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The Namesake: An unforgettable historical literary fiction debut Kindle Edition

by Jhumpa Lahiri (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

10,143 ratings

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‘The Namesake’ is the story of a boy brought up Indian in America.

'When her grandmother learned of Ashima's pregnancy, she was particularly thrilled at the prospect of naming the family's first sahib. And so Ashima and Ashoke have agreed to put off the decision of what to name the baby until a letter comes…'

For now, the label on his hospital cot reads simply BABY BOY GANGULI. But as time passes and still no letter arrives from India, American bureaucracy takes over and demands that 'baby boy Ganguli' be given a name. In a panic, his father decides to nickname him 'Gogol' – after his favourite writer.

Brought up as an Indian in suburban America, Gogol Ganguli soon finds himself itching to cast off his awkward name, just as he longs to leave behind the inherited values of his Bengali parents. And so he sets off on his own path through life, a path strewn with conflicting loyalties, love and loss…

Spanning three decades and crossing continents, Jhumpa Lahiri's much-anticipated first novel is a triumph of humane story-telling. Elegant, subtle and moving, ‘The Namesake’ is for everyone who loved the clarity, sympathy and grace of Lahiri's Pulitzer Prize-winning debut story collection, ‘Interpreter of Maladies’.

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‘Extraordinary…a book that spins gold out of the straw of ordinary lives. The calm, pellucid grace of her prose, the sustained stretch of crystal clear writing, its elegant pianissimo tone, pulls the reader from beginning to end in one neat arc. Every detail, every observation, every sentence rings with the clarity of truth. “The Namesake” is a novel that makes its reader feel privileged to be allowed access to its immensely empathetic world.' The Times

‘This is certainly a novel that explores the concepts of cultural identity, of rootlessness, of tradition and familial expectation…but …it never succumbs to the cliches those themes so often entail. Instead, Lahiri turns it into something both larger and simpler: the story of a man and his family, of his life and hopes, loves and sorrows. She has a talent – magical, sly, cumulative – that most writers would kill for.’ Julie Myerson, The Guardian

‘A joy to read.’ Sunday Telegraph

'Gracious…in refined, empathetic prose…each of Lahiri's characters patches together their own identity, making this resonant fable neither uniquely Asian nor uniquely American, but tenderly, wryly human.' Hephzibah Anderson, The Observer

'Impeccably written.' Daily Mail

From the Inside Flap

THE NAMESAKE follows the Ganguli family through its journey from Calcutta to Cambridge to the Boston suburbs. Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli arrive in America at the end of the 1960s, shortly after their arranged marriage in Calcutta, in order for Ashoke to finish his engineering degree at MIT. Ashoke is forward-thinking, ready to enter into American culture if not fully at least with an open mind. His young bride is far less malleable. Isolated, desperately missing her large family back in India, she will never be at peace with this new world.

Soon after they arrive in Cambridge, their first child is born, a boy. According to Indian custom, the child will be given two names: an official name, to be bestowed by the great-grandmother, and a pet name to be used only by family. But the letter from India with the child's official name never arrives, and so the baby's parents decide on a pet name to use for the time being. Ashoke chooses a name that has particular significance for him: on a train trip back in India several years earlier, he had been reading a short story collection by one of his most beloved Russian writers, Nikolai Gogol, when the train derailed in the middle of the night, killing almost all the sleeping passengers onboard. Ashoke had stayed awake to read his Gogol, and he believes the book saved his life. His child will be known, then, as Gogol.

Lahiri brings her enormous powers of description to her first novel, infusing scene after scene with profound emotional depth. Condensed and controlled, THE NAMESAKE covers three decades and crosses continents, all the while zooming in at very precise moments on telling detail, sensory richness, and fine nuances of character.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00I7JO1O2
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fourth Estate (27 Mar. 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1.2 MB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 305 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 3,009 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 16 in Literary Satire Fiction
- 17 in Medical Fiction (Kindle Store)
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10,143 ratings

