I’ve been enjoying an advance copy of Jhumpa Lahiri’s new collection of short fiction, Unaccustomed Earth. These stories don’t significantly diverge from her previous fiction, either in theme or tone or style, but they still are moving renditions of Indian immigrants torn between being American and being Indian. Of these eight stories, only three (so far) were published in The New Yorker, and, strangely enough, because more than half haven’t been seen before, I think that might help sales. In The Dead Fish Museum by Charles D’ambrosio, six of the eight stories were published in The New Yorker, and I think that was a reason for poor sales — people had already read most of what was selling for $24. For those of you who want a sneak peak at Unaccustomed Earth, I’ll offer this excerpt from the title story, which is not one of the previously published.
After her mother’s death, Ruma’s father retired from the pharmaceutical company where he had worked for many decades and began traveling in Europe, a continent he’d never seen. In the past year he had visited France, Holland, and most recently Italy. They were package tours, traveling in the company of strangers, riding by bus through the countryside, each meal and museum and hotel prearranged. He was gone for two, three, sometimes four weeks at a time. When he was away Ruma did not hear from him. Each time, she kept the printout of his flight information behind a magnet on the door of the refrigerator, and on the days he was scheduled to fly she watched the news, to make sure there hadn’t been a plane crash anywhere in the world.
Occasionally a postcard would arrive in Seattle, where Ruma and Adam and their son Akash lived. The postcards showed the facades of churches, stone fountains, crowded piazzas, terra-cotta rooftops mellowed by late afternoon sun. Nearly fifteen years had passed since Ruma’s only European adventure, a month-long EuroRail holiday she’d taken with two girlfriends after college, with money saved up from her salary as a parale-gal. She’d slept in shabby pensions, practicing a frugality that was foreign to her at this stage of her life, buying nothing but variations of the same postcards her father sent now. Her father wrote succinct, impersonal accounts of the things he had most recently seen and done: “Yesterday the Uffizi Gallery. Today a walk to the other side of the Arno. A trip to Siena scheduled tomorrow.” Occasionally there was a sentence about the weather. But there was never a sense of her father’s presence in those places.
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To be honest, I am tired of this “Indian immigrants torn between being American and being Indian” theme. However, to her credit, she churns out all these stories pretty much with same settings and characters but surprisingly makes it interesting enough to read. For instance, the last one in New Yorker, Year’s End: New England suburb, dead Mother, college Kid with American girl friend, family conflict…Namesake? True, she added new elements, but still, I am not enjoying her stories as I used to few years back.
I think what keeps Lahiri’s stories interesting to read, though she continues writing on the same themes, is that she finds new perspectives and angles to tell the truth.
Dear BookFox,
I was fascinated to read that you have already read Jhumpa Lahiri’s new collection of short stories, “Unaccustomed Earth”!
I am a great admirer of Lahiri’s work and I was wondering how I could possibly have access to a copy myself. I am a translator and I am currently studying Lahiri’s work for my MA thesis at the University of Athens, Greece. I am looking forward to the release of her second short story collection on April 1st. I have already preordered “Unaccustomed Earth”, but I would be very much interested in finding out if there is a way to have a copy earlier!
I would appreciate any information concerning the collection.
Thank you very much in advance.
Best regards,
Constantina Georgoulia
I too am finishing reading an advanced copy of “Unaccustomed Earth.” Lahiri definitely has a grasp on her specific content and subject matter. But it would be nice to see what she could do with other situations.
Dear BookFox,
I was fascinated to read that you have already read Jhumpa Lahiri’s new collection of short stories, “Unaccustomed Earth”!
I am a great admirer of Lahiri’s work and I was wondering how I could possibly have access to a copy myself. I am a translator and I am currently studying Lahiri’s work for my MA thesis at the University of Athens, Greece. I am looking forward to the release of her second short story collection on April 1st. I have already preordered “Unaccustomed Earth”, but I would be very much interested in finding out if there is a way to have a copy earlier!
I would appreciate any information concerning the collection.
Thank you very much in advance.
Best regards,
Constantina Georgoulia
I absolutely loved Lahiri’s work…she does pick up the same theme time and again, but there is something very convincing and truthful about her stories that just keeps pushing you on…you get fully absorbed and are in a way oblivious to the presence of a world other than that portrayed by her…i love her work…
I’d like to work on Jhumpa’s works for my M PHIL thesis. I just watched the movie The NAMESAKE and identified myself with the character Gogol. I still seek my identity , being here in India for over 30 yrs . This identity crisis is not only related to the NRI’s but also for native people who sometimes are lost in a crowd. Jhumpa’s characters are realistic , simple & comprehendable.
If possible, may I have Jhumpa’s E mail ID so that she would guide me further in my research work.
i recently finished reading this book and the honesty and conviction of the way characters are portrayed moved me as jhumpa lahiri always manages to do..i am sure many nri’s would identify themselves with the characters for i surely did,having spent most of my childhood in india and then moving to u.s with my family.