As it begins, ashoke ganguli and his pregnant young wife ashima are living in cambridge while he does research at. The marriage of ashima and ashoke is arranged by their families. The film was released in the united states on 9 march 2007, following screenings at film festivals in. If you are looking for a way to better understand and help you connect to your family and cultural then the namesake by jhumpa lahiri is the book for you. The namesake is smooth and elegant and a quick read, but somewhat unsatisfying. There is a movie too which stars irrfan khan and tabu which isnt bad either, though reading the book would always be recommended. And when the namesake refers to bengalis, its being more specific that using the term indian. Because a letter from ashimas grandmother containing gogols good name is lost in the mail, gogol is legally given the pet name gogol after the russian author whose book saved ashokes life. It has been said that all modern russian literature came out of gogols overcoat. The namesake by jhumpa lahiri plot summary litcharts. She uses onion, spices, rice krispies, and planters peanuts, but cannot.
Ive actually got very vivid memories of reading the poet which is rare given i read a lot of books that are quite similar. Did the namesake allow you to think of america in a new way. Interpreter of maladies, 1999 focuses on the divide between indian immigrants and their americanized children. When her grandmother learned of ashimas pregnancy, she was particularly thrilled at the prospect of naming the familys first sahib. The namesake is the story of two generations of the gangulis, a family of indian immigrants to the united states. The action takes place in and around boston and new york between 1968 and 2000. Soon their son is born, in the foreign environment of the american hospital. Sep 16, 2003 girlfriend number three is an ultrasophisticated indian academic with as little interest in bengali culture as gogol. The namesake follows the ganguli family through its journey from calcutta to cambridge to the boston suburbs.
The namesake by jhumpa lahiri read online on bookmate. One of the most anticipated books of the year, lahiris first novel after 1999s pulitzer prizewinning interpreter of maladies amounts to less t. The namesake is a 2006 englishlanguage drama film directed by mira nair and written by sooni taraporevala based on the novel the namesake by jhumpa lahiri. Jhumpa lahiris quietly dazzling new novel, the namesake, is that rare thing. Hopscotching across 25 years, it begins when newlyweds ashoke and ashima ganguli emigrate to cambridge, mass. It explores many of the same emotional and cultural themes as her pulitzer prize winning short story collection interpreter of maladies. Two weeks before her due date, pregnant ashima ganguli is cooking when her water breaks. Jhumpa lahiri expands her pulitzer prizewinning short stories of indian assimilation into her lovely first novel, the namesake. In quiet yet compelling prose, jhumpa lahiri portrays the temperaments of the calcuttaborn parents, ashima and ashoke ganguli, a pair tied to their indian roots, customs and rituals. The namesake by jhumpa lahiri book club discussion. Goodreads members who liked the namesake also liked. A namesake is a person or thing named after someone or something else. Parents need to know that the namesake is a mature drama about two generations of a bengali family living in new york is a great movie to watch with your teens.
The namesake is the story of an immigrant bengali family living in the us the gangulies. Ashoke reflects on how lucky this boy isthe baby receives the present of a book from a bengali friend. Books similar to the namesake meet your next favorite book. The namesake speaks to the universal struggle to extricate ourselves from the past.
Overview national endowment for the arts creative writing fellow jhumpa lahiri is known publicly by her nickname because her kindergarten teacher deemed it easier to pronounce than her proper name, nilanjana sudeshna. The lowland, by jhumpa lahiri jhumpa lahiris new novel, the lowland, is on the long list for the national book award and the shortlist for the man booker. I n sarah perrys second novel, 1890s london is mad about the sciences, especially palaeontology. I know this book and specially the author, doenst need any introduction here amongst this elite group of readers. The namesake is the story of the ganguli family whose move from calcutta to new york evokes a lifelong balancing act to meld to a new world without. We first met journalist jack mcevoy in the poet published in 1996, one of the first books i read by michael connelly. Mar 09, 2007 the namesake, adapted from jhumpa lahiris popular novel, conveys a palpable sense of people as living, breathing creatures who are far more complex than their words might indicate. William and harry have a secret stepsister but theres a good reason why shes kept hidden duration. This is the type of book that keeps you reading, especially if you enjoy dark humor. Cassie dewells been taking a monthly retainer from bozeman attorney rachel mitchell for investigations of one sort and another, but she really. Hopelessly devoted bibliophile the novel shapes up to be one of the best contemporary reads i have ever read.
