Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Unaccustomed Earth
Book Review: We've Been Here Before
Summary: 2 Stars
Lahiri's work has become predictable: children of middle or upper class Bengali immigrants adopt American customs, causing consternation to their traditional parents/family. Most of this isn't even especially well written. She had some earlier successes, notably the Third and Final Continent, but this is just getting boring.
Most of her characters suffer the same life altering but not necessarily fatal flaw: unwilling to accept familial change, they simply turn away. Thus, a young man walks out on his father when he fails to connect with his new stepmother and step sisters and a young mother lets her father walk out of her life when she begins to suspect his travel companion is actually a girlfriend.
In July '08, the Frank O'Connor Short Story prize committee announced that it was taking the unusual step of announcing Lahiri as the annual contest's outright winner rather that pare the long list of almost 40 names down to five and then announcing the winner at the festival. Apparently, the judges found her work to be so superior to the other nominees that they felt suspense was unwarranted. I for my part don't see it. The irony is that given the breadth of Frank O'Connor's work--childhood, love, soldiership, and on and on--Lahiri seems limited to the same old characters and ideas.
Book Review: Unaccustomed Earth
Summary: 3 Stars
Well written book about the adjustment to life in America by Indian immigrants. I don't usually like short stories, but these held my interest and they all had an interesting ending.Book Review: Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
Summary: 3 Stars
A beautifully (as usual) written book by Ms Lahiri -- but oh so very depressing... Every story in this collection deals with death, dying, suicide, love relationships gone bad, etc. etc. I persevered to the end, thinking that the pattern would be broken, but it never was. Don't read this when you're in a "down" part of your life.Book Review: Beauty in simplicity
Summary: 4 Stars
I am typically not a fan of short stories as I find the development of the characters lacking and just as you develop a relationship (of sorts) the story is cut and the next begins.
Unaccustomed Earth was an exception. The stories are neither complex or heavily worded but simple and straight-forward. The theme continues through the book with some stories being tied together to form a whole.
While I certainly do not believe her stories tell the tale of all Indian existence in the US or abroad I appreciate them for what they are and how beautifully they are shared with the reader.
I could not put the book down: an enjoyable read.
Book Review: Accustomed to this formula
Summary: 2 Stars
Lahiri uses the same formula -- not much to differentiate this book from her first 2. Would have been nice to see something new...