The Lowland in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Jan 19, 2019 Sharlene rated it really liked it

Shelves: diversiverse, global-women-of-colour, ebook, asia, library, readingwomenchallenge, 2019, readingwomen2019

It’s been ages since I’ve read anything by Lahiri and here I am reading two of her books in one month, thanks to the Reading Women Challenge.

Lahiri’s writing is always gorgeous. I love her way with words. But I felt that The Lowland, while sweeping and beautiful, and well-researched (part of it is revolves around the Naxalite movement in Calcutta in the 1960s), felt rather cold. It was hard to feel hard for any of the characters, who seemed a bit one-dimensional.

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Jan 06, 2014 Jane rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

I was disappointed at first. The writing seemed flat...a friend described it as "subdued," but gradually I got pulled into the story. By the end, I realized that the theme was war and the effect war has on families. Also, geography, particularly the geography that is wet, low, coastal. Rocks and water and mud appear throughout. And the psychological state of the characters is low/depressed/mired in regret and loss. By the end of the book, I was caught, but all along, I found words that Lahiri us ...more

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Apr 02, 2014 Lisa rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-on-kindle

When I heard about this book I thought "I have heard so many great things about this author. I need to read some of her books so I guess I will start with this one. " Then after beginning to read it and struggling to get through the first chapters I heard a trusted reviewer say it might not be the best Jhumpa Lahiri book to start with. I think that is probably true.

The basic plot is about two brothers who are 15 months apart and who begin life very close as most siblings that close in age might When I heard about this book I thought "I have heard so many great things about this author. I need to read some of her books so I guess I will start with this one. " Then after beginning to read it and struggling to get through the first chapters I heard a trusted reviewer say it might not be the best Jhumpa Lahiri book to start with. I think that is probably true.

The basic plot is about two brothers who are 15 months apart and who begin life very close as most siblings that close in age might be. As one brother; Udayan grows up he becomes part of the Naxalite movement in India so the brothers grow apart. The other brother moves to America. The novel is in third person; however, the point of view changes between each of the characters to show how the events of the novel played out to each of them. The novel is one in which you get to stay with the characters for a long time so you get to see how decisions made affect future generations.

I hated the characters! I suppose that was the intention but for the most part each of them is wrapped up in their own life and make decisions without considering the others around them at all. The coldness of Subbash and Udayan's mother and Guari (Udayan's wife) especially make it hard to read without throwing your book or in this case my Kindle. Udayan's involvement in the Naxalite movement is what brings out my fury for politics in all its forms. Each side has their agenda, refuses to hear any other side or work out any kind of humane solution to problems. So the only thing that is accomplished is strife, and violence.
I did like the grand scope of the story because I like to know how the characters lives play out,maybe see just a little bit of a happily ever after for some of the characters. It gives you hope. The author does give us just a few rays of hope at the end.

Overall this was not the book for me. I did not see a lot of the lyrical writing I had heard about. I found the sentence structure to be choppy at times and a lot of the author saying "He sees...." or "She sees..." telling us what to see instead of showing us what to see. I want to read more from this author however, because I don't believe I should accept one novel as the representive of someone's work.

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Apr 18, 2018 Debbie rated it really liked it

Though I didn’t connect with this story as much as other works by Lahiri, the writing, as always, is utterly beautiful.

Two brothers, close in age and inseparable as children, eventually find their paths in life diverging. Subhash is the elder brother, steady and loyal, while Udayan is bold and reckless. Udayan’s involvement with violent revolutionaries has life-changing consequences that will span generations.

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Dec 19, 2013 Larissa rated it liked it

A slow start, but after the first 1/4 of the book or so, I got into it a bit more. A very beautifully written story.

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Jan 25, 2017 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction

I LOVED this book. I listened to the audio version on my commute. It's fantastic. And I could recognize almost all the RI settings, which was fun. ...more

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