The story they all have in common: The immigrant experience in the United States. Each of the above authors tackles this subject from a different enthnographic perspective, but the pull between the old (native) culture and the new (immigrant) one is always present.

Pulitzer prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri adds to this conversation with...more You've heard this story before. Junot Diaz, Julia Alvarez, Anzia Yezierska, and Edwidge Danticat are just a few of the authors who have told their own versions. The story they all have in common: The immigrant experience in the United States. Each of the above authors tackles this subject from a different enthnographic perspective, but the pull between the old (native) culture and the new (immigrant) one is always present.

Pulitzer prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri adds to this conversation with "The Namesake" (her first novel which was a follow up to her short story collection "Interpreter of Maladies" which won the Pulitzer): the epic story of the Ganguli family's arrival and assimilation into the world of the United States.

The story begins when Ashoke and his wife (of an arranged marriage), Ashima, come to Massachusetts where Ashoke is a graduate student at MIT. The year is 1968. At the beginning of the novel Ashima is pregnant with her first child, a son.

In Bengali culture, it is common for people to have a formal name and a pet name (nickname). Ashoke has no problem coming up with a nickname for their son: Gogol. Unfortunately, due to a variety of mishaps and misunderstandings, the formal name proves harder to settle on and even harder to enforce. So Gogol Ganguli grows up with only a pet name--one that is not American, or Indian, or a first name.

No one really cares that Gogol's name is so unique, except Gogol whose anxiety over his name is bothersome enough that no external taunts are necessary. Gogol eventually resolves to rename himself, but not after learning the life-changing story that inspired his father give Gogol his name in the first place.

Despite the vast period Lahiri writes about, the novel's focus remains narrowly focused on the characters, especially Ashima and her son. Despite the authenticity that Lahiri brings to her main characters, certain scenes remain naggingly artificial--feeling simultaneously improbable and contrived.

Lahiri's writing here (I've yet to read her short stories) is beautiful without being pretentious or overly self-aware. The story feels authentic and compelling despite the fact that so many of the cultural references remain worlds away.

Even more interesting is the fact that I enjoyed almost the entire novel despite having a strong dislike of Gogol and several of the secondary characters. (I'd say more about what this means in terms of the writing style/skill but I still haven't figured out how that happened.) Despite my misgivings throughout the novel, Gogol does work toward redeeming himself by the end of the story.

Regardless of my nitpicks, "The Namesake" remains a must for anyone interested in the immigrant experience in America. Lahiri's narrative hearkens back to Jeffrey Eugenides' "Middlesex" which has a similar scope, tracing three generation's relationship with Detroit.

"The Namesake" deals with common themes but, as any good book should, Lahiri makes these subjects new and original with her unique characters and wonderful writing.
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Oct 24, 2007 Meredith rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2.5/5
This book is a family saga from the initial immigration of a wife and husband from India to The States which goes on to talk about the life of their son. Their son, Gogol, appears to be confused as to what his identity is and is conflicted over honoring tradition and the culture of a new world. This book is somewhat entertaining and interesting, but really did not leave any profound marks. Most of the book is light and almost reads like a soap opera at times (going from one meaningless rela...more

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Dec 13, 2008 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I came into this book figuring that I would like it, and I was not disappointed in the least. I took the book to work this week and spent my entire lunch hour on just one chapter, pouring over the exquisite descriptions of each scene exposited upon and the flow of the narration. I especially admire how Jhumpa, who covered decades in less than 300 pages, knew exactly which scenes to center on, and which to let roll by.

Not that this is overly important, but I found that the movie was more or less...more

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Jan 20, 2008 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone looking for a fabulous, new author to follow

Recommended to Rachel by: Author Loyalty

Shelves: 2-loved-it

The perfect follow-up to her short story collection, Lahiri's The Namesake follows the story of Gogol and enraptures the reader as they struggle with him to come to terms with his Indian-American identity. As in Interpreter of Maladies, Lahiri's writing is descriptive and poetic, and her story is layered with character and emotion. After reading The Namesake, I became an absolute Lahiri worshiper and am happy to admit that I have been placed under her saffron-scented spell.

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Mar 29, 2012 TD rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, reading-group

*Spoilers*

Lahiri refuses to stop calling Gogol Gogol, despite her having him change his name to Nikhil upon coming of age. In this way she respects Gogol's (and her own) conclusion at the end of the novel that "his family's life feels like a string of accidents, unforeseen, unintended, one incident begetting another", just as his parents naming him "Gogol" had been an unpremeditated contingency when they were forced by American hospital administration to assign a name to their new born son, even...more

*Spoilers*

Lahiri refuses to stop calling Gogol Gogol, despite her having him change his name to Nikhil upon coming of age. In this way she respects Gogol's (and her own) conclusion at the end of the novel that "his family's life feels like a string of accidents, unforeseen, unintended, one incident begetting another", just as his parents naming him "Gogol" had been an unpremeditated contingency when they were forced by American hospital administration to assign a name to their new born son, even though the letter hadn't arrived in which Gogol's grandmother would offer her choice of appellation. Indeed, the letter mysteriously never arrives, and so Gogol is stuck with Gogol, a Bengali pet name never intended to be used publically and elected because of his father's attachment to the Russian novelist. Even the importance of the Russian author to his father is due to his father, Ashoke, reading "The Overcoat" when the Calcutta to Jamshedpur train he was travelling on derailed, an freak accident Ashoke miraculously survived but which will haunt him for the rest of his life.

