---
product_id: 205234191
title: "The Namesake: A Novel"
price: "€ 37.00"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.es/products/205234191-the-namesake-a-novel
store_origin: ES
region: Spain
---

# The Namesake: A Novel

**Price:** € 37.00
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- **What is this?** The Namesake: A Novel
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## Description

desertcart.com: The Namesake: A Novel: 9780358062684: Lahiri, Jhumpa: Books

Review: beautiful - The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri is an amazing novel that describes the life of, Gogol, a second generation immigrant boy living in the United States. It very vividly describes the struggles of assimilating into American culture while still keeping his family's Indian traditions. He struggles with the meaning of his name and constantly feels that he is being judged by the name alone. Gogol does not seem to understand why he has to keep all of his Indian traditions alive. He is often embarrassed by his parents and the way that they act. He also has a hard time really finding out who he is and where he belongs. He craves the American lifestyle and attends Yale while dating many American girls. He is drawn to their free spirit and their lifestyle which is so different from the one he has always known. The author is very descriptive in her writing therefore allowing the reader to become completely immersed in the book. She uses he descriptions in such a way that one can actually feel how the characters are feeling in the novel. Being a second generation American myself, I found that I could really relate to a lot of the topics being covered in the book. I could relate with the struggle of identity as well as how sometimes it is very difficult for second generation Americans to relate with their own parents. This novel makes it very clear that even though there are many different immigrant families here in the United States we still all go through the same hardships in order to make it to where we want to be. Not only does the novel show Gogol's struggle but it also shows the struggle of a first generation immigrant through his mother. Gogol's mother has a very hard time adjusting to America. She misses everyone back home in India and that is something that I see in my own mother all of the time. The novel clearly depicts how there is always a constant struggle no matter how long one has been living in this country. I would definitely recommend this book because it is a very well written novel. It is a very moving and inspiration story that becomes very memorable. The language she uses to express her thoughts is very well crafted. Lahiri really has a way of making the reader want to keep turning the page
Review: Very good first novel - I have just finished "The Namesake" so all my impressions are fresh. As many other readers, I bought this book because I was impressed by Lahiri's short stories. This one, although obviously the author should try to do better with the novel form in future, is remarkable too. The story of Indian immigrant family, typical for second half of the 20th century and, in many ways, matching my own, which just started (scholars moving to the States thanks to their academic achievements and lured by career prospects, sinking into this "melting pot" and becoming a part of it) is emotionally charged so much that sometimes I had tears in my eyes. The parents, Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli, deal with detachment from their families and their world in India by incorporating parts of their old life and tradition into the American everyday reality, surrounding themselves with Bengali friends in the same situation, but their children, born in America, have a much greater problem with their identity. This is common to most of the immigrant children and more or less a generally known truth, but Lahiri describes the feelings of the main protagonist, the firstborn son of the Ganguli family, with extraordinary acuteness. The boy is named Gogol, after his father's favorite Russian writer, but Ashoke gives him this name not only as a tribute to the novelist. It is a memory of an important event in his life, he treats the name as a symbol, a sign. Gogol, however, hates his name and we go with him through the rebellion years, contesting the values of his family, trying the new ways, name change, falling in love with American girls (or more with their lifestyles), slowly and gradually getting to understand, accept and finally appreciate the Indian heritage and his parents (although there are many failures on the way). I was left with a profound feeling of melancholy and thoughtfulness. Formally, there are some uncomfortable shortcuts (especially towards the end of the novel) and the plot feels sometimes a bit awkward (I would like to make a more general remark here, namely that the new generation of authors who attended the Creative Writing courses has something in common, as if the rules they learn left on each of them the same mark, difficult to wash away and cover with the personality; it might be expected from beginners but surely must fade away if they do not want to be called beginners any more), but it is an interesting novel. I treat is as somewhat of an appetizer, a promise of the masterpieces yet to come from under Jhumpa Lahiri's pen.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #7,422 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #38 in Cultural Heritage Fiction #107 in Short Stories (Books) #610 in Literary Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (11,117) |
| Dimensions  | 5.5 x 0.81 x 8.25 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| ISBN-10  | 0358062683 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0358062684 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 336 pages |
| Publication date  | June 4, 2019 |
| Publisher  | Mariner Books Classics |
| Reading age  | 14 years and up |