Jan 16, 2004 the namesake by jhumpa lahiri 304pp, flamingo. The namesake is a novel of selfdiscovery that is an emotional journey its readers will not soon forget. Fundamentally, the book and the film both deal with the same topic of displacement and the creation of identity and the film is, for the most part, true to the narrative of the novel. Take a boy, born in the late 1960s to indian parents living in the american suburbs, far from their native calcutta. Like most immigrant narratives, the story includes deaths, births, marriages, breakups, and other important milestones that mark a familys history.
The ending finds the namesake alone, about to read the russian gogol for the first time. The namesake, adapted from jhumpa lahiris popular novel, conveys a palpable sense of people as living, breathing creatures who are. May 22, 2014 william and harry have a secret stepsister but theres a good reason why shes kept hidden duration. So i started using a better camera and its so good. The namesake tells a story that is the story of all immigrant groups in america. The namesake short story, by willa cather the namesake, childrens book by c. India is a huge country, and bengal is just one part of it. Lahiris prose describes well the struggle of both first and second generation immigrants who are caught between two worlds, yet her narrative failed to draw me into the emotional struggle of her characters. Ashima ganguli, nearly nine months pregnant, is preparing a makeshift version of a popular indian snack, for which she has an insatiable craving. Jun 16, 2016 a woodcut from a 1669 pamphlet called the flying serpent or strange news out of essex.
This is jhumpa lahiris achievement in her fantastically readable, warm and profound first novel. The namesake, jhumpa lahiri the namesake 2003 is the first novel by american author jhumpa lahiri. Do you agree that america is a real presence in the namesake. Naval history and the fiftyyear fight to exonerate an innocent man in new york journal of books. The namesake by jhumpa lahiri about the book in the namesake, lahiri enriches the themes that made her pulitzer prizewinning collection the interpreter of maladies an international bestseller. A woodcut from a 1669 pamphlet called the flying serpent or strange news out of essex. Jack reappeared in the scarecrow 2009 but hes been kinda quiet ever since. In august 1968, ashoke and ashima ganguli welcome their brand new baby boy into the world.
Ashoke is forwardthinking, ready to enter into american culture if. In the namesake, lahiri enriches the themes that made her collection an international bestseller. Jhumpa lahiris interpreter of maladies established this young wri. The creator of wyoming fish and game warden joe pickett wolf pack, 2019, etc. In the case of the namesake, though not exactly like the book, mira nairs film is still a faithful representation of jhumpa lahiris novel.
Readers guide for the namesake published by houghton mifflin. It explores many of the same emotional and cultural themes as her pulitzer prizewinning short story collection interpreter of maladies. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the namesake, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Vibrant, gentle origin story shows wonder woman as tween. Though i know there was a crossover or two with harry bosch. Character list cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. One of the most anticipated books of the year, lahiris first novel after 1999s pulitzer prizewinning interpreter of maladies amounts to less than the sum of its parts. The last third of the book drags a little and didnt sustain my attention the way the rest of the book did. Lahiri more than fulfills the promise of her auspicious.
Gogolnikhil ganguli the son of ashoke and ashima ganguli, gogol is born in boston. Parents of great daring arriving with dreams, children growing up in a way that makes them almost strangers, the old culture merging with the new. A timeless, classic story of identity, family, and selfdiscovery. The namesake overflows with the subtle grace and dignity of a family forced to make peace with their divided loyalties to india and america.
