Lahiri needs to branch out of her comfort zone and write a story that goes beyond the account of Bengali-Americans trying to adjust to new frontiers. Enough already. The writing is narrative at best. For truly evocative writing on a similar theme, read Monica Ali's Brick Lane.

Lahiri gets a free pass for having a Pulitzer and for being Indian-American. I find her writing altogether prosaic, with not a single paragraph worth lingering over. To be sure this is a biased opinion. On the other hand, I am surprised that nobody has noticed the lapses in grammar, syntax, idiom and vocabulary, and instances of plain silliness, that occur so frequently in her work as to nullify any credit she deserves for her narratives. Apparently Lahiri thinks little of the process of revision, a major preoccupation with good writers; certainly, she doesn't have an conscientious editor.
Here are things I found irksome in her first story :
P3 : Eurorail ; pensions
P4 : receive mail on his end
P5 : In a few months ... the trips would diminish.
P6 : waiting for the time to pass
P10 : nurtured inside of her
P23 : never one to be conversant during meals
P28 : In spite of his jet lag he had trouble falling asleep
P32 : opened up the cupboard
P33 : spouses dying within two years of one another
P37 : part time litigation ; the parking lot where the swimming pool was ; she told her father to wait on the benches.
P43 : It would be another four weeks until the amnio, allowing them to learn the sex.
P44 : buried things into the soil
P45 : While her father was in the shower, she made tea ; and the house was filled with silence.
P51 : the day before her father was scheduled to leave ; Saturday morning, ..., the garden was finished.
P55 : everything he'd purchased
P57 : to put a bill into the mail
This is poor writing indeed, by my standards. As for her literary skills, Lahiri writes like an author of non-fiction, telling us story and background without accepting the challenge of showing these.
Judging from the high praise in this forum, winning a Pulitzer has elevated Lahiri to being the spokesperson of the Indian-American experience and ethos. But for the accident of her birth, I find her to be neither particularly Indian nor particularly Bengali. With a few culinary adjustments, she could be writing about Turkish or Malaysian immigrants.

Jhumpa Lahiri maintains the level of disciplined detail she's demonstrated in both of her previous texts. Her stories are emotional without ever devolving into melodrama. A very satisfying read.

I absolutely loved this set of stories and I look forward to reading more from this author. I've read her two previous.

This book is a treasure. Each short story is eloquently written, self-contained, and involving from the first word. The characters are beautifully developed and one really learns about the intergenerational and individual struggles when one settles in a country.

When I received this book I was so excited. I love Jhumpa Lahiri's writing, and I couldn't wait to devour the book.
But I didn't. When I realized I had already read 3 of the stories in the book in other books and magazines, I just decided to take my time with the rest. Before I encountered the last two stories, this book was firmly in 3 star territory(too much of the same premise, sometimes tedious detailing), but the last two stories showed me the Lahiri of IoM fame, and I fell in love with her writing all over again.
Lahiri first and foremost for me is an expert character creator, add that to her ability to spin a tale, and you have part of her secret formula.
Yes, she sticks to what she knows, and yes she details every bit of a scene, but that is what make her Lahiri. It's her signature. Until I read someone who can do it better, I dare not complain.
My favorite stories were Nobody's Business and Year's End, I felt Going Ashore was a bit predictable, and there was so much she could have done with the ending to keep us guessing, but she was gracious to her readers.
It was an enjoyable read.

Seven short stories ( four have appeared in the New Yorker). She tells a story brilliantly. Not a better short story writer today.

Jhumpa Lahiri has given us nothing short of literary gems, but she needs to experiment with different minerals, different cuts. "Write what you know," as they say, but I'm sure Ms. Lahiri's experience and immagination embraces more than Bengalis at home and abroad. I will be disappointed if new stories from this very gifted writer continue to begin in the vein of "Ananya fidgeted with her bangles and the ravika of her sari as she waited for Satrajit, her parent's favored candidate for her hand, to arrive from MIT where he had just secured a professorship in astrophysics......." Lahiri's is an interesting and compelling literary universe, but unlike the real one, not inexhaustible.

