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Kate's Reviews > The Namesake
The Namesake
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I liked the first 40 pages or so. I was very interested in the scenes in India and the way the characters perceived the U.S. after they moved. But soon I found myself losing interest. There were several problems. One is that Lahiri's novelistic style feels more like summary ("this happened, then this, then this") rather than a story I can experience through scenes. The voice was flat, and this was exacerbated by the fact that it's written in present tense. I never emotionally connected to these characters. I also got bored with the second half that focused on lots of rich, young New Yorkers sitting around drinking wine.
I haven't read her two story collections, but I've heard she's a phenomenal short story writer--so I'll definitely give those a try. Seems like some fantastic short story writers (like Aimee Bender and Alice Munro) are pressured to write novels when in fact they are brilliant at the story. It's like asking a surgeon to be an attorney.
I haven't read her two story collections, but I've heard she's a phenomenal short story writer--so I'll definitely give those a try. Seems like some fantastic short story writers (like Aimee Bender and Alice Munro) are pressured to write novels when in fact they are brilliant at the story. It's like asking a surgeon to be an attorney.
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Ruth
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rated it 3 stars
Jul 16, 2011 03:30PM
I found both Gogol's and Sonia's about-face after their father's death rather unconvincing - we needed more for that to be believable. I would have liked to see less expository exploration of the mother's character - and more depth to the portrayal of the father - the glimpses we got of him once Gogol became the main character were tantalizing. I found it a rather frustrating read.
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I have read 150 pages if the novel and I agree with you. She does write in summary form. The reader has no genuine sense of being in this book. Eight months in Calcutta I should have felt I was there. Not so!
I read your review partly through reading The Namesake and immediately put my finger on what I didn't like. I liked the book more than you did probably only because I'm a second generation Indian who went through pretty much the same childhood as Gogol (but i don't hate my name).
True. This is an overrated book that got the attention it got because the writer is of Indian heritage. The movie is far better as the director had the good sense to turn it into Ashima's story rather than Gogol's.
i so agree with your review. it's hard for me to get through this book because of how flat it is so far.
I finally saw the film and agree with Ajay that it's better than the book. I think that's because the visual genre of film incorporates the details I craved in the book. I truly enjoyed and was engaged in the story in film form.
Ajay wrote: "True. This is an overrated book that got the attention it got because the writer is of Indian heritage. The movie is far better as the director had the good sense to turn it into Ashima's story rat..."I agree that the movie was MUCH better than the book.
AGree, Kate. I'm struggling to finish, but I will because I dont like to leave a book unfinished. Certainly is 'flat'.
YES. This is exactly why I bailed on the book. I just couldn't care about these people and their angsts, even though they are the same issues in a different context that have deeply scarred my own life.
Agree re dlack of connection, but maybe the intended effect is disconnection - from each other, from family, etc. I see a strong Homi Bhaba influence in Lahiri's writing, in the sense of liminality, cultural translation, and third spaces.
Totally agree with you! It felt like a summary, dry and boring at that. I struggled through the book. It is so mundane and exhausting.
You nailed it. I will somehow, sometime finish it just because I am that stubborn. Tedious, flat, not particularly interesting style, telling, telling, retelling... I couldn't care less about any of the characters. Really disappointing, I am sorry to say.
Interesting view on the prose. I thought it was a good mix of dialogue and description but the prose itself could feel like more of a summary. Also your view on short stories - some people are better at writing short stories compared to a full length novel and the novel feels like a drag when they are stronger at short stories. Overall, I really like the points you make!