The important question with "The Namesake" is to what degree Lahiri is successful in evoking this feeling of a "string of accidents" in her novel, and how happenstance shapes her characters. Gogol and Moushumi will be married briefly. Both are Bengali and knew each other as children because of the friendship of their respective parents. Both Gogol and Moushumi have, in their distinctive ways, attempted to distance themselves from their families' Indian heritage, so both are surprised they should actually fall for each other after being set up by their parents. Nevertheless, they do, and lust can't wait for dinner to cook: "But the smell of something burning causes them to bolt naked from the bed, rushing comically to the kitchen, laughing." Perhaps a cruelty to nit-pick possibly the worse sentence from the whole book, but it is symptomatic of Lahiri's tendency to second guess her readers' reactions, the risk apparently not worth running that we may find the scene un-comical, which would be a not unjustifiable reaction given the novel's general sense of gravitas. But Lahiri's proclivity to exposition provides the novel its shape; her present tense, third person narration allows her to inhabit her characters, who in the case of Ashima (Gogol's mother) and Ashoke, are adrift in the otherness of their never to be entirely assimilated, adopted American home; or Gogol and Moushumi - second generation immigrants - who feel detached from their Indian heritage but are archly conscious of their being different to the people around them.

Lahiri is most successful when evoking the inner lives of her two female leads (let's call them that - the book was written with a cinema release in mind). The shallow and beautiful - but still sympathetic for that - Moushumi is well drawn, but better still is Ashima, for whom the transition from sweltering Calcutta to iced-over Massachusetts is over-whelming and something she never fully recovers from. And it is in her portrayal of Ashima's experience that Lahiri's narrative details are most convincing; she has a photographic imagination which homes in on the minute, and this is perfectly suited to developing the liminal space and tensions of cultural intersection. Thus at Ashima's and Ashoke's parties;

"They sit in circles on the floor, singing songs by Nazrul and Tagore, passing a thick yellow clothbound book of lyrics among them as Dilip Nandi plays the harmonium. They argue riotously over the films of Ritwik Ghatak versus those of Satyajit Ray. The CPIM versus the Congress party. North Calcutta versus South. For hours they argue about the politics of America, a country in which none of them is eligible to vote."

However, by the time we've reached the story of Gogol and Moushumi's sort-lived marriage, Lahiri's details are becoming more problematic, pedantic even. The minute naming and describing of bourgeois nibblies and the citing of period-defining logos and products begins to grate. When the final chapter opens with an entire paragraph devoted to Ashima's croquette recipe, the novel - in one of its ambits at least - has come to feel like a lifestyle catalogue.

For the most part, however, this is Gogol's story, and while not an entirely unsympathetic character, he is nevertheless a passive one, resigned to surviving the slings and arrows of a rash of failed affairs - the first two with socio-demographically prototypical women, and the third with Moushumi - and the vicissitudes of a Bengali family life abroad. His one grand act of volition is to change his name, an effort insufficient to forge an identity independent of the changeable world at large to which he is, like all of us, vulnerable. My problem here is that Lahiri's exposition turns the vulnerability she wishes to represent into a narrative security blanket; put differently, the subject matter here feels safe and too secure in its delivery, and therefore emasculated. There is very little mystery in this book, very little unaccounted for, scant penumbra, and I found myself wishing that Gogol had something more of his mother in him, that his submission to circumstance was counterbalanced by some aspect which, no matter if involuntary or unconscious, couldn't be kept stilled. Perhaps I'm guilty of wanting Lahiri's novel to be something it isn't, but it was difficult to raise gusto for Gogol, her everyman. At least Akaky Akakievich's ghost showed a bit of pluck!

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Jun 06, 2008 Aleetha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Namesake
Judul Indonesia: Makna Sebuah Nama
Penulis: Jhumpa Lahiri
Alih Bahasa: Gita Yuliani K.
Penerbit: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Cetakan: I, Agustus 2006
Tebal: 336 hlm

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
Kutipan terkenal dari karya Shakespeare inilah yang pertama terlintas ketika membaca judul buku. Saya tidak pernah setuju dengan semua kata-kata itu. Karena saya yakin didalam setiap nama terdapat harapan bahkan doa ataukah goresan sejarah dari mas...more

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Feb 15, 2008 Yumi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

a disclaimer: i didnt like the movie.

lahiris brilliant ability to keep all of the various narratives flowing smoothly, to capture the nuances of immigrant life, to portray the absolute difficulty of living one life in front of friends, and one of life in front of parents, shielded a very matter-of-fact part of this book that i missed until i saw the film.

dude, gogol is an asshole.

and i dont mean in that, im trying to find my way kind of naivete; i mean he genuinely is a jerk, and treats the p...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Kristen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

This is easily the worst novel I've read in years. Here's my original review, off my now-defunct blog:
---
Do not read The Namesake.

