Unaccustomed EarthAugust 28, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa LahiriAugust 27, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
Beauty in simplicityAugust 24, 2008 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.
Accustomed to this formulaAugust 22, 2008 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Lahiri uses the same formula -- not much to differentiate this book from her first 2. Would have been nice to see something new...
Haunting and Dazzling StoriesAugust 20, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
As always, Lahiri's short stories resonate with me in a truly hauntingly romantic way. Her prose and character development, while some complain are overdeveloped and stagnant or lackluster, are stunningly beautiful in my opinion. Yes, it is true that she 'recycles' bits of her characters into different stories and even novels, but the way in which she does so doesn't alienate the reader, it (at least in my case) makes them fall in love with the now familiar characters. Her writing is transcendent in ways I can't explain.