The power of this book is rooted in the author's keen insights into human nature. The stories linger in your memory long after you finish reading them.

This is the best to date of Lahiri's books and the jacket blurb saying she displays "emotional wisdom" is descriptive of her talent. She has been unfairly criticized for the sameness of her settings and characters which focus on the Bengali immigrant experience. That is like criticizing Hemingway for writing about men facing adversity in war or on hunting or fishing expeditions.
Lahiri writes with a transparency that is the epitome of style. Her books truly touch the reader's heart.

So The Namesake fell a little flat, but I was convinced that this was because Lahiri's style is not well suited to longer fiction. That said, I was excited to read Unaccustomed Earth, and as such, I did something that I rarely do - I sprung for a non-bargained price hardback! I took this book on vacation with me, and even with typical vacation distractions abound, I could not put this book down. The stories were more varied and complex than the Interpreter of Maladies, which often made them difficult to read because they rang so true. Lahiri has accomplished no easy feat - she was able to capture that indefinable in-betweeness of the immigrant child's experience. Her eloquent prose captures both the anger and the angst, the discomfort induced by merely existing, the bitter sweetness of success, and the tragic consequences of "failure." The second half of the book - a short story in three parts titled "Hema and Kaushik" is perhaps one of Lahiri's most impressive stories to date. The format is long enough to allow Lahiri to wind a deliciously simple narrative, while being short enough to allow her to avoid some of the tedium of The Namesake. Overall, this collection was well worth the cash and I consider it to be a must read for those of us in need of relating to some well-written immigrant angst.

The author gives you a first hand look of what it feels like to be an immigrant in America. Most of the short stories have a similar story line, makes me wonder if the author has adapted to living in America after all these years.

What a wonderful collection of stories, equal to her debut triumph and Pulitzer Prize winner, The Interpreter of Maladies. I was immersed in each story and felt connections to the various characters, despite the cultural differences. There is so much in life that can be universally understood beyond ethnic, national and racial boundaries, and Lahiri communicates this beautifully.

The first part of the book contains five separate short stories which all deal with similar themes. All of the Bengali characters are involved in unconventional relationships, often marrying Americans despite their traditional parent's wishes. The emphasis is the rift these relationships cause between the parents and their grown children who shirk the conservative lifestyle and culture of their parents. But underneath it all, there still remains a sense of obligation to aging parents and a familial bond that transcends the younger generation's Americanism.

The second part of the book is three related stories that could have easily been a novella. It is the story of a Hema and Kaushik whose lives intersect at different periods over the years. They first know each other as young children whose parents are close friends. Then they are thrust back into each other's lives as teenagers, under uncomfortable and tragic circumstances. Finally, decades later, they meet randomly in Rome and have a fleeting affair despite Hema's engagement. Theirs is a story full of remorse and what-could-have-been. It is a sad but profound conclusion. I loved the different voices Lahiri gave to these three stories, the first being told in first person by Hema, the second by Kaushik, and the final story of their last reunion in third person. Brilliantly written and engaging.

Jhumpa Lahiri just keeps getting better and better. "Unaccustomed Earth" is her third book and her second collection of short stories. I'm amazed that she was able to top "Interpreter of Maladies" with such rich, emotional portraits of love and loss. This book contains eight stories, three of which are linked together, and like all of Lahiri's previous works, each story focuses on individuals from Bengali families who are now living in the U.S. The title story revolves around Ruma, a woman who feels obligated to ask her widowed father to move into the home she shares with her father and son. Other highlights from the book include "Only Goodness," which revolves around an older sister's sense of duty toward her alcoholic brother; "Nobody's Business," a story of an American man who falls in love with his unavailable Indian roommate; and "Hema and Kaushik," three related stories that chronicle the relationship between two characters that spans more than 20 years.

Lahiri is one of the most prominent writers of modern fiction, and "Unaccustomed Earth" is another flawless collection of prose. I recommend this book to everyone, and strongly encourage you to check out the author's other two works as well.