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Jhumpa Lahiri
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Jhumpa Lahiri was born in London and raised in Rhode Island. Her debut, internationally-bestselling collection, Interpreter of Maladies, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, the PEN/Hemingway Award, The New Yorker Debut of the Year award, an American Academy of Arts and Letters Addison Metcalf Award, and a nomination for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It was translated into twenty-nine languages. Her first novel, The Namesake, was a New York Times Notable Book, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, and selected as one of the best books of the year by USA Today and Entertainment Weekly, among other publications. Her second collection, Unaccustomed Earth, was a #1 New York Times bestseller; named a best book of the year by The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times, among others; and the recipient of the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Lahiri was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2002 and inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2012.
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Mira Nair
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Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian filmmaker based in New York. Her production company, Mirabai Films, specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural spheres. Among her best known films are Mississippi Masala, The Namesake, the Golden Lion-winning Monsoon Wedding and Salaam Bombay!, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
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Customers find the book a great read that holds their attention from the first page, with brilliant style that portrays scenes vividly. Moreover, they appreciate the character development, with one customer noting how the twists and turns kept them engaged from start to finish. Additionally, the book provides fascinating insights into family life, with one review highlighting its portrayal of Asian immigrant families, while another describes it as a touching story about cultural identity.

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Readability Writing style Storyline Character development Insight into family life Intelligence

31 customers mention ‘Readability’27 positive4 negative

Customers find the book to be a great read that holds their attention from the first page.

"...One of my favourite books ever!" Read more

"...You can seem them all from all sides and love them for it. A most absorbing read. I have been advised that it is also a wonderful film. [..." Read more

"...family story told very well and, for a first full-length novel, it is brilliant and I really look forward to reading more of Jhumpa Lahiri’s work." Read more

"...was like saying goodbye forever to a good friend - always a sign of good read...." Read more

24 customers mention ‘Writing style’21 positive3 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, describing it as beautifully described and brilliant in its portrayal of scenes, with one customer noting its great warmth.

"This book is such a beautiful book of a simple story of an immigrant family fighting to keep their identity in modern day America...." Read more

"...misfortunes of Gogol/Nikhil and his nearest and dearest are beautifully described. Life happens to them; when they are busy making other plans...." Read more

"...The writing is beautiful (it helps if you like short sentences) and the characters are complex and real...." Read more

"...I would still recommend this book, as the author does have a lovely way with words and it is a nice steady read." Read more

16 customers mention ‘Storyline’16 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline of the book, with one customer describing it as a simple family story told very well, while another notes how wistful moments abound throughout the narrative.

"This book is such a beautiful book of a simple story of an immigrant family fighting to keep their identity in modern day America...." Read more

"...Wistful moments abound. The story become unexpectedly, for me, entirely touching...." Read more

"...At its heart, this is a simple family story told very well and, for a first full-length novel, it is brilliant and I really look forward to reading..." Read more

"This is a lovely story of a family of Bengalis living in America...." Read more

8 customers mention ‘Character development’8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one customer noting how the twists and turns of the main character kept them engaged from start to finish.

"...is beautiful (it helps if you like short sentences) and the characters are complex and real...." Read more

"...I really like all the characters and the story followed a good timeline...." Read more

"...On the plus side I cared a lot for the characters and the book resonates...." Read more

"This is well written, with rounded, believable characters and a valuable glimpse into finding identity in a new country...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Insight into family life’7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's portrayal of family life, with one review highlighting how diverse upbringings create an interesting narrative, while another notes how it provides valuable insight into the merging of cultures.

"...I loved reading about the struggles the family overcame and how their diverse upbringings made for an interesting story...." Read more

"Love how Gogol and family are portrayed in the 3rd person. Like watching over their shoulders. Very effective. Intense but restrained." Read more

"...written, with rounded, believable characters and a valuable glimpse into finding identity in a new country. But in the end, it just went nowhere...." Read more

"An interesting and piquant look at family life that although in this instance that of someone settling in America could be translated to any..." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Intelligence’7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's intelligence, finding it fascinating and educational, with one customer noting how interesting it is to read about different cultures.

"...It was interesting to read about the different cultures and see how Gogol and his sister coped with the two worlds...." Read more

"...Reading this was like listening to a dear friend who is intelligent and wise but talks a bit too much." Read more

"...And I found it very educational...." Read more

"A fascinating insight into what it is like to be caught between two cultures- in this instance between Bengali and U.S. cultures but it applies to..." Read more

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Amazon Customer
Top 5 books ever read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 January 2025
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This book is such a beautiful book of a simple story of an immigrant family fighting to keep their identity in modern day America. One of my favourite books ever!

