Whereabouts

A Novel

De: Jhumpa Lahiri

Narrado por: Susan Vinciotti Bonito

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A marvelous new novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Lowland and Interpreter of Maladies—her first in nearly a decade—about a woman questioning her place in the world, wavering between stasis and movement, between the need to belong and the refusal to form lasting ties.

Exuberance and dread, attachment and estrangement: in this novel, Jhumpa Lahiri stretches her themes to the limit. In the arc of one year, an unnamed narrator in an unnamed city, in the middle of her life’s journey, realizes that she’s lost her way. The city she calls home acts as a companion and interlocutor: traversing the streets around her house, and in parks, piazzas, museums, stores, and coffee bars, she feels less alone.

We follow her to the pool she frequents, and to the train station that leads to her mother, who is mired in her own solitude after her husband’s untimely death. Among those who appear on this woman’s path are colleagues with whom she feels ill at ease, casual acquaintances, and “him,” a shadow who both consoles and unsettles her. Until one day at the sea, both overwhelmed and replenished by the sun’s vital heat, her perspective will abruptly change.

This is the first novel Lahiri has written in Italian and translated into English. The reader will find the qualities that make Lahiri’s work so beloved: deep intelligence and feeling, richly textured physical and emotional landscapes, and a poetics of dislocation. But Whereabouts, brimming with the impulse to cross barriers, also signals a bold shift of style and sensibility. By grafting herself onto a new literary language, Lahiri has pushed herself to a new level of artistic achievement.

Quietly engaging, Magical

There’s not much plot, but the writing is so quietly compelling and the readers voice is lovely. A wonderful look at a quiet life.

another great series of short stories

such a nice book told from one woman's perspective. just stories from a life. cash register was a favorite.

nice writing, good narration

Contemplative. Interesting structure but only a vague plot. Lahiri's writing always flows in a unique way. Would recommend it.

Disappointing

For a book that received such excellent reviews, I found it lacking. The writing is beautiful and each episode has a point or two. But I kept looking for some reason to care about this woman and found none.
The narrator was excellent in most ways, but needs to learn not to drop certain vowel sounds, e.g. the g in recognition.

Simple mini stories

I enjoyed the pace of this book. The narration was good and I found myself pondering each chapter.

Depressed and socially isolated by choice

The narrator conveys a profound sense of social isolation. She is alone, but not necessarily lonely. Developmentally she was wounded by both of her parents in different ways, which scarred her ability to establish and maintain meaningful, loving relationships in adulthood.

Gorgeous melancholy reflections

For the few days that I listened to this novel, it felt like I was living alongside the narrator. Eating with her in cafes, people watching with her in museums, waking up with her and letting the sunrise arrive over us. This novel is a portrait of solitude and depression but it’s not just that. It is reflective, soft, distilled, exquisite. If you love poetry or Elena Ferrante’s novels, you might love Whereabouts. I certainly did.

Gorgeous

Lush and relaxing prose. Such a joy to listen, and the bite size chapters make it an easy escape when you need one

Poor imitation of Rachel Cusk

This reminds a great deal of Cusk’s “Outline”trilogy, but less interesting or appealing. I am generally a fan of this genre of single woman’s introspection and contemplation, e.g., Cusk, Kitamura (Intimacies). This one just does not work for me, because there is very little to connect w either the narrator or the people she encounters.

Lovely

Loved the concept of defining chapters by places. Nice to enjoy a book that’s this introspective. A contrast to plot driven modern fiction.