I was going to skewer this, but for some reason I feel guilty. Probably because it's a book by a woman, and she seems perfectly nice. But. My main beefs with the book:

1. Nothing happens.

2. The main character is mind-numbingly dull.

3. The woman the main character marries, then divorces, in the final few chapters should have been the main character, because at least sh...more This is easily the worst novel I've read in years. Here's my original review, off my now-defunct blog:
---
Do not read The Namesake.

I was going to skewer this, but for some reason I feel guilty. Probably because it's a book by a woman, and she seems perfectly nice. But. My main beefs with the book:

1. Nothing happens.

2. The main character is mind-numbingly dull.

3. The woman the main character marries, then divorces, in the final few chapters should have been the main character, because at least she does something (cheats on him). Nobody else in the book does anything.

4. The novelist exoticizes her own cultural background for no apparent end.

5. The book is written in that summary style some writers have, where this happens, then that happens, the she tells him this and he says that (the 3rd person omniscient narrator tells us), and they go to a restaurant, and nine months pass while they travel to Calcutta (spanning all of four pages), and then they graduate college, and then they have Christmas dinner, and a party, and then they sleep with someone for the first time, and then they think about it for five minutes and return to Yale for final exams, and then they sleep with someone else, and then they think about their father, and so on. As you can tell, I'm not a fan of this writing style. Studying screenwriting for 10 years has made me realize the enormous value of scenes and dialogue. Oh yeah, and plot.

5. If I were to write a parody of this book drawing upon my own ethnic background, it would read something like this: "They broke open the warm rolls, uncorked the Asti Spumanti. Ate the linguini with clam sauce and pasta fagiole and antipasto with prosciutto and green pepper. Later, had cold salami sandwiches and the remnants of a pepper and egg grinder with oil and vinegar. After they made love, they smoked a couple of Marlborough Lights and ordered a Hawaiian pizza and two plastic-wrapped cups of tiramisu." The entire book reads like this. It's little more than a grocery list.

STAY AWAY.

Okay, I guess I skewered it after all. (less)

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May 31, 2008 Jeff rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd read a few of Lahiri's short stories, and had seen the movie of The Namesake, but I put off reading it for a while.
It's definitely a worthwhile read. I gave it five stars, not because it's the greatest book I've ever read, but because it was the right book for me to read right now--there's something about where I am in my life that makes Gogol Ganguli's story resonate with me in a way that it probably wouldn't have when the book was first published.
Lahiri has a gift for capturing the emotio...more

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Jan 27, 2009 Roossy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Namesake was the story of Bengali’s family who had to face cultural differences in their life. Gogol, the main character of the story, was born in Boston. He was named after the Russian author, Nikolai Gogol. Gogol’s father was a big fan of Russian’s literatures and survived because of Nikolai’s book from a train accident in India. When Gogol was born, his parents wanted to wait to name him as the naming letter from Gogol’s great grandmother was delayed. However, the letter was lost and he was s...more Namesake was the story of Bengali’s family who had to face cultural differences in their life. Gogol, the main character of the story, was born in Boston. He was named after the Russian author, Nikolai Gogol. Gogol’s father was a big fan of Russian’s literatures and survived because of Nikolai’s book from a train accident in India. When Gogol was born, his parents wanted to wait to name him as the naming letter from Gogol’s great grandmother was delayed. However, the letter was lost and he was stuck with Gogol. Eventually his parents gave him a good name, Nikhil. He was comfortable being a Gogol until he went to college and changed it legally to Nikhil.
The story continued to tell us about his life in the college, girls he met and broke his heart, his defiance against his parents to always go home for Christmas and Thanksgiving. The last part of the book was about his sadness from losing his father from heart attack and his happiness from his marriage life to a Bengali’s that became a failure after he found out that his wife was cheating on him.
I finished Namesake within 2 days, which was a record as I only read before bedtime.
I felt for these characters, especially the mother who was come to Boston without knowing anyone except the husband. How she had to adjust to American life for the sake of her children and eventually had to survive alone when her husband passed. As I doze off to sleep I kept thinking about the Namesake. The questions started to fill up my mind; Will Amanda feel foreign in our homeland the next time we go home? Will Amanda rejected to be with us for Thanksgiving and Christmas when she is in college?
Bringing up children in a foreign country will always be a challenge to all parents. Even though we, as parents can pass our cultures, eventually the local culture and moral will take over it.
My only hope for this moment is that Amanda will always looking forward to go home to Indonesia and Singapore and feel at home there.

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Jun 21, 2011 DubaiReader rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, ew-pm-bk-grp

Brilliant book discussion!