This book is a series of stories and the first story hooked me immediately. It really pulled at my heart chakra. It was subtle and beautiful. As I read the first story on the plane, I found that I was often smiling to myself, as the interaction between the grandfather and grandson really touched me...not in a sentimental way, but in a subtle and deep way...if that makes any sense at all.

I found that with the start of each new story, I was a wee bit reluctant to leave the last characters behind, so it took me a few pages to get into each story. But once I was in, I really enjoyed it.

The last section - three stories about two characters named Hema and Kaushik - was just exquisite. That is the best and really perfect word to describe this piece of work. Lahiri says so much about connection and karma and the complexity of origin, love and loss, without saying anything at all specifically about those topics. The intereaction between the characters is everything. Lahiri is an excellent story-teller. Her style is steady, subtle and powerful all at the same time. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in how humans connect with one another in various ways, or in the many, many different permutations of the concepts of family and origin.

I am a lover of Jhumpa Lahiri and she doesn't fail me in this collection of short stories. Yes, they include many Indian characters but they are a reflection of life's mistakes, frailties and small worries that we, as humans suffer everywhere.

I don't think that I had a favorite here but just turned the pages and anticipated another good one at the end of each story. The author did not let me down.

This is more like "The Interpreter of Maladies" than "The Namesake", both great reads.

Enjoy reading...The One Eyed Turtle

Despite being a prolific writer, Lahiri fails to offer something unique and new in her third book. All her stories are marked with predictability, repetition and sameness. Probably her imagination is limited to her own Bengali immigrant experience. Nevertheless, she has an innate ability to handle complex emotions and this sustains interest in her stories.

(Note: I'm not Indian but have had plenty of Indian students, colleagues,
and friends.)
Interpreter of Maladies was probably the best short story collection I
have ever read. With The Namesake, Lahiri tried the novel form and
it just didn't fit her. Now she has found the perfect form for her.
I'd call these "short stories" because of the format but they have
the length of a (short) novella. This allows them to be meatier,
and yet she retains that wonderful sense of detail which makes her
such a joy to read. Again it is the quintessential American story,
the first and (more often) second generation Americans balancing (in her
case) Indian roots and American styles. Again it is the successful
parents worrying (with or without cause) about their Americanized
children. For the first time there is a story (about a young
woman named Sang, but I won't give it away) that was in parts
very amusing. Lahiri is a treasure -- and she's back!

I am usually not a lover of short stories. This book is the exception. What an accomplished writer she is!!!! I will be sorry to finish the book.

the stories are so easy to read, touch the human experience in spite of cultural specifics. i have been touched by all her publications.

Jhumpa Lahiri's third book contains five short stories plus three stories with linked characters. Like the stories in her first, Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Interpreter of Maladies, these stories are gems. Her second-generation immigrant Bengali young adults are coping with the loss of parents as well as the stress of living with the expectations of two cultures.
These seemingly simple tales linger with the reader. This work is so movingly true it seems astonishing coming from a young writer. Beautiful!

I have been a fan of Jhumpa Lahiri ever since I read her first book. This one, a collection of several short stories, is one of her best creations. Her detailed expressive style, fluid language and diverse topics make this book unputdownable. I recommend this book to everyone is looking for beautiful contemporary fiction.

Unaccustomed Earth is in fact just the opposite of its title- far too familiar, too full of the typical.

The voices of her characters in this book melt completely into the Namesake, or The third and final continent (from Interpreter of Maladies). All her stories seem to involve the same people placed in slightly variant situations, and her words, 'planted and re-planted for too long' in the same soil of culturally confused, educated Bengalis, fail to flourish.

Overall, it's not something I'd recommend to fans of earlier works by her.If you want to read a good Jhumpa Lahiri- try the first collection of short stories -Nothing else she's written so far come close to it.

