Shame on me!
I am so glad I finally got to this novel and can't wait to read more of Jhumpa Lahiri's work.
The novel is the story of the Ganguli family, as Ashoke and Ashima come to America, where he is a professor in Massachusetts, after a traditional Indian arranged marriage. The immigrant's experience is felt so strongly -- choosing to leave, and yet missing home and family. There are certain things that they hold on to and other things that they adapt as their own, such as the secular Christmas celebrations.
I was struck by Lahiri's use of a 3rd person omniscient narrative (Please permit my English major speak for a moment). It drew me in completely as she revealed the thoughts, motives and actions of her characters. So much so, that I found myself re-reading sentences and paragraphs to see how writing that would seem to be removed resulted in me feeling as if I was right there inside each of the characters -- seeing the world through their eyes and feeling the very beat of their hearts.
This is an excellent, beautiful, heartfelt novel. I watched the movie again right after I finished reading the book. They both tell this coming-of-age story in different ways, but with the same feeling. The novel really is the story of Gogol, but the film almost seemed to be more from the perspective of the parents. Both are great, and I highly recommend each of them.
You can read my full review of the movie at 5 Minutes for Books today.
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