This isn't the kind of entry I normally post on this blog, but I am so overwhelmed by the gravity and perfection that is Jhumpa Lahiri's writing that I just can't help myself. Everyone should read her latest book, Unaccustomed Earth. It's been awhile since I read something so obsessively. Come to think about it, the last book which captivated me so completely was another of Lahiri's, The Namesake. Even Mihir, who generally eschews fiction, read The Namesake in a single afternoon.
Jhumpa Lahiri is Indian American or, more precisely, Bengali American. Her books have that strong "stranger in a strange land" theme, but I happen to believe she is darned good at writing about people, emotions, marriages... life.
Unaccustomed Earth is Lahiri's second collection of short stories. The first part of the book consists of five unrelated short stories and most of them are very strong. My two favorites are "Hell-Heaven" and "Only Goodness." Overall, though, the characters in each and every story live and breath until the end, when you're sad to see them go. The second half of the book is three interwoven stories, a novella of sorts, about Kaushik and Hema. The stories span the course of their lives, from New England to India to Rome. They're wonderful.
I just finished this book 15 minutes ago, and now I'm so bereft, as if a close friend has left me. It's rare, these days, that I connect to a book so strongly. But when I do...boy, do I cherish it. I can't recommend this book, this author, any more wholeheartedly.
Jhumpa
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