Scan barcode
A review by book_concierge
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
4.0
Lahiri once again focuses on the immigrant experience, specifically Bengalis living in New England or the Middle Atlantic states. Her stories are perfect snapshots of people’s lives. They are unique to their experience, yet universal in their reactions to what happens to them. Therefore, the reader, even though not of the same ethnic group, can easily identify with her characters. Who hasn’t suffered the loss of a loved one? Or been disappointed in love? Or questioned a career choice (or major field of study)? That she is able to speak so directly to her readers, transcending our differences, is a measure of her gift. Her writing is elegant, emotional, haunting, profound, distressing and beautiful.
Sarita Choudhury and Ajay Naidu do a great job of reading these short stories for the audio book format. Their alternate performance follows Lahiri’s plan is using a female or a male narrator. I never had any trouble keeping the characters straight. This alternating voice was particularly helpful in the last three stories, which are linked, following two characters through several decades of their infrequently connected lives.
Sarita Choudhury and Ajay Naidu do a great job of reading these short stories for the audio book format. Their alternate performance follows Lahiri’s plan is using a female or a male narrator. I never had any trouble keeping the characters straight. This alternating voice was particularly helpful in the last three stories, which are linked, following two characters through several decades of their infrequently connected lives.