Review of The Namesake

Read This for your (Name) Sake
Bengalis are known for their excellence in Indian English literature. Be it Shobhaa De or Mahashweta Devi or Jhumpa Lahiri. So, it wasn’t total surprise when Jhumpa Lahiri won Pulitzer’s prize for collection of short stories’ Interpreter of Maladies’. The day she finished her next book, ‘The Namesake’, the eager of her fans knew no bounds to grab a copy and turn pages. The lady didn’t turn them down and lived up to expectations.
The book spans around world tracking us from Calcutta to Cambridge to New York in 1960s and onwards. It traces journey of life of a Bengali family. The head of family, Ashoke Ganguly, a Calcutta resident decides to leave India permanently when he is stuck in near to death experience in a train accident. He leaves for Cambridge where he pursues his higher education and after achieving a master degree takes job as lecturer and joins for research study. The urge for marriage arises which brings him back to Calcutta and searches a bride for himself, Ashima Ganguly. The couple leaves for States immediately after marriage where the lady of house finds herself in truce. Away from motherland she yearns for her mother, her father, her friends a person to talk for. In her rented apartment she searches place for herself, her identity. A year later, she comes to know she is going to have company in her cramped apartment but she is glad to have the company and to add her joy it’s her own blood one that she has given her blood to enrich. The happiness knew no boundaries when a son is born in foreign land for two Indians. But, the boy loses his name when the grandmother who has to name the child dies. The joy of birth replaces with dilemma of naming the baby. And a name of author whose book saved Ashoke from the train accident is chosen, Nikolai Gogol. The baby is named Gogol for time being, only to much later realization to parents that once registered in birth certificate is a permanent name in United States. The pet name or an Indian name ‘Nikhil’ is plastered for him on first day of school, much to dismay of son. He just responds to Gogol. As the years pass by he grows in American culture in traditional Indian family often finding conflicted between cultures in 1 life. Living a dual life one day he realizes he has younger sister to share parents love with. The seasons race along with growth of children that live a dual life. Often drawing them to western lifestyle and prejudicing their own culture. In this dwindling personality, a day comes when he realizes biography of author Gogol and starts despising his name. All through out school and college he hated being called by his name. Once out of home in university in a different city, he amends his name to Nikhil and begins life he was drawn too. Living in hostel he enjoys pleasures of pot, drinks, smoke, girls etc. Life gives him everything he dreamt of. He falls into love with American girls but only to end up alone. After study he moves to New York for job and back home his sister also moves to California for study. On of his low frequent visits to his home, a horror is unleashed by Ashoke. He explains his importance of his name Gogol and the incident from which he was saved yet paralyzed and suffered but the book by Gogol was his savior. Nikhil shudders hearing it and also learns that Ashima is going to be alone for awhile as his father is taking up job in different state for sometime. Back in New York, Nikhil falls in love again with a white girl and moves to her place shared by her parents. Life changes again for him again and to his own surprise he enjoys a life finds whole new lifestyle. Ashima has learnt to adjust herself alone despite initial fears and trials.
Then one day phone rings three places and they learnt their sole protector is no more. Ashoke dies in a hospital at different state. When, Nikhil goes for last rituals of father and collecting his remains, a vague emptiness and sense of loss grips him. In this grief, he loses his girl friend and gets responsible for his mother and sister. His sister moves in with Ashima, whose grief is beyond any limits. The life and the author give a twist which changes them forever. Nikhil now meets a Bengal girl on insistence of his mother. Its something about her that strikes him and indulges him to marry her. They get married with loads of blessings from their families. A year down marriage the touch has been lost and marriage crumbles down, Its as if he is destined to live alone. Another year passes buy his sister Sonia has found a guy for marriage and his mother Ashima wants to move to India for sometime. She decides to spend 6 months in Calcutta and 6 months in America. Another grief that makes Nikhil realizes his emptiness and change in his life forever.
The author has described journey in a delightful manner that pleases reader. The language used is superlative with good continuation. Though the book is definitely not a not put down able but it’s gripping and interesting. The descriptive capability of writer is excellent along with capability to web the story. It is a book which I suggest a reader shouldn’t miss.