A review by brownikins
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

The Lowland was a bit of a slow start, but once it got going, I was enthralled. Lahiri has such a beautiful way with words. The main protagonist describes his family as "a family of solitaries" which is a stunningly apt descriptor of a cast of characters. Each one so deeply involved in themselves that you have to see inside their heads to parse their thoughts and motivations, and to understand their actions. The early parts of the novel explore  the Maoist "Naxalite" political movement in India which led me to do further research on the movement. This novel was eye-opening, honest, and heart wrenching, and to me is a story about longing, love, and dreams both realized and suppressed.