The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Namesake

Jhumpa Lahiri

336 pages • first pub 2003 (editions)

fiction contemporary literary emotional reflective medium-paced

Description

Meet the Ganguli family, new arrivals from Calcutta, trying their best to become Americans even as they pine for home. The name they bestow on their firstborn, Gogol, betrays all the conflicts of honoring tradition in a new world — conflicts that ...

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Community Reviews Summary of 11,067 reviews

Moods

reflective 84%
emotional 80%
sad 31%
hopeful 24%
inspiring 17%
challenging 9%
informative 9%
adventurous 6%
relaxing 6%
lighthearted 5%
tense 5%
funny 3%
dark 2%

Pace

medium 63%
slow 28%
fast 8%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 81% | A mix: 15% | Plot: 3%

Strong character development?

Yes: 85% | It's complicated: 11% | No: 3%

Loveable characters?

Yes: 64% | It's complicated: 26% | No: 8%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 88% | No: 6% | It's complicated: 4%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 69% | It's complicated: 18% | No: 9% | N/A: 1%

Average rating

3.99

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Content Warnings

Submitted by users as part of their reviews

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