Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
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Book Reviews of Unaccustomed Earth
Book Review: Beautiful and moving, but time to move on
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read all 3 of her books, and think this is by far the best. Her characters are intimately drawn, and echo real people. I loved the book, and would recommend it to anyone.
That being said, I am beginning to tire of her rather stable and predictable cast of characters - the highly educated professional parents who immigrate to the US in the 70s, but somehow never manage to truly assimilate and find happiness in their new milieu and instead, spend their lives perpetually looking back to India; the children, apparently eternally torn between their parents' culture and the country that is their birthplace and their home.
It seems to be a modern conceit that immigrants cannot adjust well and enjoy their new lives, but in reality most of us have. Perhaps books about 'normal' immigrants just can't get published, but I'm definitely ready to see Lahiri's prose put to work on new subjects.
Book Review: once again, Lahiri rocks!
Summary: 5 Stars
In UNACCUSTOMED EARTH, Jhumpa Lahiri continues to impress with her clear-eyed attention to the smallest details of human conflicts. In these emotionally resonant short stories, she presents a diverse assembly of complex, sympathetic, three-dimensional characters. Several reader-reviewers have criticized Lahiri for focusing on Ivy League-educated, upper-middle-class Bengalis - these reviewers should realize that academic success and financial well-being are common among immigrant Bengalis in the U.S. What is remarkable to me is how authentically wide-ranging the characters' experiences are, despite their common roots and status. It is the author's perspicacity and meticulous crafting which make the prose in these stories appear simple and fluid.
Book Review: Great stories!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not usually a fan of books of short stories. But the reviews of this one brought me in, and I was not disappointed! For one thing these stories have a strong theme, and in some cases the same characters across stories. And for those who prefer full-length novels, that helps. For another thing the stories "read long." By that I mean, most of the stories left me satisfied at the end, rather than feeling cheated out of a more in-depth development of character, a common effect of books of short stories I've read. But no doubt most important is that this author writes so fantastically that she immediately pulls you in to the story line and characters. This was the first book I've read by this author, but not the last!Book Review: Compelling
Summary: 5 Stars
Jhumpa Lahiri just has a way of drawing you in. She keeps her distance from her characters. They are kept at arm's length. I absolutely love the way she leaps ahead in time within a single paragraph, vaulting over unnecessary components of the story with ease. "A Choice of Accommodations" might be my favorite here, the palpable tensions in a seasoned relationship fueling a story about a visit to a familiar but unfamiliar place. "The information fell between them, valuable for the years he'd kept it from her, negligible now that he'd told." But "Only Goodness" is compellling to watch unfold, a gripping portrait of the strains in a family and, to me, about adjusting expectations. Some terrific images and writing throughout.Book Review: Another well-written Lahiri book
Summary: 5 Stars
For those who have already read Ms. Lahiri's stories before and would like to have more of the same (trials and tribulations of Indian immigrants in a new country)this is a perfect sequel. Apart from that, it is a lovely book to read too that I enjoyed every bit. However, as Ms Lahiri shows great talent as a writer the next time she comes out with her new work I am really hoping that she branches out a bit and tries her hand at something not necessarily pulled from that same source. I am even interested in the trials of tribulations of Indians who go back to India after 30 yrs in the US and trying to adapt back to what they thought they left behind and found that they are now immigrants in their home country.