Whereabouts

Sometimes we deserve to read a well-written book about well…everything, and nothing. And that’s the new Jhumpa Lahiri novel, Whereabouts, that I truly did not realize was a novel. I kept being like, “I could have sworn she was married,” until I realized this was a novel and not just like…a very well written diary of reflection. That’s not to say the book is bad–I gave it 4 stars. It has some really poignant moments,it’s a quick read, but ultimately…I’m not sure what it is about. It’s about loneliness, and place, and your neighborhood, and feeling anxious about leaving while stil wanting to go.

It’s about reflection on the past and also on the present, unworried about the future while still knowing that it looms. It’s almost like a well written diary or to do list. Each piece is short and contained and well done, but by the end, you’ll ask yourself, “And…?” and not really have a good answer.

Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri is on sale everywhere, and yes, I do recommend reading it, even if just to spend two hours with the way she constructs a sentence.