Namesake

Critics

• What's in a name?

  The Namesake By Jhumpa Lahiri 304pp, Flamingo, £15.99 Take a boy, born in the late 1960s to Indian parents living in the American suburbs, far from their native Calcutta. Chart his progress from babyhood to confused, faintly rebellious teenage years ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

• Kindred spirits

  The Namesake Jhumpa Lahiri Flamingo, £15.99, pp304 The Gangster We Are All Looking For Le Thi Diem Thuy Picador, £12.99, pp200 Old School Tobias Wolff Bloomsbury £12.99, pp320 Wish I May Justine Picardie Picador £15.99, pp356 Jhumpa Lahiri's gracious ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

12 Reviews

• 4 people find this helpful

  

  Do we really depends on our name? It really afflicts our life, or things just happen, whatever you're called?
  I loved this book... the incapacity of Gogol's parents to leave their roots, the search of the latter of trying to take distance from a world he doesn't recognize. And then, things just ... (continue)

  Do we really depends on our name? It really afflicts our life, or things just happen, whatever you're called?
  I loved this book... the incapacity of Gogol's parents to leave their roots, the search of the latter of trying to take distance from a world he doesn't recognize. And then, things just change, and you find yourself thinking about your life, deciding what to do, wondering if it's right or not.
  It's somehow a sad book, but so deep that I couldn't help going on reading. Great!

  Is this helpful?

  Lizzyblack said on Mar 1, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 1 person find this helpful

  

  "Read all the Russians, and then reread them," his grandfather had said."They will never fail you."

  Is this helpful?

  morning star said on Feb 13, 2009 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  The story gives an insight into the obstacles and adjustments that have to be made by immigrants and it's somehow a sad book, but I enjoyed it immensely.
  Lahiri writes with great empathy and a beautiful lyrical style, small details illuminate every page of the book.
  Though the main character, Gogo ... (continue)

  The story gives an insight into the obstacles and adjustments that have to be made by immigrants and it's somehow a sad book, but I enjoyed it immensely.
  Lahiri writes with great empathy and a beautiful lyrical style, small details illuminate every page of the book.
  Though the main character, Gogol-Nikhil Ganguli, is the centre of the narrative, his mother Ashima won my sympathy and affection. I felt very close to her.
  “For being a foreigner, Ashima is beginning to realize, is a sort of lifelong pregnancy – a perpetual wait, a constant burden, a continuous feeling out of sorts. It is an ongoing responsibility, a parenthesis in what had once been an ordinary life, only to discover that the previous life has vanished, replaced by something more complicated and demanding. Like pregnancy, being a foreigner, Ashima believes, is something that elicits the same curiosity from strangers, the same combination of pity and respect.”

  Is this helpful?

  momiji1020 said on May 28, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  Ms. Lahiri is a wonderful writer. The story is told with great empathy; her style is crystal-clear.

  Is this helpful?

  Dalia said on Jan 19, 2010 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  An easy to read excellent moving and realistic account of the immigrant experience of a Bengali family. I really enjoyed this book and learnt about a culture I am not familiar with at the same time.
  I will be mailing The Namesake to its next location in Greece in the next day or so and will loo ... (continue)

  An easy to read excellent moving and realistic account of the immigrant experience of a Bengali family. I really enjoyed this book and learnt about a culture I am not familiar with at the same time.
  I will be mailing The Namesake to its next location in Greece in the next day or so and will look forward to reading the reviews as it continues on its travels.

  Is this helpful?

  Lindyloumac said on Dec 4, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 

  the ultimate double culture novel

  reread this year and what a pleasure - like finding old friends - so interesting to compare Gogel's and his families conflicts/comprehension of living with two cultures, and still advancing in one but eventually coming back to the other.

  Is this helpful?

  Gail Paris said on Mar 2, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

See all 12 comments

Book Details

• Rating:
  (124)
  • 5 stars
  • 4 stars
  • 3 stars
  • 2 stars
  • 1 star
• English Books
• Library Binding
• ISBN-10: 141764785X
• ISBN-13: 9781417647859
• Publisher: Rebound by Sagebrush
• Pub date: Sep 01, 2004
• Dimensions: 1355 mm x 903 mm x 194 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Cassette and Others
• In other languages: other languages Deutsche Bücher, Libri Italiani

Improve data of this book

Groups with this in collection

• Wednesday Nights in the 21st Century (5)
• NY Times Notable Book Club (482)

Prices Change currency & sellers

ISBN	Edition	List	Sale	Seller
9781417647859	Library Binding	$26.90	--	The Book Depository
Other editions →
+ 2 copies tradable: 2 in USA →