In Other Wordsis the first non fiction book written by Jhumpa Lahiri. She pens down the story of her decision to master the Italian language after spending a life as the daughter of immigrant Indian parents in America which left her with no sense of belonging to either side. The book is written in Italian and translated into English by Ann Goldstein, editor at The NewYorker.
In Other Words is a journey
The book takes you on a journey with Jhumpa Lahiri as she talks about how she developed a fascination for Italian and the reasons for her decision to write in Italian rather than English when she is at the peak of her success. While many critics feel this to be a rash and unwise decision, Jhumpa puts forth her reasons for doing so in a convincing manner.
The chapters are short and promise a fast read. The comparisons to her choice of Italian as a medium of expression compared with Ovid’s works is a delight to read. Her metamorphosis to write in Italian, though she will never be acknowledged as an Italian writer offers food for thought. The reader would love pacing through Jhumpa in the busy streets of Rome as she reminisces how much she yearned for such a life while in America and slowly trains herself in taming the language. The particular incident about how her husband who did not speak Italian well enough as her (who had spent twenty years learning the language) being often regarded as someone of Italian descent while her fluent Italian did not attract much attention as she did not ‘look Italian’ are beautifully expressed.
However, by the end of the book, I couldn’t help wishing she had emphasized on the thoughts she made a fleeting mentions of and edited out the ones she kept lingering on. I found the book repetitive in many chapters, like how stand-alone diary entries are written- the same thoughts represented in different ways (eg: how Bengali, her mother tongue is like an alienating mother and English was a more welcoming stepmother; or how she felt stretched apart between the two languages she knew earlier; or how she carried a dictionary and learnt new words).
Though I do appreciate the fact that she has strode great lengths by mastering the lexical nuances of a new language to the point that her thoughts come to her effortlessly in Italian, I did find the repetitions tedious. In Other Words often felt like an exercise book to practice Lahiri’s Italian. This book is a huge achievement for Jhumpa Lahiri as she has widened the reach of her pen. However for the reader, the book does not seem to be at par with the finesse of Jhumpa’s writings in English.
In Other words is a book of discovery, of getting acquainted with another person within yourself by finding freedom in the strangeness of a new language. This would be a great book if you have been following Jhumpa Lahiri’s work for some time and would like to know about the changes she has incorporated in her life. The writer talks of how she paddled through the foreign waters of language and anonymity, and found liberation through love for Italian. Though this book is unsteady like a baby that has taken its first few steps, I hope to see more works of Jhumpa in Italian that showcase her masterful writing in the future.
Title : In Other Words
Author : Jhumpa Lahiri
Translated by : Ann Goldstein from Italian
Publisher : Hamish Hamilton
Published : 2016
Language : English
Pages : 224
Rating : 3/5
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Lovely review. 🙂 I have never read Lahiri’s books. Now that a lot of people have written about it, I am inspired to read this one. But, is it a good choice to start with this?
I don’t think so Deepika. This would appeal more to her fans or those who want to know what she has been doing for the last few years. I did not find it appealing enough as her earlier works (setting aside the fact that she learnt a new language and wrote in it). I would recommend The Namesake (either the novel or for a crisper version you can check The NewYorker where the story was first published before it was expanded to a novel) or Interpreter of maladies for her short stories which are well written.
Unfortunately I haven’t read much oh Jumpa Lahiri’s books. Namesake is the one I remember most. I was impressed with the fact that she could write a book in another language. I’m still trying to learn french and it’s been a tedious four years. lol. I suppose mastery isn’t going to be easy. Maybe her future works, if any, in italian.
I think it will take a long time for mastering. She says she learnt Italian for twenty years. And the last few years that is the only thing that she did. Good luck with your French.
Great commentary on this book.
Despite some of the flaws that you point out this sounds interesting. The issue of language and literature is a topic that that I tend to think about.
As you recommend however, I would probably start with a different work of Jhumpa Lahiri’s for a first read.
I was intrigued by this book when I read the essay that she published in The New Yorker a month or so ago, but after reading the NYTimes review (and yours!), I’m not sure if I want to pick up this book at all. Maybe if I’ve finished reading everything she’s written and really have a craving for more. What made you decide to read this book?
I picked it up because even though I liked some of Jhumpa’s works I really hated The Lowland. And I didn’t think it was her best work at all, considering the fact that it made it to the Man Booker Longlist. So when I heard about her decision to study and write in Italian I wanted to give it a try. Try The Namesake/Interpreter of Maladies.
