The Lowland

By: Jhumpa Lahiri

Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra

Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning, best-selling author of The Namesake comes an extraordinary new novel, set in both India and America, that expands the scope and range of one of our most dazzling storytellers: a tale of two brothers bound by tragedy, a fiercely brilliant woman haunted by her past, a country torn by revolution, and a love that lasts long past death.

Born just 15 months apart, Subhash and Udayan Mitra are inseparable brothers, one often mistaken for the other in the Calcutta neighborhood where they grow up. But they are also opposites, with gravely different futures ahead. It is the 1960s, and Udayan - charismatic and impulsive - finds himself drawn to the Naxalite movement, a rebellion waged to eradicate inequity and poverty; he will give everything, risk all, for what he believes. Subhash, the dutiful son, does not share his brother’s political passion; he leaves home to pursue a life of scientific research in a quiet, coastal corner of America.

But when Subhash learns what happened to his brother in the lowland outside their family’s home, he goes back to India, hoping to pick up the pieces of a shattered family, and to heal the wounds Udayan left behind - including those seared in the heart of his brother’s wife.

Masterly suspenseful, sweeping, piercingly intimate, The Lowland is a work of great beauty and complex emotion; an engrossing family saga and a story steeped in history that spans generations and geographies with seamless authenticity. It is Jhumpa Lahiri at the height of her considerable powers.

Long-listed for the 2013 Man Booker Prize

©2013 Jhumpa Lahiri (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Haunting... A novel that crosses generations, oceans, and the chasms within families... Lahiri’s skill is reflected not only in her restrained and lyric prose, but also in her moving forward chronological time while simultaneously unfolding memory, which does not fade in spite of the years. A formidable and beautiful book." ( Publishers Weekly)

"An absolute triumph. Lahiri uses a gorgeously rendered Calcutta landscape to profound effect.... As shocking complexities tragedies, and revelations multiply, Lahiri astutely examines the psychological nuances of conviction, guilt, grief, marriage, and parenthood, and delicately but firmly dissects the moral conundrums inherent in violent revolution. Renowned for her exquisite prose and penetrating insights, Lahiri attains new heights of artistry - flawless transparency, immersive intimacy with characters and place - in her spellbinding fourth book and second novel. A magnificent, universal, and indelible work of literature... Lahiri’s standing increases with each book, and this is her most compelling yet." (Donna Seaman, Booklist)

Dazzling, Flawfully Flawless.

At the peak of her artistry, a writer twists the navigations of the human mind and soul. a gut - wrenching, aching story of the broken. A family and country bound by revolution and tragedy. A tale that lingers beyond it's own read. Masterful Crafting. Beguiling writing. A Dazzling and Remarkable Novel, by without a doubt, one of the world's greatest writers, Jhumpa Lahiri, pushes the limits of Literature and Emotions.

Stayed hooked to the story, despite the poor performance

It started off slow, Lahiri is very descriptive as a writer paying close attention to setting up the nature of a place, etc. But then I’ve found the balance between nature, politics and the personal in the book gratifying. She’s unapologetic in drawing those connections.

It’s an uncomfortable read, doesn’t provide satisfaction as many other books do by closing every thread. But much like in our own lives, the discomfort is expected and familiar.

I enjoyed the book in the season of life I’m in right now. Not sure I would’ve liked it as much a few years ago.

The performance needed much work. I didn’t appreciate the Americanisations of Bengali words. Felt unnecessary, jarring.

Wonderful

Breathtaking and delicate. Beautifully read with much nuance. I’m glad I stayed with it after the initial chapter or two that were obviously setting the political scene of the time and felt a little slow. An intimate and beautiful human story of loss, regret, guilt and new beginnings emerges gently. I loved it.

Highlyrecommended

Rich, multi-dimensional, sensitive - this is an excellent story of the tragedy that is life. It will stay with me.