I was disappointed that this collection of what I see as novellas more than stories was (1) not designated as a collection on the bookjacket and (2) lacked the same literary voice as previous writing by Ms. Lahiri. The stories focused on the Bengali/American culture clash and family relationships in general, but lacked the elevated language of prior writings by this talented author. I hope this is merely a temporary shift. Many writers often produce a book that falls short of the extraordinarily high bar set by the body of work which preceded it. I think that is the case here. I remain a fan of her cultural insights.

Jhumpha Lahiri always has a great writing style and ability to explore relationships between characters. This is again a short stories that are really good. I have read her earlier two books. I think she needs to move to different set of domain as I do see repetitions of Indian immigrants in American that to only in Boston & New York. Most of her characters are also very elite. I hope she tries to change her demographics in her next venture.

I just finished Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. I loved the first story and the last story, which is presented in three parts. I was not thrilled with everything in between, though they were interesting. The other six stories in their own ways, felt forced and as if the cultural differences were just a catalyst for the story, not the actual story. They did not have the masterfully written prose and the beautifully thought-provoking themes I thought the first and last stories had.

Lahiri masterfully uses imagery, symbolism and words to create an `outside looking in' type of feel to her stories. Though I may not have enjoyed the middle stories as much as the first and last, I would recommend this book to others. I found myself picking up the book to read a few paragraphs when I had a few moments to spare. I found myself really thinking about the issue presented in the first story for several days after finishing it; and I was deeply saddened by the ending of the last story. The most powerful stories in this collection `Unaccustomed Earth' and `Hema and Kaushik' were stories of the heart.

This author is a favorite of mine and she surely did not disappoint with this book. She writes with such beautiful prose that there were times that I wanted to get a marker to underline some words that made a special impact on me. She writes about families and generational issues with such sensitivity that no matter your ethnicity, you can relate. I am in a book group and we read the book last month. We all loved it. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

This is to my mind the best so far from this talented writer. It is different from the short story collection in her first book. The stories (some of them linked) are longer than in the "Interpretation of Mladies". It contains more varied set of situations--all very absorbing and well done---than the novel "Mamesake".

In this brilliant book, Lahiri sustains her control of characters and weaves tight stories. Her plots and characters move effortlessly through each vignette. Once again we meet the structured Bengali culture and their American children who never seem to completely belong in either world.

The stories emphasize intermarriage between a Bengali and an American but their coming together seems natural and no definitive blame is placed on troubled intermarriages. I had originally thought the stories wold be linked but only two were related directly.

Arranged marriages often make life easier . We learn about the strict, almost inflexible, Bengali families who come to America and desperately retain their sharp divide of women's place and the man's responsibility in a marriage. Not so when a Bengali girl or boy marries an American. Many of the alliances seemed anguished and incomplete. I didn't feel any of the characters could find contentment.

What held every story together, whether it was a drunken husband or a grieving wife missing her Bengali mother, was the demanding emphasis on education. The Bengali expected their American son or daughter to become dstinctively educated at the very best Ivy schools to attain optimum success in their fields. This theme seem the overriding reason for coming to America. The Bengali wives remained tied to their Indian cultures and continued their obsequious responses to their husbands. They remained isolated and out of touch. Not their children who desperately tried to find a place for themselves in our rich country and liberal culture.

This was a wonderful book; she is one of the best authors. We are thrown into the plots from the very first sentences. She reminds me of Anne Tyler, taking simple people who live mundane lives, but who are quite complicated and intense.