Well, in spite of the fact that I found this novel a bit slow, a bit uninspiring, it certainly produced a fascinating discussion from our book group. We are a group of very varied backgrounds and cultures and everyone seemed to get something different from the book. There we several 'Oh yes!' moments for me, where I realised that I had missed the implications of something and then the penny dropped.

The central character is Gogol, a child of Bengali parents, born and bro...more Brilliant book discussion!

Well, in spite of the fact that I found this novel a bit slow, a bit uninspiring, it certainly produced a fascinating discussion from our book group. We are a group of very varied backgrounds and cultures and everyone seemed to get something different from the book. There we several 'Oh yes!' moments for me, where I realised that I had missed the implications of something and then the penny dropped.

The central character is Gogol, a child of Bengali parents, born and brought up in America, but always torn between the two cultures.
We meet his parents, Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli as they are joined in an arranged marriage and travel to America where Ashoke is studying. Ashoke has his studies but Ashima is lost in a strange city until she bears a son, Gogal, and her life changes completely. As the family begins to put down roots in their new country, they also start to meet other Bengali families and their whole existence revolves around these friends from home - a substitute family. No wonder then, that as Gogol grows, his immersion in American life produces a conflict with his life with his parents.
When he leaves home to study he still returns regularly, but as he begins to date American women, the culture gap widens and he seems to fall onto the American side. Unfortunately he's not a very strong character and he allows himself to be blown about by the people he meets, rather than asserting his own identity.
The book covers his first thirty years and leaves itself open to a possible sequel??

From what I've read about the author, the experiences of Gogol very much mirror her own - the child of immigrant parents, born in London but brought up in US. She understands the struggle that children of immigrant families have in establishing their identity. The themes were very similar to her book of short stories, Unaccustomed Earth, but The Namesake had the additional element of the issue of the name Gogol, which should have been just a family, or nick-name, but became an embarassment to Gogol as he grew. The change of his name by deed-pole to Nikhil, just as he leaves home to join university and assume a new identity was very poinant - and representative of the change many youngsters undergo at this age, irrespective of their origins.

I am so glad that I was able to discuss this book, it brought out so much more from the novel.
Highly recommended as a book group read, less enthusiastically for personal consumption.
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May 11, 2009 Annalisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, movies, literary

The prose in this book is beautiful. What also added to the novel was listening to the Indian-accented dialogue on the audio form. Normally I don't like female readers and where the main character is male it seems a train wreck waiting to happen. But where Gogle is so introspective, her quiet take on a quiet read was the perfect match.

For me, this book was more than anything about finding out who we are and where we belong in life. When you throw culture displacement into the mix, you find that...more The prose in this book is beautiful. What also added to the novel was listening to the Indian-accented dialogue on the audio form. Normally I don't like female readers and where the main character is male it seems a train wreck waiting to happen. But where Gogle is so introspective, her quiet take on a quiet read was the perfect match.

For me, this book was more than anything about finding out who we are and where we belong in life. When you throw culture displacement into the mix, you find that you don't really belong anywhere. Ashima and Ashoke are Indian-born living in New England and trying to hold onto the culture and language that defines them and ties them back to the families they so rarely see. But for as complex as their inability to find roots is, the problem is compounded in the next generation. Gogle looks Indian and can speak (but not write) his native tongue, but his culture is true-blood American. When he visits his relatives in Calcutta, he feels out of place, but when he dates Maxine whose roots go back to deep New York money, he doesn't fit there either and wants to keep his relationship with her separate from his Indian culture and relatives, something that just can't work. Gogle is constantly keeping his parents and culture at bay because he is not yet ready to embrace their world when he does not feel inundated in American culture enough. Even his marriage with another American-born Indian feels out of place when their bond is centered on this mutual out-of-place feeling; what they both are looking for is somewhere they belong.

This double nature is beautifully analogized with the tradition of a pet name and good name in India. Babies are given nicknames at birth and sometimes not even given an official name until documents are required for school. Lost in this new country they do not quite comprehend Ashoke and Ashima put their son's pet name on his birth certificate and without quite explaining the tradition to him, try to enroll him in school wtih his good name Nikhil. In the confusion the poor boy grows up with a goofy name until he is old enough to officially change his name. But just like he can't shed his Indian background, he can never quite become Nikhil, abolishing Gogle to his past. Instead he must come to appreciate both names (and cultures) without ever fully becoming one.