Only in order to be released from their hospital in cambridge, massachusetts, they must break with bengali custom and give their son an official name on that pesky birth certificate. Here again lahiri displays her deft touch for the perfect detail the fleeting moment, the turn of phrase. Her husband, ashoke ganguli, takes her to the hospital by taxi, and she is placed in a room with three other women. The namesake 2003 is the first novel by american author jhumpa lahiri. The namesake, a 2006 drama film, based on the novel. The namesake is the story of a boy brought up indian in america. The namesake, by jhumpa lahiri sensitive, honest portrayal of loss in the story of the ganguli family posted on march 15, 20 by liz matsushita blog writer, sevenponds. Ashoke is forwardthinking, ready to enter into american culture if not fully at least with an open mind. Lahiri does a wonderful job of giving you a well thought out and organized story of a young boy named gogol who grows up into a man while searching for his identity and dealing with family. The closest intimacy they share before their wedding is when ashima steps briefly, secretly, into ashokes shoes. Find books like the namesake from the worlds largest community of readers. Sportsthemed magical fantasy values teamwork, character.
A disappointingly bland followup to a stellar story collection. New york times, usa today, entertainment weekly, newsday, san jose mercury news. With jhumpa lahiri being a pulitzer prize winner, one would fear that her books might be painfully tough and complex. Seattle this second book lahiris pace and accent are unmistakable. Born to bengali emigre parents and newly arrived in the united states from london, she had to grapple early with questions of identity, and the impact of this is palpable in. It stars tabu, irrfan khan, kal penn and sahira nair. In her small apartment kitchen in cambridge, massachusetts, ashima ganguli is mixing together rice krispies, peanuts, diced onion, salt, lemon juice and chili peppers in a humble approximation of a. So when the book talks about bengali traditions, bengali language, and bengali people, just remember that theyre from bengal. Readers guide for the namesake published by houghton. Marie claire pulitzer prizewinner jhumpa lahiri weaves an intricate story of the cultural assimilation of an indian family in america.
The namesake by jhumpa lahiri about the namesake video of jhumpa lahiri questions for discussion a conversation with jhumpa lahiri about the author for further reading about the namesake major national bestseller best book of the year. Beautifully written, with vivid depictions of characters and settings that feel true and authentic. Swirl of cool magical ideas has mermaids, sea monsters, too. When ashima ganguli becomes pregnant with her first child she has only lived in america for a short time and is still getting used to the unusual culture. The namesake is a novel by jhumpa lahiri in which young gogol struggles to reconcile his beliefs with those of his traditional, bengalese parents. And so ashima and ashoke have agreed to put off the decision of what to name the baby until a letter comes. A portrait of the film based on the novel by jhumpa lahiri mira nair, director, jhumpa lahiri, based on a book by newmarket press. The namesake cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. Her husband ashoke, had a scrape with death in a train accident 7 years earlier and believes that the book he was reading the overcoat by nicolai gogol was a lucky charm which saved him. A namesake is a person or thing named after someone or something else namesake may also refer to. Namesake is the first novel written by jhumpa lahiri whose debut collection of short stories, interpreter of maladies, won the pulitzer prize in. Steven parlatos the namesake totally knocked me off my feet. Girlfriend number three is an ultrasophisticated indian academic with as little interest in bengali culture as gogol.
The film was produced by indian, american and japanese studios. The namesake is the story of the ganguli family whose move from calcutta to new york evokes a lifelong balancing act to meld to a new world without forgetting the old. Ashoke reflects on how lucky this boy isthe baby receives the present of a. Gogol ganguli regrets his parents decision of giving him his humiliating name ever since he was born. Sep 16, 2003 the namesake follows the ganguli family through its journey from calcutta to cambridge to the boston suburbs. Ashima and ashoke ganguli arrive in america at the end of the 1960s, shortly after their arranged marriage in calcutta, in order for ashoke to finish his engineering degree at mit.