The GOL Book Club had its first meeting last night -- lots of fun and great discussion. Our first book was The Namesake, the story of a boy named Gogol, the son of Bengali immigrants to the US. The book takes us from his birth in 1968 through 2000, exploring the usual gorwing pains but also those associated with being a first-generation American. Big themes are: what defines one's identity; what is in a name; relationships -- parent-child, love, immigrant-American to name a few; growing up and taking responsibility for one's self (or not); what it means to be a foreigner; and alienation.

The group's reactions were mixed -- half loved the book and couldn't put it down, while the other half grew frustrated with it. One thing that many of us agreed on was that the author did a great job making the story relatable to very different types of people -- you don't have to be American, Bengali, a guy, or an immigrant to relate to the book. She also has a knack for describing certain aspects of American life perfectly. Many also thought that Gogol is, in many ways, the least interesting character in the book because he simply drifts through life, rarely taking responsibility for himself.

I'll leave it at that for now and let other book club members / people who have read the book chime in with their thoughts. There's a lot to say about the book!
tiffanyJan 19, 2006 @ 14:02