rachelb36's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
Firstly, this is a bilingual book, so it's much shorter than I realized - only about one hundred pages.
I could certainly relate to some of the author's struggle to learn a new language, but I didn't really understand her disdain for English. She spoke solely Bengali until preschool, when she was immersed in English; I get that this could be somewhat traumatic. But eventually, she masters the language and goes on to become a writer.
I also didn't see why she loves Italian more when she's so much more limited in it than in English. I'm currently in a foreign country, struggling to communicate in even the most basic way, and I know that when I can speak English again, it will taste like water in a dry land...
The essays/chapters were repetitive, all saying the same thing in slightly different words.
And weirdly, Lahiri incorporated two short stories into the already-short book.
For those who need encouragement in learning another language, this is an okay read, but certainly not the best. I would have preferred for the author to write a more detailed and nuanced memoir in English.
(Also, what was her family doing for these three years in Italy? They're barely mentioned!)
Firstly, this is a bilingual book, so it's much shorter than I realized - only about one hundred pages.
I could certainly relate to some of the author's struggle to learn a new language, but I didn't really understand her disdain for English. She spoke solely Bengali until preschool, when she was immersed in English; I get that this could be somewhat traumatic. But eventually, she masters the language and goes on to become a writer.
I also didn't see why she loves Italian more when she's so much more limited in it than in English. I'm currently in a foreign country, struggling to communicate in even the most basic way, and I know that when I can speak English again, it will taste like water in a dry land...
The essays/chapters were repetitive, all saying the same thing in slightly different words.
And weirdly, Lahiri incorporated two short stories into the already-short book.
For those who need encouragement in learning another language, this is an okay read, but certainly not the best. I would have preferred for the author to write a more detailed and nuanced memoir in English.
(Also, what was her family doing for these three years in Italy? They're barely mentioned!)
suhmown6's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.75
Lahiri's novel is an unexpected love story With an unusual love interest (a language, Italian), it touches so many types of love (new, instant, familial, friendly, lost, long-distance)
Anyone who has endeavored to learn a new language, is multilingual, plays an instrument, or dreams of unexplored places will find solace in this book. While this book is a bit slow at times, it is actively challenging the definition of a novel. This book is meant to be experienced, not just read. My only complaint was some of the commentary felt a bit too heavy handed but that can possibly be attributed to the autor's desire for translation (she wrote this book in Italian, her third language, and chose to not translate it herself in an effort to reduce self-editing).
Anyone who has endeavored to learn a new language, is multilingual, plays an instrument, or dreams of unexplored places will find solace in this book. While this book is a bit slow at times, it is actively challenging the definition of a novel. This book is meant to be experienced, not just read. My only complaint was some of the commentary felt a bit too heavy handed but that can possibly be attributed to the autor's desire for translation (she wrote this book in Italian, her third language, and chose to not translate it herself in an effort to reduce self-editing).
bevolk's review against another edition
5.0
A beautifully brave portrait of an authors journey in language. She finds comfort in imperfection. Lahiri remains one of my favorite writers.
divyasudhakar's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't anticipate enjoying this book. I figured it would entail a lot of navel gazing and while I like my own navel, I do not enjoy that of others very much. I did read it because I've always been curious about Ms.Lahiri's decision to abandon English and embrace Italian. In the process, I discovered an ode to, not just Italian, but all languages and the tools and the craft of wielding language as a writer and a reader. The book also greatly helped explain the author's journey towards more abstract stories which I'd been wondering about since I read Whereabouts earlier this year. 3 stars since I felt like it could have been edited more tightly and repeated itself a little towards the end.