The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

I love watching Independent Movies and The Namesake is one of my favorites.  I watched the movie several times and I loved it every time. The acting is awesome and it stars one my favorite actors Kal Penn.  I think I have seen almost every movie and tv show he has been in from Harold and Kumar to House he is an awesome talent.  All the actors in The Namesake are great and play the characters very well.  

Awhile back I was amazed that the movie was based on a novel by the same name.  I bought the book and started to read it off and on.  I would usually stop because of another book that would spark my interest.  Recently, I made is a goal to finish the book before I found another book.  To be honest the book is very hard to get started, you have to get use to how the characters feel and their personality.  But, throughout the book I would fall in love with these characters and would hope they completed their ordeal.  The Namesake is about this Family who moves from Calcutta, India to Cambridge, MA.  The parents are trying to adjust with life in America.  When the children are born they are automatically brought up in the American way of life.  The oldest son, Gogol was named after one of his father's favorite authors and the name has another meaning throughout the book. Gogol is ashamed of his name and his family because they are most like the "norm" in America.  Throughout Gogol's life his is made fun of and taunted because of his name.  The story mainly focus' around Gogol.  All throughout Gogol's father tries to explain the name to Gogol, but its always not the right time or he's too young to understand the meaning.   Gogol goes to college and decides to change his name to Nikhil and this disappoints his parents.  He starts dating American Girls, Smoking and doing things that his parents would never approve of.  He later learns that his father dies in Ohio while working on a project for his research and Gogol has to go to Ohio to identify his father's body.  When he comes back to Cambridge, MA he morns with his mother and his younger sister.  Gogol starts to respecting his heritage and is there for his mother.  Later on, he meets up with a childhood friend that her parents are good friends with Gogol's parents.  They're automatically attracted to each other and they get married.  Gogol finds out why his father named him Gogol and the legacy behind the name.  

The Anthem by Ayn Rand



Anthem is a Dystopian Novella by Ayn Rand.  It's about a world that the people refer to themselves as we or us and ours.  The main character  Equality 7-2521 is writing about his life while underground and in private.  When he was born and his path was chosen by the Council to be in the House of the Street Sweepers.  He wishes he could be in the House of the Scholars and learn with them.  He notices a girl named Liberty 5-3000, while sweeping the streets he names her "The Golden One". She also names him "The Unconquered".  On his rounds he finds this sewer drain filled with books.  He visits this sewer drain alot, he reads the books and writes about his experiences.  One day while studying he accidently creates electricity and he is so excited to show it to the Council. But, they reject his discovery and he is sent to prison and is punished.  After his sentence he is released, he talks to "The Golden One" and  she follows him in the uncharted forest.  While they make their escape, they find an old house filled with books, he again studies and he gives himself a new name which is "Prometheus" and she gets a new name "Gaea".  He writes how everyone is born which adults come into a building, mate, babys are born and taken away from the mother.  The person has no idea who his parents are.  While living and caring for the house in the uncharted forest, he starts calling himself I, me, myself and ego. In the city, if someone ever said I, me, myself in public he would be burned at the stake.  At the end he decides to crave a word in a rock and put it over the door.  The word would be EGO.

My Two Cents: I liked the book, it was interesting because it starts out as no individualism or uniqueness. I started to fill bad for the main character, because he was accepted in the House of the Scholars and he was marked to be a lowly Street Sweeper.  The writing was great.