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Katharine Kirby
Gogol's name put me off too! Until I understood...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 February 2011
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I ordered 'The Namesake' after greatly appreciating Unaccustomed Earth which had me reaching for a notebook to capture forever some wonderful quotes from it. Still 'The Namesake' sat about for a while as a 'to be read' (TBR) i.e. 'some other time', before I started it, as the write up on the back left me a bit cool towards the content. I actually realise now that I too was consciously affected by the ugliness of Gogol's name; it called to mind Gorgons, or some such monster.

Grappling with this awkward and unexplainable handle, Gogol ploughs through his serious days. Removed from India to the USA, his parents seem apologetic and nervous of the outside world; yet urgently needing to fit in and to recreate the warm, accepting, encircling love they left behind with their large family. Longing for their distanced relations suffuses the lives of Ashoke and Ashima. All the same they are determined to make a success of their new situation, well prepared to quietly sacrifice deep set parts of their make up for the happiness of Gogol and his sister Sonia, aka Sonali. In a way they are all children, newly born to the American life. Understanding of his parents' sacrifice comes late to Gogol; as a child he has a foot in both camps having naturally become more American than Bengali. Children can as we know, be cruel.

Wistful moments abound. The story become unexpectedly, for me, entirely touching. Having a short name and a long name is quite usual, I know the feeling of not recognising my proper name in the first days of school. For the Bengali tradition there is a 'good' name and a given one. One is used privately, the other for the outside world. Through a little mishap this process goes awry for Gogol. Thereafter he feels ill at ease with himself and it is this that sets him apart more than his race it seems. So what a challenge it can be to come to terms with an ill fitting label. Somehow it seems to colour his place in life and his success in relationships. Being Gogol is a tough row to hoe. Luckily Nikhil rides to his rescue, his other name. It is fascinating to know what actually makes someone physically change their 'christian' name - 'The Namesake' deftly offers an explanation for this intriguing mystery.

The phenomenon of rather falling in love with other families happens to Gogol, when he is accepted by the parents of one girlfriend quite completely. This is a rite of passage I think for young people, when they are emerging into their own personalities and deciding the kind of life they will choose. A form of disloyalty to the birth family but an educational process all the same.

The fortunes and misfortunes of Gogol/Nikhil and his nearest and dearest are beautifully described. Life happens to them; when they are busy making other plans. How they cope and re emerge from troubles keeps you reading with attachment and empathy. You can seem them all from all sides and love them for it. A most absorbing read. I have been advised that it is also a wonderful film. The Namesake [DVD] [2006]

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S Payne
An immersive read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 July 2021
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This is the first book I have read by Jhumpa Lahiri but it has been on my TBR pile for a while after seeing it so highly rated. I love being immersed in another culture when I read and, as I have also emigrated to another country, I was keen to start and be taken on a familiar but different journey.

We start the book in 1968 with Ashoke and Ashmina Ganguli, they are recently wed in an arranged marriage and have immigrated to Boston from Calcutta so that Ashoke can pursue a PhD in engineering. This is a world away from their Bengali family and friends and in the days before the internet, Ashmina is immediately homesick for India so she finds a network of Bengalis up and down the east coast, preserving traditions and creating a pseudo-family in her new country. Within the first year of the Gangulis arrival, Ashmina gives birth to a son, Gogol, named after the Russian writer, whose volume of short stories saved his fathers life during a fatal train derailment in India. Ashoke and Ashmina then have a daughter and they desire that their children have a Bengali life in America despite being one of few Indian families in their area but Gogol and his younger sister Sonali grow up fully assimilated as Americans. They barely speak Bengali and only once in a while crave Indian food. Both choose career paths that are not traditionally Indian so that they have little contact with the Bengali culture that their parents fought so hard to preserve. We follow the family over many years, shifting in perspective from parent to child, and see how their lives adapt, change and remain traditional in some ways as they navigate their futures in the US.

