Buh4Bee
03-03-2014, 11:05 AM
I just finished reading the The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. I enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover. It received a place on the short list for the 2013 Man Brooker Prize. It is worth your time, as the prose are engaging in the sense that Lahiri analyzes every psychological emotion of her charatcers. She takes you deep into their stories, but does not always reveal what is deeply held in their hearts. In this way, I find her loyal to her character’s dignity. I maybe getting a bit sentimental, but I enjoyed the distance she maintained as a writer in allowing the reader to impose their own explanation for why a character may be shaped in a particular way.
The plot itself takes place in both Calcutta, India and Rhode Island, USA. The sequence follows the lifespan of one main character and the supporting family members that weave in and out of his life due to execution, divorce, and death from old age. The book is at once a joy to read as well as excruciating, at times. Lahiri encorporates themes that are relevant to the modern history of India and the immigrant experience in America. Furthermore, she opens the doors to look inside what family means with and without the presence of love as well as in a tradiotional setting verses a non-traditional setting. In fact, some of the themes are too heavy and may weigh in your thoughts for a while. Try it and see for yourself.
I have tried to avoid including any plot spoilers, therefore this review may seems somewhat vague or lacking evidence to support some of my statements. I glad to explain further what I mean on the thread, if people want to discuss it.
The plot itself takes place in both Calcutta, India and Rhode Island, USA. The sequence follows the lifespan of one main character and the supporting family members that weave in and out of his life due to execution, divorce, and death from old age. The book is at once a joy to read as well as excruciating, at times. Lahiri encorporates themes that are relevant to the modern history of India and the immigrant experience in America. Furthermore, she opens the doors to look inside what family means with and without the presence of love as well as in a tradiotional setting verses a non-traditional setting. In fact, some of the themes are too heavy and may weigh in your thoughts for a while. Try it and see for yourself.
I have tried to avoid including any plot spoilers, therefore this review may seems somewhat vague or lacking evidence to support some of my statements. I glad to explain further what I mean on the thread, if people want to discuss it.