I’ve studied Italian on and off so I’m curious to read this. I liked your review
Thank you. If you have studies the language, maybe you will be able to sympathise with the author learning the new language too. 🙂
Thank you, Resh. I will try ‘The Namesake’. 🙂
Hope you enjoy it .:)
Very interesting. I admire her for writing in a language she loves, but agree that it could have been handled in a less repetitious manner. Great review 🙂 Hope she finds her stride in her next Italian novel.
Yeah. Lets hope for the best!
Ooh, I love that photo to start with! 😀 You always take such nice sunshiney pictures they are GORGEOUS. Ahem. And also I would probably get very annoyed with the repetition too. I always feel like, when authors do that, that they kind of expect the reader to be dumb and not remember stuff? Which is a bit insulting. >_< But I'm glad you still enjoyed a lot of this one!!
Thanks Cate! Your compliments just make my day. And you said it. I felt like being in Kindergarten and the teacher (author) kept repeating facts. Haha!!
Great review! I LOVED The Namesake (and thought the movie version was pretty good too.) This is such an interesting undertaking for her. I wonder if she will publish fiction in Italian? Does she address that?
Yes, I loved The namesake too. Do check out Intepreter of Maladies. It is a short story collection by her and very very good. She says she wants to publish only in Italian henceforth and nothing in English again. But at the end she has left some dubious sentences which can be interpreted in either way.
I enjoyed reading your review! I had been curious to read this book after enjoying her article ‘Teach Yourself Italian’ in The New Yorker, but it sounds like I may give it a pass now. Your description of the book reminds me of Dianne Hales’s Italian language learning journey in La Bella Lingua, but that was a very enjoyable read with a lot of rich information on the history of Italy and the Italian language. You might enjoy it. 🙂 I am trying to read more Pulitzer Prize novels so I will probably check out Interpreter of Maladies!
Thanks for the recommendation Nicole. Hope you will enjoy Interpreter of Maladies. I sure did.
Hey crazy, I actually got to read your posts only now!! I know what i have been missing on! And wow! great blog and i loooooooove the photos.. Who took them? looks very mature and professional… Gonna visit your blog more often to draw inspiration to start writing and reading again 🙂
And anyway i can borrow your books? 😀
Hey Neeths. Nice to see you here. Thank you for the compliments. 🙂 And yeah, read read read. 🙂
Sounds like an interesting read. Do you think maybe some of the repetition comes from the translation? Could it be that she’s adding more to things that have been discussed previously but with a subtlety that her translators didn’t pick up on?
It is possible Becky. But from what I infer, I think there is a clear repetition. If these chapters were published separately as articles, it would have been lovely. But as a book it begins to feel a little dreary.
Hi Resh!
Glad to find you here. I love Jhumpa Lahiri’s books but just heard of this one. The fact that she wrote in a language not her native was mind-blowing. I don’t think I could ever do that even though I’ve learned English almost all my life! Great review!
Hey Chita. So nice to see you here. I will be hopping over in a few days. Yeah, it just amazes me how she could master a language and then write a book in it.
I also thought she made a convincing argument for trying a new language and I did enjoy that the chapters were short. It made this a fast, fun read for me.
Glad you enjoyed the read. Yes, it was an easy read for me too. 🙂
Excellent review.
I really appreciate Lahiri’s commitment to language and writing. She certainly was born to be one.
I think I would enjoy In Other Words, but I may have to become more familiar with her work before I do. I have only read The Namesake and that clearly ins’t enough. But I will finally be reading Interpreter of Maladies for the #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks challenge. I have owned it for such a long time and there’s no excuse for me not to read it.
Interpreter of maladies has many good stories. It is a wonderful read. Hope you enjoy the book. And thanks for visiting
Being a lover of all things Italian and a learner of the language, I felt it is not a book for everyone. I agree that she didn’t give much thought to certain parts which was essential to the reader.
So lovely to know that you adore Italian culture and learnt the language too. I am sure you would have been able to relate more to the book.
Hi Resh, thank you for the wonderful and fair book review. I’ve read the book and was left very unhappy because it seemed she could have put so much more in it, some more personal anecdotes would have made it just a bit sweeter. It also seemed to me she kept on repeating the same exact feelings in other words, just to practice her italian. She is still my favorite writer and The Namesake is my favorite book though so I had high expectations. Also because my English is acquired and I married an italian and had to learn the language later in life. So I have to wait patiently for her next book…