There were times I wish Lahiri had delved further into the relationships, but overall the emptiness of the interactions is in someways the appeal of the book.(less)

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Jun 07, 2010 Sandy Tjan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: ABCDs (American Born Confused Desis) and others who are similarly confused about their identity

Shelves: 2010, contemporary-fiction, the-empire-writes-back, india

Reading this book, I can’t help to be reminded of an Asian-American friend that I knew when I was a graduate student in an upstate New York university. I lived with several other foreign students from Asia in an off campus apartment, and by the end of my first semester, we found ourselves a nucleus for a small circle of variously hyphenated Asian Americans. Perhaps some of them were simply drawn to people who look like them, regardless of the differences in our backgrounds --- we were Indonesian...more Reading this book, I can’t help to be reminded of an Asian-American friend that I knew when I was a graduate student in an upstate New York university. I lived with several other foreign students from Asia in an off campus apartment, and by the end of my first semester, we found ourselves a nucleus for a small circle of variously hyphenated Asian Americans. Perhaps some of them were simply drawn to people who look like them, regardless of the differences in our backgrounds --- we were Indonesian, Cambodian, South Korean, Vietnamese and Hong Kong Chinese --- people who wouldn't have been drawn to each other had we lived in our native continent. Soon, we began to perceive that each of our new friends had some sort of identity issue going on. I wouldn’t call it a crisis, since some of them seemed to breeze through it with little difficulty. But for others, especially our Cambodian-American friend --- let’s call her Nina --- it was particularly acute. Too little to remember much of her homeland when she left it, Nina felt that she was constantly torn between the culture of her non-English speaking mother and the country that gave her family asylum and a chance at a new life. Her brother was a juvenile delinquent, something that she tellingly attributed to “cultural confusion”. In contrast, she did well for herself, attending an Ivy League college on full scholarship. Her English was flawless, and she dated a white all-American guy --- yet somehow she always felt out of tune. Nina was neither fish nor fowl, and she was painfully aware of it. She confessed that she liked hanging around us because she desperately wanted to understand Asian culture; to hear the language spoken, to eat the food, to feel the humid monsoon --- all without leaving the safety of her adopted American home. We sensed that she was somewhat fragile, and that much of this fragility came from the dual identity that she bore.

Of course, this is the classic immigrant’s theme, one that has been played out over and over again in American fiction, of which The Namesake is a worthy addition. I would not say that there is anything new or profound in the story, which is actually quite predictable, but Lahiri tells it in such a fluid, elegant prose that one can’t help to read well into the wee hours, absorbed in the meticulously observed, if occasionally repetitive, details of the various characters’ lives. She might not have reached the heights attained by the classic Russian novels that are often referred to in the novel, but she wrote with a clear-eyed yet compassionate insight, and the end result is both emotionally resonant and genuinely moving.

One star deducted for the saggy middle when the titular character began to engage in pointless, dead-end romances that seem to revolve around dinner parties in which the entire catalogue of Dean and Deluca gourmet delicacies are conspicuously consumed. Yes, I know that it’s supposed to highlight the contrast between Gogol’s humble immigrant roots and the profligate habits of posh, sophisticated New Yorkers, but even fancy oysters and artisan cheeses get old after a while.
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Mar 01, 2009 Kaitlynn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book for my English class and I really enjoyed it. I was able to see more into the Indian culture, which is very interesting. The thing that i did not like about it was how whenever a new character or surrounding was introduced she went on for a while describing every last detail. I heard her short stories are really good, and in a short story she would not have time to do this, so I may read some of those. The movie that was made after the book is also really good, it leaves a lot o...more

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Jan 14, 2009 Mary Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this book but for some reason it left a weird sensation while I read it, like the main character, Gogol/Nikhil, was just walking around most of his life in a daze and it left me feeling like I was walking with him in that daze. (Maybe that's what the author intended?) His parents were both born in India and move to the US and Gogol was born there. Although he lead mostly a very Americanized life, I felt like he was struggling throughout most of it, mostly because of his name and not beca...more

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Oct 27, 2008 Loren B rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loren Brutsch
Mrs. Ebarvia
World Lit.
10/20/08
The Namesake
Draft
Jhumpa Lahiri’s emotional, compassionate story called The Namesake explains journey through life and the obstacles that thwart it. Lahiri is an excellent author and has also created Interpreter of Madalies and Unaccustomed Earth. The story follows the life of an artistic, passionate, ignorant Indian boy named Gogol, whom is given a Russian author’s name for covert reasons. He spends his life ashamed of his heritage and disgraceful name...more Loren Brutsch
Mrs. Ebarvia
World Lit.
10/20/08
The Namesake
Draft
Jhumpa Lahiri’s emotional, compassionate story called The Namesake explains journey through life and the obstacles that thwart it. Lahiri is an excellent author and has also created Interpreter of Madalies and Unaccustomed Earth. The story follows the life of an artistic, passionate, ignorant Indian boy named Gogol, whom is given a Russian author’s name for covert reasons. He spends his life ashamed of his heritage and disgraceful name and feels as though it is the only thing standing in his way of leading a normal American life. It is not until long after his father’s death and he has developed a family of his own, does he finally accept his name and the passion behind it.
The gentle narrative voice was unique and powerful. Jhumpa Lahiri tells the story in a distinctive way that moves the novel along and keeps you entertained. Also the characters were realistic and made you feel as if you grew up with them. The story’s narrative switches between the Ganguli family and Gogol’s sweethearts throughout the story, giving you all views on the situations at hand. Gogol Ganguli grows up and develops like any other man in the world, giving you the feeling that he is an existing human being and not just a fictional character in a beautifully written novel.
Though the novel was creative and well written, people could form the opinion that it was too realistic. Gogol Ganguli is an average Indian man who grows up in America, and besides his name, leads and ordinary life. Jhumpa Lahiri could have added more dramatic events or characters in Gogol’s life, to make the story more interesting. The story is fictional so anything was possible. Lahiri could have expanded her views and made more perilous consequences or something less practical happen to Gogol or his family to interest the reader.
Although the story had its weaknesses, it was still captivating and extremely well written by Lahiri. Readers with a passion for culture, obstacles, and delicate yet powerful novels will enjoy this story to the fullest. The Namesake was spectacular and will be loved by anyone with the love for heritage and experiences that make us who we are.