In the prologue of this book is a quote from Nathaniel Hawthorne that is simply astonishing in its disasporal beauty: "Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted, for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil. My children have had other birthplaces, and, so far as their fortunes may be within my control, shall strike their roots into unaccustomed earth." And so begins this collection of equally astonishing short stories by Lahiri. As much as I enjoyed her first collection of short stories (Interpreter of Maladies), I was rather put off by her next novel: The Namesake. I felt that the latter was a depressing and foreboding warning against seeking out unknown lands and new adventures. But maybe I was mistaken, maybe Ms. Lahiri is, in fact, celebrating this diasporic journey. The short stories she has weaved in this book are perfect. The characters are so well developed that you feel a sense of loss when the story is done. The first few stories are self contained, and the last three are tied together; all written with Ms. Lahiri's precise sense on how to complete a sentence in the most descriptive way using the least amount of words. In the last set of stories, Ms. Lahiri uses the guise of fiction crossing over into real world calamities as the protagonist perishes in the 2004 Asian Tsunami (this literature device when used wisely is strikingly creative -- Nelson DeMille was the first author I read who used it in Night Fall; in his case, 9/11 being the profound event.) As is usually the case with Ms. Lahiri, the stories in this book are centered around the Eastern US seaboard, with Calcutta providing the anchor that roots the character's lives once they seek their fortunes in unaccustomed earths. This book was simply fantastic. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

This collection of short stories is much more even and consistent than the author's prior "interpreter of maladies" and the characters more engaging in certain respects than 'the namesake'. While Lahiri's dispassionate style is almost clinical, the emotion she feels for her characters & their predicaments comes through in her elegant prose. While some of the plots can feel contrived at times, the best efforts here such as "Heaven-Hell" and "Unaccustomed Earth" are haunting and will stay with you for a while.

After I finished reading this book, I didn't want to read anything else for a while. It was that good; I read it in a day. Her writing is infectious. While I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing, I think that she outdoes herself in Part Two of the book, where she tells essentially the same story from the points of view of two people, Hema and Kaushik. One reviewer commented on the melodramatic aspect of her writing and while I admit that it seems she does go a bit heavy on it in this collection, it's what she does well and it works. I find the sameness and familiarity with which she writes comforting. With a Jhumpa Lahiri book, one always knows what one is going to get and that is what, in my opinion, makes her books so great.

Jhumpa Lahiri's book "Unaccustomed Earth" has a fluency of style and a depth of characters that belies her youth. Although it is a group of short stories, they link seamlessly to produce a beautiful canvas of the issues for first and second generation immigrants from a totally different culture. A memorable book

Loved the book and all the stories. Lahiri is now my favorite author. Each charactor comes to life by the first paragraph. Can't wait for her next book.

This is a very good book. But since I placed the order online so I did not have the privilege to check whether the book is in a good condition. When I received the book, I was shocked by seeing that the book has been bounded without cutting the front edge. So it looks very ugly. And it is a very bad experience I have ever got.

Being critical and judgemental, I am usually moved to write a review when I think a book is being over praised. In this case, overpraising is impossible. While lacking the elusive, magical dimension of The Interpreter of Maladies, these stories may be even better in their depth, warmth, and maturity.

As is usual in Lahiri, the stories focus on people raised in two cultures, Bengali and American, and not feeling fully a part of either. An additional theme of this book is withdrawal and withholding from others, failing to make a vital connection. This is illustrated often by withholdoing information. In the title story, an aging, widowed father withholds the secret of his new found independence and love affair from his adult daughter while on a visit to her home where he bonds with his grandson. In "Only Goodness" a wife withholds the secret of her brother's alcoholism from her husband until it is almost too late. In a third, part of a linked series of three stories, a family withholds the knowledge that the mother is dying from the family that shelters them in American. In this case, the secret deepens the bond of the son and daughter of each family.

I did not want this book to end. I wish she would write more.

Being critical and judgemental, I am usually moved to write a review when I think a book is being over praised. In this case, overpraising is impossible. While lacking the elusive, magical dimension of The Interpreter of Maladies, these stories may be even better in their depth, warmth, and maturity.

As is usual in Lahiri, the stories focus on people raised in two cultures, Bengali and American, and not feeling fully a part of either. An additional theme of this book is withdrawal and withholding from others, failing to make a vital connection. This is illustrated often by withholdoing information. In the title story, an aging, widowed father withholds the secret of his new found independence and love affair from his adult daughter while on a visit to her home where he bonds with his grandson. In "Only Goodness" a wife withholds the secret of her brother's alcoholism from her husband until the brother almost kills their baby by passing out while the baby is in the bath. In a third, part of a linked series of three stories, a family withholds the knowledge that the mother is dying of cancer from the family that shelters them in American. In this case, the secret deepens the bond of the son and daughter of each family.