## Images

![The Namesake: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71UzMq1mN+L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ beautiful
*by P***S on February 14, 2013*

The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri is an amazing novel that describes the life of, Gogol, a second generation immigrant boy living in the United States. It very vividly describes the struggles of assimilating into American culture while still keeping his family's Indian traditions. He struggles with the meaning of his name and constantly feels that he is being judged by the name alone. Gogol does not seem to understand why he has to keep all of his Indian traditions alive. He is often embarrassed by his parents and the way that they act. He also has a hard time really finding out who he is and where he belongs. He craves the American lifestyle and attends Yale while dating many American girls. He is drawn to their free spirit and their lifestyle which is so different from the one he has always known. The author is very descriptive in her writing therefore allowing the reader to become completely immersed in the book. She uses he descriptions in such a way that one can actually feel how the characters are feeling in the novel. Being a second generation American myself, I found that I could really relate to a lot of the topics being covered in the book. I could relate with the struggle of identity as well as how sometimes it is very difficult for second generation Americans to relate with their own parents. This novel makes it very clear that even though there are many different immigrant families here in the United States we still all go through the same hardships in order to make it to where we want to be. Not only does the novel show Gogol's struggle but it also shows the struggle of a first generation immigrant through his mother. Gogol's mother has a very hard time adjusting to America. She misses everyone back home in India and that is something that I see in my own mother all of the time. The novel clearly depicts how there is always a constant struggle no matter how long one has been living in this country. I would definitely recommend this book because it is a very well written novel. It is a very moving and inspiration story that becomes very memorable. The language she uses to express her thoughts is very well crafted. Lahiri really has a way of making the reader want to keep turning the page

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very good first novel
*by A***R on March 9, 2006*

I have just finished "The Namesake" so all my impressions are fresh. As many other readers, I bought this book because I was impressed by Lahiri's short stories. This one, although obviously the author should try to do better with the novel form in future, is remarkable too. The story of Indian immigrant family, typical for second half of the 20th century and, in many ways, matching my own, which just started (scholars moving to the States thanks to their academic achievements and lured by career prospects, sinking into this "melting pot" and becoming a part of it) is emotionally charged so much that sometimes I had tears in my eyes. The parents, Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli, deal with detachment from their families and their world in India by incorporating parts of their old life and tradition into the American everyday reality, surrounding themselves with Bengali friends in the same situation, but their children, born in America, have a much greater problem with their identity. This is common to most of the immigrant children and more or less a generally known truth, but Lahiri describes the feelings of the main protagonist, the firstborn son of the Ganguli family, with extraordinary acuteness. The boy is named Gogol, after his father's favorite Russian writer, but Ashoke gives him this name not only as a tribute to the novelist. It is a memory of an important event in his life, he treats the name as a symbol, a sign. Gogol, however, hates his name and we go with him through the rebellion years, contesting the values of his family, trying the new ways, name change, falling in love with American girls (or more with their lifestyles), slowly and gradually getting to understand, accept and finally appreciate the Indian heritage and his parents (although there are many failures on the way). I was left with a profound feeling of melancholy and thoughtfulness. Formally, there are some uncomfortable shortcuts (especially towards the end of the novel) and the plot feels sometimes a bit awkward (I would like to make a more general remark here, namely that the new generation of authors who attended the Creative Writing courses has something in common, as if the rules they learn left on each of them the same mark, difficult to wash away and cover with the personality; it might be expected from beginners but surely must fade away if they do not want to be called beginners any more), but it is an interesting novel. I treat is as somewhat of an appetizer, a promise of the masterpieces yet to come from under Jhumpa Lahiri's pen.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Expanded my world view…
*by E***L on July 31, 2025*

I enjoyed this book from several perspectives. As a story, its characters were well-developed and sensitively drawn, and because they came from a culture different from mine, it expanded my understanding of the immigrant perspective: challenges and opportunities. As a writer myself (albeit nonfiction) I was also intrigued with Lahiri’s writing style. Her ability to bring a scene to life with myriad common details was fascinating and effective, and I was also interested in her Afterword statement that her writing style had changed a great deal. The book made me think about my parents, my upbringing, the factors and events that shaped me and my family. We will be discussing this book in our next book club gathering, and I found the discussion questions helpful and engaging.

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*Product available on Desertcart Spain*
*Store origin: ES*
*Last updated: 2026-02-03*