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Aug 13, 2008 Kim Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all

Shelves: current-works

This book was an incredible read. From the first word, the exquisite narration draws you into the lives of the characters. It was thought provoking, inviting the reader to examine his/her own sense of identity and how this changes over time often due to circumstances greater than us. The accidents of life are what shape us into who we are.
The Namesake is a tale of conflict between the past and the present, the old world and the new. It gives a clear picture of the concessions that become neces...more This book was an incredible read. From the first word, the exquisite narration draws you into the lives of the characters. It was thought provoking, inviting the reader to examine his/her own sense of identity and how this changes over time often due to circumstances greater than us. The accidents of life are what shape us into who we are.
The Namesake is a tale of conflict between the past and the present, the old world and the new. It gives a clear picture of the concessions that become necessary for immigrants coming to our shores. Many of the old country traditions either do not exist at all or must be modified within a community of others of your particular background. In this particular case, the family is of Indian background, but one can easily see their struggle as one most immigrants would face. There is a desire to preserve as much as can be saved of the traditions and norms with which one has been raised and often a battle to prevent excessive Americanization particularly in the next generation. The story of the Ganguli family illustrates this conflict through the theme of names.
Even at the outset, we learn that names have a special significance in Bengali culture. The wife has not ever spoken her husband's name. It is as a sacred word that is not to be uttered. The name they are to give their son, born in this new country far from the large family that should be present at such a momentous event, is also important. We learn of the existence of two names that are traditionally given; one a pet name, used only by family, and the other a good name for identification in the outside world. Several accidents of fate lead to the naming of their first born son and becomes known by this temporary, pet name. His further assimilation and break from tradition is also illustrated through his name as he decides to legally change it. Even so, the old name is still used at home, tethering him to the old ways. As often happens in reality, it takes a loss or other catastrophic event to make one look back and examine their roots more closely.
I don't wish to give away any more details so I will simply state that this book is at its core about identity. It is always a struggle in life to decide who you are and what you represent. This book gives us an intimate portrait of how that struggle is magnified for immigrants as they try to hold on to the past while living in the present. (less)

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Apr 29, 2008 Holli rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction

I listened to this one on tape and really enjoyed the performance by Sarita Choudhury. I like the way Lahiri shifts tone when she shifts point of view. When we see the story from Ashima's point of view, the tone is restrained, timid, almost veiled. When the point of view shifts to Gogol, the tone becomes more forthright and a little angry. Overall, the book has a refined feeling to it. Even though the characters are trying to make their way in this culture and in this life, they maintain their...more I listened to this one on tape and really enjoyed the performance by Sarita Choudhury. I like the way Lahiri shifts tone when she shifts point of view. When we see the story from Ashima's point of view, the tone is restrained, timid, almost veiled. When the point of view shifts to Gogol, the tone becomes more forthright and a little angry. Overall, the book has a refined feeling to it. Even though the characters are trying to make their way in this culture and in this life, they maintain their dignity and respect for one another.--hr

Amazon.com
Any talk of The Namesake--Jhumpa Lahiri's follow-up to her Pulitzer Prize-winning debut, Interpreter of Maladies--must begin with a name: Gogol Ganguli. Born to an Indian academic and his wife, Gogol is afflicted from birth with a name that is neither Indian nor American nor even really a first name at all. He is given the name by his father who, before he came to America to study at MIT, was almost killed in a train wreck in India. Rescuers caught sight of the volume of Nikolai Gogol's short stories that he held, and hauled him from the train. Ashoke gives his American-born son the name as a kind of placeholder, and the awkward thing sticks.
Awkwardness is Gogol's birthright. He grows up a bright American boy, goes to Yale, has pretty girlfriends, becomes a successful architect, but like many second-generation immigrants, he can never quite find his place in the world. There's a lovely section where he dates a wealthy, cultured young Manhattan woman who lives with her charming parents. They fold Gogol into their easy, elegant life, but even here he can find no peace and he breaks off the relationship. His mother finally sets him up on a blind date with the daughter of a Bengali friend, and Gogol thinks he has found his match. Moushumi, like Gogol, is at odds with the Indian-American world she inhabits. She has found, however, a circuitous escape: "At Brown, her rebellion had been academic ... she'd pursued a double major in French. Immersing herself in a third language, a third culture, had been her refuge--she approached French, unlike things American or Indian, without guilt, or misgiving, or expectation of any kind." Lahiri documents these quiet rebellions and random longings with great sensitivity. There's no cleverness or showing-off in The Namesake, just beautifully confident storytelling. Gogol's story is neither comedy nor tragedy; it's simply that ordinary, hard-to-get-down-on-paper commodity: real life. --Claire Dederer
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Mar 31, 2008 Ercildoun rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Michiko Kakutani begins her review for the New York Times, "Jhumpa Lahiri's quietly dazzling new novel, The Namesake, is that rare thing: an intimate, closely observed family portrait that effortlessly and discreetly unfolds to disclose a capacious social vision."