I did not want this book to end. I wish she would write more.

Jumpha Lahiri is undoubtedly a brilliant writer. The Namesake and Interpreter of Maladies were fantastic. I do agree with two of the criticisms made by other readers.
1) Compared to her earlier works, she seems to have developed a more melodramatic style that seems contrived. It was more like reading Chitra Banerjee Divikaruni (who I enjoy because Ms. Divikaruni writes melodrama quite naturally by the way)--it seemed forced from Ms. Lahiri.
2) I also agree that the characters lacked variety after a while. The characters were definitely not as engaging as her prior works.
Nontheless, she is brilliant and engaging.

I always enjoy this author's work. This was a nice change of pace to have several shorter stories to read each night in bed.

It's good to see Jhumpa Lahiri working again in the art form that best suits her temperament, the short story. Although "The Namesake" garnered much attention and a movie, it was for me ultimately a failure as a novel, as too many small moments stretched out over too long a span and collapsed from boredom and exhaustion.

These stories, however, work very well. Lahiri gives us just enough small concrete moments and perceptions to sustain the experience of loss and of what the immigration experience means for those who are transported into the west from India. The characters are precisely and neatly drawn from closely observed but telling details. The subtle and not-so-subtle encroachment of U.S. culture and life into the India mindset, with its subsequent fallout of loss and emotional ambiguity, is clearly captured here.

This talented observer and careful writer is at her best again. I highly recommend this collection for everyone.

If you have read any of Lahiri's work, there is no need to elaborate. Although I found this bleaker than her other work, her writing is a pleasure.

After reading The Namesake, I knew what basic style and subject matter to expect from Lahiri. She did not disappoint with this collection of short stories. The generational differences represented in addition to the juxtaposition of the Indian and American cultures allows the reader to empathize with the characters even though many of us have never experienced life in quite the same way. I can understand why some reviewers felt downtrodden by these stories because the weight of them was overwhelming at times, but there is something to be said for taking the author at her word about the validity or at least the possibility of such a turn of events. The vignette style of most of the stories is reminiscent, to me, of Joyce's Dubliners, leaving something unresolved and yet natural and "real life" feeling. I have never experienced a book before where the cover was part of the story in a way that the narrative did not directly express. If you've read the book you'll understand, but the experience was so intriguing to me that I won't spoil it!

A beautiful book, well written. I enjoyed it immensely. Not enough time or words for a more eloquent review.

Another fantastic book from Jhumpa Lahiri. Just a joy to read and so sad when it's finished!

Treat yourself to a wonderfully written collection of endearing stories. Ms. Lahiri is truly a gifted storyteller.

I finished reading "Unaccustomed Earth" by Jhumpa Lahiri in about four days. To me, that's the first hallmark of a good book--that you want to keep on reading it.

One reason I was so motivated to keep on reading was that Lahiri writes such accessible characters. They grapple with issues we all do (parents not understanding you when you're young, the death of a parent, etc.). Lahiri's characters in this book are as human and flawed as the rest of us, in spite of (or maybe because of) the pressure put on them to be so successful.

Lahiri gives many of us a window into what it's like to grow up Indian in America. I like the way that she adds details about Indian culture, foods, etc., but not to the extent that it alienates or makes the story inaccessible to someone of non-Indian background like myself.

Her writing style, at least to me, seems basic in that it's not cluttered with a lot of florid adjectives and description. Yet the characters' stories still come across as real. She gets to the essence of these characters and leaves out what is unnecessary.

In reading some of the previous reviews, I do agree that Lahiri should try extending her range by writing about Indian or Indian-American characters outside of the highly educated class that seems to be a hallmark of her stories so far. While her stories do show a certain degree of variety and uniqueness, there is always the danger of producing stories of a uniform sameness if she's not careful.