I was immediately swept into the story and regularly found myself thinking about the characters when I wasn’t reading the book. This doesn’t happen often and I love it when a book does this to me. The writing is beautiful (it helps if you like short sentences) and the characters are complex and real. I loved reading about the struggles the family overcame and how their diverse upbringings made for an interesting story. Ashima's culture shock and Gogol's identity crises both felt very authentic and I also liked seeing one family's experiences over such a large timescale (around 30 years).

At its heart, this is a simple family story told very well and, for a first full-length novel, it is brilliant and I really look forward to reading more of Jhumpa Lahiri’s work.

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Bengali in America
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 October 2024
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This is a lovely story of a family of Bengalis living in America. The mother and father don't integrate very much with Americans, but fine other Bengalis to share their time with. You definitely get a feel for their lives and an underlying dissatisfaction with their lives , of Gogol and his wife Mousumi. There are spellings throughout which I presume to be the American take on things. Pujo which I know as puja and all the Mousumis I know spell their name Mausumi and a few other spellings.

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Kate
really enjoyable read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 September 2018
Verified Purchase
for the first part of this book i found it a little slow - much detailing of everyday life... but once I had got into the gentle rhythm of it I became totally captivated and when i finished it, it was like saying goodbye forever to a good friend - always a sign of good read. was glad to have heard it talked about on Radio 4 and had the chance to enjoy it.

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Kiruthiga
Very touching and soulful book - Must read
Reviewed in France on 1 September 2015
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When I started reading this book , I wish I had not started this book for one reason that It is very much my life as a immigrant. It affected me so deep and just could not stop reading.
The story affected me so much, which I myself don't know until, that I cried so badly when Mr Ganguly died. The life is pretty much exactly the same as explained for a Indian Immigrant in a Western country. The psychological challenges being away from the family and confused about the western culture and childrens being half indians and half american are so exquisitely explained.
Life in India explained through a westerner's point of view are put in a funny way and may seem misunderstood from a Indian perspective, but the characterisation of Gogol is very true.
I just could not even write a review having to remember the story again which affects me even now.
I enjoyed reading someone express the life in a true manner about the life in India and in US through an eyes of an outsider.

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Priyanka Sah
Perfect read
Reviewed in India on 11 September 2021
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"The Namesake" by 'Jhumpa Lahiri' is simple yet extraordinary tale of an Indian bengali family, who has immigrated and settled in America. This book portrays the two generation's thought process, the difference and similarities between them, hardships of people who changed their nation. It also deals with many emotional aspects too like the craving for homeland, love, marriage, failing relationships etc. but the main theme of the book was identity and naming of the the protagonist.

Ashoke Ganguli an intelligent young man was married to Ashima who is shown as an homemaker. They shifted in America just after their marriage. Ashoke being a working man got busy in his schedule and Ashima was left back, she crept to go her homeland. Though after sometime she started getting use to her life. The book opens with her pregnancy scene, she gave birth to a boy. Through her pregnancy journey to her labour pain ward she was shown comparing the particular place where they lived to India, which shows that she hasn't completely embraced US yet. And this isn't the end, throughout the book she has been shown comparing the nation where she lived to where she belonged. Her love and respect towards her homeland is something next level which will give a reader a jolt of rapture.

Ashima and Ashoke though they have moved to abroad but they haven't forgotten their roots which is seen in the first half of the book itself. When their first child was born they were waiting for their grandmother's letter which has their child's name. Unfortunately the letter was lost and in an emergency they had to choose their child's name, 'Gogol'. And this very name gives turn to the story. Hereby this is the central theme of the book. The importance of this name in Ashoke's life discussed in the book is another interesting plot.

Years later when Gogol grew up he was ashamed of his name and changed his name to 'Nikhil' and was happy with that until he came to know the importance of 'Gogol' in his father's life. He led his life the way he desired. He wasn't very fond of Indian culture and ritual. He found it extraordinary which made him try to escape from them. Later he learns through his hardships and failure what exactly life is about. Though it was too late for it. (It's a freaking human tendency we never care what we have)

This book was a heart warming roller coaster ride for me. The plot was gripping, themes and characters were great and the most beautiful thing was the way it was presented. There will be several points in the book which will teach you good life lessons while reading this, like how we take our parents or loved ones for granted, another thing was we should never ever forget our roots where we come from, our identity cause that's what matter and many more things. In short it was a wholesome read. I would recommend this book to each and everyone out there. You won't regret even for a second once you start this masterpiece.