It's a novel about an immigrant family's imperfect assimilation into America. The story opens in 1968, as Nikhil's pregnant mother is mixing herself a Bengali American concoction of green chili peppers and Planters peanuts. It closes ju...more Michiko Kakutani begins her review for the New York Times, "Jhumpa Lahiri's quietly dazzling new novel, The Namesake, is that rare thing: an intimate, closely observed family portrait that effortlessly and discreetly unfolds to disclose a capacious social vision."

It's a novel about an immigrant family's imperfect assimilation into America. The story opens in 1968, as Nikhil's pregnant mother is mixing herself a Bengali American concoction of green chili peppers and Planters peanuts. It closes just three years ago, with grown Nikhil -- born in the United States, yet in his way as hyphenated an American as his parents -- at last reconciled to reading a book once given to him by his father, who used to embarrass him.

The book in question is a collection of stories by Nikolai Gogol, after whom Nikhil was christened when his dying Indian great-grandmother's name for him got lost in the mail. An artful image, that: Nikhil's true identity, hung up somewhere between India and the United States.

Nikhil becomes doubly a namesake. At first his father named him "Gogol" as a placeholder, in lieu of the name from the old country that never arrived, and only later "Nikhil," when tradition dictated that a more formal handle was required. The young man comes to hate both names: Nikhil because he's grown used to Gogol, and eventually Gogol, too, because it sounds even more foreign and hard to explain than Nikhil did.

In zeroing in on her hero's name to epitomize his identity crisis, Lahiri is, as usual, right on the money. Names have always been contested territory in immigrant families. Any Ntshona who ever became a Washington, any Fernando who ever went by "Freddy," any Lefkowitzes or Shmulovitzes who became Lakes and Smalls, can take a seat at the Ganguli table and feel right at home.

As Nikhil/Gogol grows up, attends Yale, becomes an architect and gets married, he gradually outgrows his family, or at least thinks he does. Only as he ponders starting a family of his own does Nikhil/Gogol discover that birthrights, unlike short pants, can be handed down but never fully outgrown.

A certain sameness begins to creep in midway through the book -- explicable,

if not completely excusable, as its picaresque hero's compulsion to trace the same neurotic patterns over and over. Several times we watch the oddly friendless Nikhil/Gogol meet the perfect woman, then see it all go comically, excruciatingly wrong.

Only near the end do we see that we've been expertly set up, that what passed for deft if slightly repetitive misadventures may really be the painful,

Portnoyish loneliness of the immigrant's son. As at the end of "The Graduate, " Lahiri gives us a romantic resolution and then leaves the camera running, overshooting her fairy-tale happy ending and granting us something wiser, darker, fuller.

Indirectly, Lahiri may be suggesting that assimilation's hyphen is not so easily straddled. Unlike word choices -- oranges or clementines? -- choices between the old country and the new world don't always stay made.

Reviewed by David Kipen, Chronicle Book Critic(less)

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Apr 27, 2008 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the early 1960s, Ashoke Ganguli nearly died in his native India. The only thing that saved him, odd as it may sound, was a collection of short stories by Russian author Nikolai Gogol. Now, several years later and after having moved to the United States with his new wife, Ashima, Ashoke finds himself in a dilemma. In order to leave the hospital with their newborn son, they must provide administrators with a name for the baby. However, in keeping with Indian tradition, Ashoke and Ashima are wai...more In the early 1960s, Ashoke Ganguli nearly died in his native India. The only thing that saved him, odd as it may sound, was a collection of short stories by Russian author Nikolai Gogol. Now, several years later and after having moved to the United States with his new wife, Ashima, Ashoke finds himself in a dilemma. In order to leave the hospital with their newborn son, they must provide administrators with a name for the baby. However, in keeping with Indian tradition, Ashoke and Ashima are waiting for a name to be chosen by her mother who is still back in India. When the name doesn't arrive, the two new parents quickly choose the name Gogol, in tribute to one of Ashoke's favorite authors. However, the story of the accident that nearly killed him is kept as one of his innermost secrets.

The rest of the book follows the family through three decades of life in America. Gogol and his sister, Sonia, try their best to fit in and be all things "American" while their parents attempt to balance aspects of their new life while not forgetting their old ways. From this point on, the focus of the story is Gogol as he struggles with acceptance of what he considers a stupid name and how his self-centered perception of how it affects his life.