Overall though, I definitely recommend this book, as well as her earlier "Interpreter of Maladies" collection.

The view of some that Lahiri's latest book is a retread inspires me to respond and defend this extraordinary writer. While it is true that she revisits characters with many similarities in profile (American-born of Bengali heritage, well-educated, often in the Boston area), it is my view that this strengthens her tales. By focusing on a specific and in some ways narrowly defined population, she is able to dig far deeper into the shared human experience underlying their outer trappings. So what if a character went to an Ivy League school? If her sibling is alcoholic, if she bought and hid for him beer when he was a teen, her guilt can be universally understood. The depth of her empathy and knowingness about human nature and the dynamics of relationships always leaves me breathless. At the end of this book I had tears in my eyes, feeling that I'd grown up with Hema and Kaushik, knew them that well, and had now seen a real event intervene in their lives. Her writing may not be for everyone, but make no mistake, her focus is not narrow but very deep.

The Unaccustomed Earth is impossible to stop reading because:

1. Ms. Lahiri's short stories NEVER feel like short stories. They never feel fleeting or unsubstantial. They simply abduct you the way a 500 page novel can. Each tale is deceptively powerful...like shots of Tequila, and it only takes a few pages before you're reeling and forgetting your surroundings because you're suddenly transported to a garden in Seattle or at a wedding reception in the pouring rain.

2. And she will drag you into that rain...

3. And her characters are not the characters floating in the mind of a writer. They're not generic or vaporous or sewn together with the usual stale adjectives. You can't see the seams on these characters. You can't see where they begin or end because they don't begin and they don't end. When you meet them their as alive as anyone you know and when you leave them at the end of a story, they go on without you, into rooms, into cars, into planes. They inhabit the world.

4. And there are families and they are all tangled up, destroyed, yearning, redeeming, hating, aching, and not once, not for a single second did I pause when I was reading The Unaccusomed Earth and think, I don't really believe this. Or that seems too dramatic. Or I knew that would happen...

5. Ms. Lahiri's imagination is ferocious, stealthy, as endless as the ocean. You float into it because it's so smooth and effortless and then suddenly, deliberately, it's engulfed you, and you're out in the middle of her world...and you can't get back because the shore has vanished.

Don't get me wrong--I think Jhumpa Lahiri has a way with words and telling stories as was evident in her first book, Interpreter of Maladies. Interpreter was like a breath of fresh air with short stories that truly helped a reader transcend to human reaches of pain, joy, disappointment, hope and many other emotions. I think that the writer is great at short stories, horrid at the long novel (I was tremendously let down with The Namesake) but needs to change up the formula.
I was excited that Jhumpa Lahiri was coming out with a book of short stories again but upon reading the first few stories, I was nothing short of crestfallen. Although the stories themselves are not written badly, I am getting really tired of the same old formula she's using. It seems like almost every one of her stories revolves around Boston, involves an American-born Indian struggling with either their own culture or a family member, and of course involves Indian parents and their struggle coming to America. OK I get it already!
These stories didn't provide any new insight, I felt, that she didn't already communicate to me with Interpreter of Maladies. I ended up getting really bored and tired of her always leaving stories hanging with no resolution in sight. Some of the stories almost seemed pointless (the last one in the book is a prime example) to even write. After writing about having such emotion and turning around and completely ignoring that emotion just to have the character regret seems so tiresome, trite and overdone in her books.
The writer is obviously talented and I am not knocking on her ability to write mellifluously--however her stories need a breath of fresh air so I don't feel like I'm reading the same story that has been slightly altered 10X.

Lahiri continues to delight with her latest offering. This was as excellent as her other stories. Her writing is careful and sparse, complimenting the subtlety of her subject matter. Her displaced ethnic subject, underpinning most of her work, adds a sense of the exotic. We don't really understand, nor can we possibly understand, because eastern blood doesn't run in our veins. The people of color in her stories are "in" our world, but not "of" our world. They don't really understand it all, so how can we? I love her work. My only wish is for her to write faster, so there is more of it to read.