I wanted to read this book mostly because it was the 2007 selection for Seattle Reads. It was a decent, but not outstanding, book. The novel is an exploration of assimilation by an American of Bengali heritage. His parents try to keep their feet planted firmly in both worlds. The son, Gogol Ganguli, for most of the novel wants to be an American and maybe visit his Bengali roots once in a while. But not that often. The title (The Namesake
) comes from his father’s fascination with Nikilai Gogol. Gogol is supposed to be the child’s nickname, but without an official name to give him (due to some mishaps with the mail delivering a letter with the grandmother’s choice for an official name) it becomes his legal name. He doesn’t like it, and upon reaching the age of 18 becomes Nikhil Ganguli. His relationship with his name mirrors his relationship with his parents and his heritage. So we get to read about his stumbling his way through a series of relationships, mostly with women not of Indian descent. And we get to read about his somewhat distant relationship with his parents. There’s little dialog in the book. There’s very little action. Mostly it’s Lahiri describing people and social situations from Gogol’s point of view, and occasionally stepping into the head of other people. Worth a read, but I wouldn’t put it on any best of
list.
Title: The namesake
Author: Jhumpa Lahiri
Cover illustrator: Philippe Lardy
Imprint / publisher: Mariner Books / Houghton Mifflin
Format: Paperback
Length: 291 p.
Publication date: 2004
ISBN-10: 0-618-48522-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-618-48522-2
Subject: Young men — Fiction
Subject: Massachusetts — Fiction
Subject: East Indian Americans — Fiction
Subject: Children of immigrants — Fiction
Subject: Assimilation (Sociology) — Fiction
Subject: Alienation (Social psychology) — Fiction
Subject: Gogol, Nikolai Vasilievich, 1809-1852 — Appreciation — Fiction
LC classification: PS3562.A316N36 2003
