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Book Review of The Namesake

The Namesake
The Namesake
Author: Jhumpa Lahiri
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
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This book was beautifully written, just like everything I've read by Lahiri.

The title refers to the main character who was named after Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol a Russian writer with a tumultuous, unhappy life. The fictional Gogol grows up caught between two worlds as the American child of Indian immigrants.

The characters were completely three-dimensional and sympathetic, while still decidedly flawed. The plot flowed lyrically as Gogol grows up, searching for his identity through education, relationships, and trips to his motherland.

I haven't seen the 2006 film adaptation and I'm a bit afraid to. I'm usually disappointed by film versions of great novels like this one.