I recently watched the movie ‘ The Namesake’ on Amazon prime and was so impressed by it that I decided to read the book on which the movie is based. This is a Pulitzer award winning book by author Jhumpa Lahiri who has beautifully written this book. Two weeks ago, during a conversation about books my mom had asked me if I had ever read The Namesake. She had watched the movie a few years before my birth and recommended that I should watch the movie. So here I am. I liked the movie so much that I decided to read the book. Honestly I liked the book more than the movie.
I want to share a little background about the author before I start the book review.
The author, Jhumpa Lahiriś real name is Nilanjana Sudeshna Lahiri. However, when she went to school, people couldn’t pronounce her name so she went by her nickname she was called at home, Jhumpa.
The story of ‘The Namesake’ starts off in West Bengal, India with 19-year-old Ashima, a typical Indian young woman who is studying to get her English degree. She enjoys books, music and anything fascinating. After a tragic accident in his youth, Indian gentleman Ashoke Ganguli hopes to see the world before it’s too late. The main reason why he was the only survivor of the accident was thanks to an author and his book that helped him survive the accident. When Ashima and Ashoke are arranged to get married after several marriage rejections, they decide to settle as a family in Boston. Being an immigrant isnt easy. It’s like starting a new life. But especially for Ashoke, it has been hard to move on from his trauma he is woken up with, and as for Ashima, feels like she’s alone in a brand new country and can’t bear to raise a family with her husband going to work and not having any support from others. But,when Ashima gives birth to her son, they struggle on a name to give him. So, Ashoke gives his son the surname of the author of the book that saved him that night, Gogol. In Bengali culture, people go by a nickname that people call them at home, and a proper name that they are addressed by in the outside world. Inspired by author Nikolai Gogol, they choose a proper name Nikhil before Gogol goes to school. A couple years after Gogol’s birth, his sister, Sonia is born. Gogol refuses to go by Nikhil in his youth and continues to be called Gogol until people make fun of his name. He was told by people that he was named after a depressing suicidal author who had an unfortunate life. However, Gogol doesn’t know the sad truth behind his name and everything else that followed. Gogol separates himself from his Bengali culture and becomes a regular pot-smoking teen who’s secretly a smart and genuine person. As Gogol grows older, things happen that pull him away from his other world and the life events pull him towards his roots, and his family. One day a life changing moment happens in the Ganguli family, which brings closure to Gogol. This helps him learn about everything that followed and everything that happened before his birth. At the end of the story, Gogol learns that he cannot get everything he wants in his life and that he should always have a sense of pride of how he got here and of his proud bright culture.
This story covers the topics of immigration, coming of age, family, love, grief, overcoming challenges, and moving on. As the daughter of Nepali American immigrants, I was able to relate to Gogol’s life as a kid of immigrants and how difficult it is to make your mark, and get to your roots. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes emotional or family books. This book has touched my heart and the movie has given me a sense of empathy for the Ganguli family. The Namesake had helped me understand several conflicts I was never able to understand in my life.
Happy Reading Everyone!