I apologize for the horrible description I gave of what is easily one of the most beautifully told stories I have ever read. I actually read this book two months ago and have struggled to find words adequate enough to describe this novel. When they never came to me, I decided I just needed to get word about this book out, regardless of whether or not my review can do it justice.

In the most understandable terms possible, Jhumpa Lahiri has crafted one of the most wonderfully written and layered stories of family life in the United States as possible. From the fear and hope felt by Ashoke and Ashima as they move to a strange land to the cynicism displayed by Gogol as he navigates through life. It's a story full of desire, despair, love, and pain and I highly recommend you come along for the ride.(less)

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Apr 27, 2008 Ellie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I felt so bereft after I finished reading Interpreter of Maladies (by the same author) that I jumped right into this novel. It begins with an arranged marriage in Calcutta, India. The young bride, Ashima, is required to move to Boston with her new husband, who is attending graduate school. It follows the lives of this couple and their children, as they survive American culture while clinging to traditions from their own. Their children are born as Americans and are therefore fully immersed in bo...more

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Jun 19, 2008 Skylar Burris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: general-fiction

Not normally a reader of contemporary literary fiction, I was hesitant to tackle The Namesake. It was, however, recommended by multiple friends. Finding it to be written in present tense, something I normally detest in fiction, I hesitated once again. After a page or two, I ceased to notice and became lost in the story of one Indian family's struggle to assimilate to America, of generational differences, and of a young man's desire to pull away from his heritage and then back again.

I was impres...more

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Nov 26, 2007 Eileen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sometimes, when you read a story, the author will state the the story is true, but the names and details have been changed to protect the identity of the characters. Well, 'The Namesake' was clearly not a story about my life, but the novel was full of details from my life, all the little things that would have been changed if it was actually my story.
Really, the premise of our stories are similar. Asian parents move to the States and their kids grow up somewhere between the two cultures, not rea...more Sometimes, when you read a story, the author will state the the story is true, but the names and details have been changed to protect the identity of the characters. Well, 'The Namesake' was clearly not a story about my life, but the novel was full of details from my life, all the little things that would have been changed if it was actually my story.
Really, the premise of our stories are similar. Asian parents move to the States and their kids grow up somewhere between the two cultures, not really fitting in with either. My family, of course, is not Bengali. My parents did not have an arranged marriage. My older sibling is not a brother named after a Russian author. However, there were some striking similarities that really started to unnerve me.
-Dad came to the States to get a PhD in engineering
-Mom came rather unwillingly to the States with her husband
-The five year difference between sibling one and sibling two
-The setting of the story, a suburb outside of Boston, could very possibly be the suburb where I grew up
-The house in which the children were raised: newly built, 3 bedroom, flagstone pathway
-The parents pretty much only had friends of the same ethnicity
-The parties where all the parents sat around speaking in their native tongue, while first generation children played and watched television in the basement, speaking English
-Being to speak your home language, but not being able to read or write
-The trips to the home country where the entire time is spent visiting relatives and listening to American music on your walkman
-How upset the mom got when main character goes off to college and refers to the dorm as 'home'
-The ABCD identity: in the book the phrase refers to American-born Confused/Conflicted Desi... (not American Born Chinese Dyke, obviously)
-The overabundance of food the mom cooks
-The mom's expectation for the adult kids to call every day and visit every weekend
-Confusion by others over the main character's ethnicity
-The older sibling never lives more than a few hours from the parents' house, while the younger one bounces all over the States
-Going to Paris with your Francophone partner who doesn't really interpret what other people are saying
-The books left in their bedrooms after the adult children have moved out of their parents' house
While reading the book, I got rather enraged at the main characters disregard for his culture and his parents. I think a lot of it was actually feelings of guilt, though, because I have often felt the same way and done the same things (i.e. not telling my mother I am actually going on vacation because I she will be upset I am not coming home to visit her).
All in all, the book was expectedly excellent.(less)

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Dec 29, 2008 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-adult

There are moments of simple beauty and poignancy in this book. There are also passages chronicling some of the more mundane details of domesticity that have a monotonous, obligatory feel to them, as if the author is no more than a jaded reporter covering a familiar beat. The former points will no doubt make up for the latter for many readers. The plot gently spins out the story of a Bengali couple, Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli, and their eldest child Gogol, whose name reflects the contradiction of...more

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Did you find it worth reading or Just NAMESAKE	6	52	May 17, 2013 02:29pm
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If there were an epilogue to the book, or a sequel, what would be the life of Gogol like?	5	58	Aug 26, 2012 09:34pm
supra teneantur (...: The Namesake Book Discussion	1	8	Feb 05, 2012 11:42am
great family novel	10	81	Jan 18, 2012 08:56pm
Boxall's 1001 Bo...: September {2011} Discussion -- THE NAMESAKE by Jhumpa Lahiri	44	139	Nov 19, 2011 01:37pm
Only $15.56 at booksonboard.com!	1	15	Jan 13, 2010 11:17am

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