I haven’t written about any books lately because life got busy and I didn’t make reading a priority. The last few months I’ve tried to read at least one chapter a night before going to bed. That’s how I re-found The Namesake. I started this book months ago. One day my daughter decided she wanted to play with my bookmark. Afterward, I couldn’t find my place so I just shoved it into my nightstand and forgot about it.
The Namesake movie has been at the bottom of our movie queue for awhile. I wanted to finish reading the book before I watched the movie. When we switched over to Netflix from Blockbuster, I remembered about the book and quickly finished it so we could rent it.
The book is incredible. Jhumpa Lahiri writes with such amazing detail that you almost feel like you are in the same room with her characters. I’d like to think that I learned a little more about my husband’s culture, but I’m not sure how similar Bengali customs are to Punjabi customs. I’m not sure he knows, either.
T watched the movie with me and enjoyed it, but didn’t think it was as good as I did. A lot of the story gets lost when you try to fit it into two hours. Don’t get me wrong, though. The movie was very well done. I’d recommend seeing it without reading the book, but in this case, the written version is definitely better!
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new on julie-k: twin baby locks
Dad and I watched the movie and thought it was very good as well.
Even though cultures may differ, the parent / child relationships are probably universal. Good lessons!
I just checked it out from the library today- I’ve been in a totally Indian mood lately, so perfect timing. I’ve already read the first few chapters and am loving it!
i adore jumpha lahiri. i loved “the namesake” and, like you, felt the movie couldn’t do it justice. not that mira nair didnt’ try or do as good a job as any one can with an epic story of a family such as one finds in the book. you are spot on when you said you felt like you were in the room with th characters…i did, too. did you read her next book, “unaccustomed earth”? it is a series of 8 short stories. i loved it even more. i highly recommend it. jumpha lahiri is a breathtaking writer who captures family dynamics and the push-pull tensions between the culture of one’s origin and the the culture in which one’s children are trying to assimilate like not other writer. she is truly brilliant.