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Literature Blogs Book Reviews Book Review: The Unaccustomed Earth
Literature Blogs Book Reviews Book Review: The Unaccustomed Earth
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Book - The Unaccustomed Earth
Author - Jhumpa Lahiri
Another remarkable piece of work comes from this Pulitzer winning Indian gem.Jhumpa Lahiri, is one of most popular Indian born authors who has shone at the international Literature forums. She made a mark for herself with her first collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, which explored more on an autobiographical line, the lives of NRIs clinging to the Bengali culture of Tagore and Ray,desperate to pass it off as a legacy to their foreign bred children. The USP of Lahiri lies in the simplicity of her language and the lucid flow of her words.The stories are warm and sensitive, and some of them touch the deepest chords in your hearts.
Unaccustomed Earth is her newest collection of short stories, comprising of eight heart wrencing ones. The themes range from a mother's sacrifice for her family to the emphasis on power dynamics between people. What clearly shows all through the book is the strong Bengali roots of the author. Lahiri renders importance to the vitality of traditonal culture.She expresses herself brilliantly at most places,though a few stories might make you morally disagree with her. For instance, the story named 'Only Goodness' was about the relationship of a brother-sister duo and how the sister on
turning a family shuns the responsibility of her younger brother by turning him out of the house. It really saddens you to see a doting sister behave in a such a rude manner.
The most striking story undoubtedly is the novella 'Hema and Kaushik' about two Bong immigrant families who coming from different cutural and social backgrounds strike a friendship. The lead charcters belong to these families and how their lives intertwine with love and seperate in utter shocking tragedy. The protagonist of the title story, Ruma,resembles Ashima Ganguly from The Namesake,an overwhelmingly strong woman who brings up her son in isolation while her husband keeps himself busy with work.
The changes which parent-children relationships are undergoing in the light of Modern times is brilliantly brought out. The charcters are assertive with thinking minds which are enmeshed with tradition and cuture.The relationships which are handled are mostly deep rooted. Lahiri allows these charcters to grow extensively making a strong mark on the readers minds.The short stories retain their essential element of suspense and the climax of most stories leave you dismayed and distraught. The writings subtly urges you to nurture your relationships and value people who care and matter the most eventually. So rush on and tell the special ones in your life how much they matter.
As for Lahiri, no surprises that she is good. Her works still continue to magically amaze us. Authors like her are expanding Modern Literature and carrying on the work of their predecessors.Though one may classify her as monotonous themed and lacking versitality, but compensates by bringing life to the most ordinary and dead charcters. A pat on her back, but Ma'am open your horizons beyond Bengal.
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