Helpful Score: 4
I was introduced to Jhumpa Lahiri's work when, during my undergraduate years, a professor assigned The Namesake in a course on literature and film. I hated the movie (for reasons I won't get into here), but I absolutely loved the book. Since that time, I have recommended Lahiri's work to countless people.
It saddens me that this collection of her short stories sat on my bookshelf unread for quite some time--probably about two years. Lahiri beautifully captures the human experience; she expertly describes the details, the minutiae of everyday life--a teabag left to dry for use again later in the day; a simple white dress with a square neckline, emphasizing the collarbones; a phone cord stretching from the kitchen into a closed bedroom. These stories are character-driven--each is less about the events, more about the self-realization of each character. None of the stories wrap up neatly, which both inspires and unnerves me. I like things to be tidily wrapped, put away, perhaps with a big red bow. Lahiri doesn't do that in these stories, but that is what makes them so haunting.
My favorite story was the last story in the collection, "Going Ashore", though I did enjoy "Unaccustomed Earth" and "Only Goodness" a lot. I also really liked Sang, the main character in "Nobody's Business." "Going Ashore" made me long for my days as a graduate student; I've been considering going back and attaining another degree, but I don't know in what. Hema made me want to do this even more. Hema's time in Italy, and later her time spent with Kaushik in Italy, was a joy to read.
I will say, the stories are rather depressing. As I read, I felt myself questioning my own relationship, which is currently at a crossroads--engagement or nothing. I didn't like the way the stories made me feel, but I don't know that this is necessarily a negative thing. It is certainly a testament to Lahiri's exquisite ability to capture the human experience and human emotion. However, all of the stories seemed similar to me. Sure, the characters are different and the actual plot is different in each, but they all turn out the same, all of the characters experience the same emotions in the same ways. Sometimes, this was a pleasure to read, as this is exactly how anyone would respond. At other times, the stories seemed to drag to an already assumed ending.
I should probably say that I had unrealistic expectations about this book. I remember loving The Namesake so much that I think I expected even more from this collection.
It saddens me that this collection of her short stories sat on my bookshelf unread for quite some time--probably about two years. Lahiri beautifully captures the human experience; she expertly describes the details, the minutiae of everyday life--a teabag left to dry for use again later in the day; a simple white dress with a square neckline, emphasizing the collarbones; a phone cord stretching from the kitchen into a closed bedroom. These stories are character-driven--each is less about the events, more about the self-realization of each character. None of the stories wrap up neatly, which both inspires and unnerves me. I like things to be tidily wrapped, put away, perhaps with a big red bow. Lahiri doesn't do that in these stories, but that is what makes them so haunting.
My favorite story was the last story in the collection, "Going Ashore", though I did enjoy "Unaccustomed Earth" and "Only Goodness" a lot. I also really liked Sang, the main character in "Nobody's Business." "Going Ashore" made me long for my days as a graduate student; I've been considering going back and attaining another degree, but I don't know in what. Hema made me want to do this even more. Hema's time in Italy, and later her time spent with Kaushik in Italy, was a joy to read.
I will say, the stories are rather depressing. As I read, I felt myself questioning my own relationship, which is currently at a crossroads--engagement or nothing. I didn't like the way the stories made me feel, but I don't know that this is necessarily a negative thing. It is certainly a testament to Lahiri's exquisite ability to capture the human experience and human emotion. However, all of the stories seemed similar to me. Sure, the characters are different and the actual plot is different in each, but they all turn out the same, all of the characters experience the same emotions in the same ways. Sometimes, this was a pleasure to read, as this is exactly how anyone would respond. At other times, the stories seemed to drag to an already assumed ending.
I should probably say that I had unrealistic expectations about this book. I remember loving The Namesake so much that I think I expected even more from this collection.
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