Customer Comments

I read this book after seeing the trailer for the movie--I wanted to read the book first before seeing it. It is absolutely incredible. Lahiri has a simple but powerful writing style and beautifully lays out the story of Ashoke and Ashima's marriage and the growth of their love, and then moves into Gogol's own story, tying the two generations together seamlessly. Lahiri does a wonderful job of delving into Indian culture, especially in terms of the difficulties presented to those who have moved from India to the United States and the different experience that their children have as Americans. I loved the book, but was also impressed by the movie--they did a really good job of staying faithful to the story. However, as is almost always the case, I would recommend the book over the movie because of the subtle writing style that gives the novel a fullness not available on screen.

This book is amazing; I loved absolutely every minute of it. You will fall in love with the Chance family, from the quiet baseball-playing father to the pious and well-meaning mother, as well as the four distinctly different brothers and the hilarious twins. This book made me laugh out loud but also cry at the heartbreak that occurs, and in spite of the length (close to 700 pages) I was really sad when it ended. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for amazing and moving characters. It will make you want to see a baseball game, read Buddhist scripture, draft-dodge up to Canada, go to church, and conduct scientific experiments all at once.