The Lowland

If you have never read anything by Jhumpa Lahiri, do yourself a favor and pick up one of her books. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that she is one of the greatest living writers. Her prose is beautiful, direct, and powerful, she creates interesting characters, and as one reviewer said she handles their lives "with both objectivity and compassion." Her latest novel The Lowland is certainly no exception. It is on the long list for both the Man Booker Prize and National Book Award and is deserving of either (or both).

The Lowland is definitely Lahiri's most ambitious work. It is an inter-generational tale set in both India and America. It begins with the friendship of two brothers. Subhash, the eldest, goes to America but returns to India when he learns what has happened to his brother. In the interest of not ruining the story's suspense and letting it unfold as it is meant to, I will say no more about the plotline. I was of course hypnotized by the writing but worried that I wouldn't love the novel when I began and it focused solely on the male characters. Lahiri creates such rich female characters and I worried that the novel was only about these two men. (It's not and she includes great female characters as well.) The novel begins slowly but picks up once Subhash returns to India. At times I couldn't put the book down, though as I neared the end I found myself almost not wanting to finish it so that I could stay with these characters a little longer. The novel has a very satisfying ending and I definitely recommend this beautiful novel.

The Round House

I have blogged twice about Louise Erdrich's novels (The Plague of Doves and Love Medicine). I think she is an under-appreciated writer because her talent is huge but she remains as virtually unknown to most people. Hopefully she will be more widely read after winning last year's National Book Award for her latest novel The Round House. I read three of the five novels that were finalists (including A Hologram for a King and This Is How You Lose Her) and agree that Erdrich certainly deserved the award. The Round House blew me away.

The novel is told from the perspective of thirteen-year-old Joe, who lives with his parents on a reservation in North Dakota. His mother is brutally attacked and raped, leaving Joe and his father to seek justice... unsure if justice is even within reach. Joe narrates the story as an adult, which brings the story to life in a unique way. It's a powerful novel with a political message. I adored this book. If you haven't read anything by Erdrich, The Round House is worth checking out. I definitely recommend this amazing novel.

Vagina: A New Biography

I picked up Naomi Wolf's Vagina: A New Biography when I saw that she was following me on Twitter. I was ecstatic when I saw my new follower. Naomi Wolf?!? I love her! I kept thinking. Then to prove it, I rushed out to get her latest book, one I had meant to read since it came out but hadn't gotten around to actually picking up.

I am grateful that I did and grateful for Wolf and her insanely insightful book. Wolf set out on a journey to understand the vagina and its connection to the female brain after suffering from a medical crisis. She discovers a wealth of information about female sexuality and creativity and shares it along with cultural history and her own personal experiences. The result is a book that is intelligent and wise, personal and engaging and one hundred percent worthwhile to read. I feel as if I understand myself better in a comforting way, a hey, maybe I'm not crazy, maybe that was a biological response kind of way. This book is a wealth of important information, so much I am tempted to start summarizing some of it... but everyone (male or female) should check it out for themselves. Or at least the last chapter. Wolf gives men the lowdown on pleasing a woman that more or less condenses all the information from each chapter into segments such as "tell her she's beautiful" or "gaze into her eyes." It's a definite worthwhile read, even if you just take the Cliff Note version in the last chapter. I will likely be rereading it myself in the future.

The Borrower

I stumbled upon Rebecca Makkai's novel The Borrower when I learned she was teaching a writing class that I was interested in applying for. (I have since applied, gotten accepted, registered, and am anxiously awaiting the first class.) I picked up the book with mild curiosity, but was soon captivated by the charming Ian, a ten year old boy from a small Midwestern town. The story is Lucy's, a children's librarian who feels compelled to save Ian from his overbearing mother who sends him to a religious based program to guide him towards heterosexuality. She both kidnaps him and is kidnapped by him and the two head out on an adventure.

I adored this novel, the themes of identity, revolution, and the enduring power of literature. I loved the book's humor and big heart, even if Lucy wasn't the most likable character ever. It's a readable story, but still literary... my favorite kind of novel. I pushed Alan to read it after and he pointed out the novel's flaws to me, which in my enthusiasm for the story I had ignored. Yet flaws, at times, can make a book more endearing. I love the humanity breathed into this book. It makes me even more excited to take the class from Makkai, a very gifted writer. I'm already looking forward to the release of her second novel next summer.