Reviews

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

qnawal97's review against another edition

5.0

Jhumpa Lahiri does it again and makes my heart wrench and find bittersweet relatabilities in every short story in this book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as I enjoy reading all her work. Lahiri has a poignant way of perfectly describing the complexities of relationships in one chapter. This book was no exception with the focus being on families. I thought her distinct style of basing each chapter on a different arrangement of characters and story and then having the last third of the book dedicated to two specific characters and their life stories weaved together was very unique and was a great finale to a very heavy and emotionally dense novel.

roseleaf24's review against another edition

4.0

Lahiri is a master of the short form. It is incredible to me how much she can fit in a short story. Some of these were better than others for me, and some of them delightfully intertwined.

shutupdivs's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

this book left me emotionally scarred lmao
'Hell-Heaven' was my favorite story in this compilation until i read 'Hema and Kaushik'. something about Lahiri's writing style is SO homely and familiar, while at the same time she makes observations about mundane life that would generally escape my notice. i trust her to write books that unconsciously float in your memory, strengthened by the sheer melancholy. this book made me fall in love with the solemnity and sobreity of the short story.

martine_01's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

alice_wonders's review against another edition

4.0

A great second collection of short stories by Pulitizer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri. It all wraps up nicely in the end.

moment2shine's review against another edition

5.0

A beautiful moving book. I didn't want it to end. She is a write for people who simply love to read!

ravenclaw_demigod7's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a beautiful collection of short stories written in the signature Jhumpa Lahiri style. A particular favourite of mine is 'Hell Heaven'.

kimchiiiii's review against another edition

5.0

every story was like a shard of glass to the heart

mfraise05's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed these stories immensely and didn't feel like I was forcing myself through them. All of the critics say Lahiri uses "clear prose" lol and it's true. There's something to be said for simple, direct language that's neither overly flowery or symbolic. The stories touch on everything from displacement (all of the characters are Indian immigrants to America or the first generation children of these immigrants) to various relationships (romantic, familial, etc).

aakash001's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0