Unaccustomed Earth
The best way to start my weekend is to catch up with my reading. And this week I found Jhumpa Lahiri's new book in the stores and definitely bought it as I could not wait for the paper back to make it's appearance some time later. She and Amitava Ghosh being my two very favourite authors it's very difficult to wait for the more economic paper backs. But no regrets what so ever. I have so far loved both the stories that I have read and I am sure it will be another crackler of a book like her first one "An Interpreter of Maladies", which I read along with my flat mate by taking turns at reading the stories. He would read one then it would be my turn. As we were colleagues too and we had one copy so in two dyas we finished it reading between meetings, presentations, copy corrections, and definitely cleint- servicing / creative rows. It was some experience and very unforgettable. Awrup may be you have forgotten but I do remember. This one's for you. Ha ha!
Juhumpa Lahiri's new book is a stylish collection of stories of people and places who have adopted newer countries as home. In much used jargon of the day most about the first and second generation Indian Americans. But that is the just the first layer of drama, the first two stories in the collection have the underlying note of the parent - child connection and finally the understanding that is developed between two generations over a period of time. As it is growing up is difficult for a child and it becomes doubly so when it has to be done in a cross cultural manner. The first story is about a daughter who eventually comes to terms with her mother's death and finally understanding her father who has been more or less a dormant figure in her life. Desolation always plays a key element in her writings and in this one too. But the panache with which pen paints pictures of human character is nothing short of brilliant.
In the second story Hell- Heaven the pathos of unrequieted love flows through. Here are three women whom we all could identify, in fact could be any of us, it is almost tangibly real and not a work of fiction at all. People whom we embrace in our lives, whom we love so dearly and then when they break our hearts, then everything around us seems meaningless and futile. I have always found her books to be highly cinematic in nature like a Ray film full of drama and deceit and real life heroes or at times just plain and simple people with all their woes unable to rise above their condition.
This was indeed a great start to a Saturday morning. Shall definitely write another post on the book once I am finished reading. Have a great weekend!
Juhumpa Lahiri's new book is a stylish collection of stories of people and places who have adopted newer countries as home. In much used jargon of the day most about the first and second generation Indian Americans. But that is the just the first layer of drama, the first two stories in the collection have the underlying note of the parent - child connection and finally the understanding that is developed between two generations over a period of time. As it is growing up is difficult for a child and it becomes doubly so when it has to be done in a cross cultural manner. The first story is about a daughter who eventually comes to terms with her mother's death and finally understanding her father who has been more or less a dormant figure in her life. Desolation always plays a key element in her writings and in this one too. But the panache with which pen paints pictures of human character is nothing short of brilliant.
In the second story Hell- Heaven the pathos of unrequieted love flows through. Here are three women whom we all could identify, in fact could be any of us, it is almost tangibly real and not a work of fiction at all. People whom we embrace in our lives, whom we love so dearly and then when they break our hearts, then everything around us seems meaningless and futile. I have always found her books to be highly cinematic in nature like a Ray film full of drama and deceit and real life heroes or at times just plain and simple people with all their woes unable to rise above their condition.
This was indeed a great start to a Saturday morning. Shall definitely write another post on the book once I am finished reading. Have a great weekend!
Comments