The Namesake

Synopsis
Gogol Ganguli, first generation Indian-American, struggles with his identity.

My thoughts
It's complicated enough being torn between two cultures, never mind being stuck with a nonsensical name that is from neither. But such is the life of Gogol Ganguli.

Gogol's very traditional parents do their best to stay connected to their Bengali roots while Gogol and his sister do their best to become American. Jhumpa Lahiri does an excellent job describing both sides. It's mostly Gogol's story, but his mother's side of the story is especially well rendered. What this book gets exactly right is its portrayal of a culture that most of its intended audience is not familiar with. Lahiri explains Bengali customs in a way that doesn't seem intrusive or overbearing.

Lahiri's writing is meticulous and her characters are beautifully drawn. The narration is almost photographic; Lahiri describes things that most people don't notice in their own lives. But this hypersensitivity adds an element of unreality. I couldn't tell you how many glasses are in my cupboard and how many are in my dishwasher right now. I'm not even sure what dishwasher detergent I have under the sink - and I just opened a new container yesterday. Lahiri goes on at length about these types of details and while it's beautifully done, it does clog the narrative and puts a barrier between the reader and the characters. This started to get to me around the time Gogol got a girlfriend. Which was about a third of the way into the book. This level of detail was one of the things I loved about Lahiri's Pulitzer Prize-winning short story collection, Interpreter of Maladies, and I think it's better suited for shorter pieces.

And I don't know quite what to make of the ending. On the one hand, I don't think every book needs to have some sort of huge crisis to resolve and I like that there's no manufactured hullabaloo for Gogol to overcome; instead, he has a quiet epiphany and gets on with his life. But on the other hand, the book just kind of ... ends.

Bottom line
It is a wonderful, lyrical book that somehow wasn't for me.

Fine print
The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri
Genre: fiction
Photo from Goodreads
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