--- product_id: 205234191 title: "The Namesake: A Novel" price: "$41.33" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.ec/products/205234191-the-namesake-a-novel store_origin: EC region: Ecuador --- # The Namesake: A Novel **Price:** $41.33 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Namesake: A Novel - **How much does it cost?** $41.33 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ec](https://www.desertcart.ec/products/205234191-the-namesake-a-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: The Namesake: A Novel: 9780358062684: Lahiri, Jhumpa: Books Review: Refreshing and thought provoking - Really a good read the pace is refreshing and really gives you a great perspective to step into someone else’s shoes 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 | #12,326 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #49 in Cultural Heritage Fiction #230 in Short Stories (Books) #772 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (11,244) | | 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) ![The Namesake: A Novel - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51upGMb-7NL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Refreshing and thought provoking *by H***T on March 17, 2026* Really a good read the pace is refreshing and really gives you a great perspective to step into someone else’s shoes ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Namesake: A Novel - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Pulitzer Prize Winner) - There There --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ec/products/205234191-the-namesake-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.ec/products/205234191-the-namesake-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Ecuador* *Store origin: EC* *Last updated: 2026-04-24*