A review by theemeraldgirl23
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow! This book was amazing! I have never felt more truly represented by a novel in my entire life. The story of Gogol Ganguli and his immigrant family living in America just spoke to me. As an Indian myself, this book was the first I've read that I could actually relate to. I should've expected what would happen by the end, but it was just so exciting to read. The novel is basically a walkthrough of Gogol's life as it happens, his struggles with accepting his Bengali background, changing his name, his ultimately failed relationships, and just everything with his life. It ends up being full circle as he learns to appreciate the name he was given at the end when he read the collection of short stories by Nikolai Gogol given to him by his father at 14. I loved how he ended up coming to terms with his identity and his name as he has struggled with that his entire life. I highly recommend this story as a tale about family, relationships, and the Indian experience. It was beautiful! 
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