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Priyanka Sah

Perfect read

Reviewed in India on 11 September 2021
"The Namesake" by 'Jhumpa Lahiri' is simple yet extraordinary tale of an Indian bengali family, who has immigrated and settled in America. This book portrays the two generation's thought process, the difference and similarities between them, hardships of people who changed their nation. It also deals with many emotional aspects too like the craving for homeland, love, marriage, failing relationships etc. but the main theme of the book was identity and naming of the the protagonist.

Ashoke Ganguli an intelligent young man was married to Ashima who is shown as an homemaker. They shifted in America just after their marriage. Ashoke being a working man got busy in his schedule and Ashima was left back, she crept to go her homeland. Though after sometime she started getting use to her life. The book opens with her pregnancy scene, she gave birth to a boy. Through her pregnancy journey to her labour pain ward she was shown comparing the particular place where they lived to India, which shows that she hasn't completely embraced US yet. And this isn't the end, throughout the book she has been shown comparing the nation where she lived to where she belonged. Her love and respect towards her homeland is something next level which will give a reader a jolt of rapture.

Ashima and Ashoke though they have moved to abroad but they haven't forgotten their roots which is seen in the first half of the book itself. When their first child was born they were waiting for their grandmother's letter which has their child's name. Unfortunately the letter was lost and in an emergency they had to choose their child's name, 'Gogol'. And this very name gives turn to the story. Hereby this is the central theme of the book. The importance of this name in Ashoke's life discussed in the book is another interesting plot.

Years later when Gogol grew up he was ashamed of his name and changed his name to 'Nikhil' and was happy with that until he came to know the importance of 'Gogol' in his father's life. He led his life the way he desired. He wasn't very fond of Indian culture and ritual. He found it extraordinary which made him try to escape from them. Later he learns through his hardships and failure what exactly life is about. Though it was too late for it. (It's a freaking human tendency we never care what we have)

This book was a heart warming roller coaster ride for me. The plot was gripping, themes and characters were great and the most beautiful thing was the way it was presented. There will be several points in the book which will teach you good life lessons while reading this, like how we take our parents or loved ones for granted, another thing was we should never ever forget our roots where we come from, our identity cause that's what matter and many more things. In short it was a wholesome read. I would recommend this book to each and everyone out there. You won't regret even for a second once you start this masterpiece.

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Janet Begin
A wonderful read!!!
Reviewed in Canada on 10 January 2014
Verified Purchase
I have just finished the novel "the Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri!! It is a wonderful read, written with such raw emotion.
Her development of the characters was so well done!! You could feel their frustrations, fears and anxieties! It takes a long time for the main character to realize who he really is and the value of his namesake!
I can't wait to read to read the rest of her novels! I do enjoy her writing!!!!!
Other novels by Jhumpa Lahiri are "The Lowland", "Interpreter of Maladies"and "Unaccustomed Earth".

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navtaq
Mistress of emotions
Reviewed in Germany on 30 March 2017
Verified Purchase
Apart from her depiction of the cross border intercultural conflict (that she does so artfully), Jhumpa Lahiri's grasp of human emotion and her ability to capture and beautifully put it in words just amazes me. This book will evoke a sense of pathos for all those people living away from their motherland as they might have undergone similar circumstances or experiences.

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Javier Ogarrio
The Namesake
Reviewed in Mexico on 23 July 2019
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Esta muy bien escrito. Es una lectura agradable y franca. Interesante el choque de dos culturas, que al parecer tiene un componente personal de la autora. Muy recomendable

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5.0 out of 5 stars Top 5 books ever read

4.0 out of 5 stars Gogol's name put me off too! Until I understood...

5.0 out of 5 stars An immersive read

5.0 out of 5 stars Bengali in America

4.0 out of 5 stars really enjoyable read!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Very touching and soulful book - Must read

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect read

Perfect read

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5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Mistress of emotions

4.0 out of 5 stars The Namesake

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Top 5 books ever read

Gogol's name put me off too! Until I understood...

An immersive read

Bengali in America

really enjoyable read!

Very touching and soulful book - Must read

Perfect read

A wonderful read!!!

Mistress of emotions

The Namesake