This is my fastest read in a very long time. Every time I
picked up this book in the last 3 days I couldn't set it down. I am now a
bigger fan of Jhumpa Lahiri (JL) the non-fiction writer than Lahiri, the
fiction writer. Its by chance that I came across this book just after my visit
to Italy, when I was finding my sudden love for the art and life in that
country a little bit ridiculous. How can one be in awe of Italian art and life
when there was so much to take in within India. But thats another discussion.
It just helps me believe I am not as insane as I sometimes believe myself to
be. After all, Italy had the same impact on JL as me.
In Other Words is a must read for all. Its for the ones who
are still trying to find themselves or better worded, still trying to find
their best selves. The ones who are testing their limits, the ones who are
struggling with their imperfections. JL has put a lot of restless doers to rest
by saying, "Imperfection inspires invention, imagination,
creativity." She is courageous beyond words to take on the challenge to
learn a foreign language to the extent that she can write a book. She
challenged herself to be in the state of a 2-3 year old kid again, forcing
herself to learn how to communicate in Italian just like a kid starts reading and
writing his mother tongue. She has embraced that the greatest lesson in life is
the process of learning itself and that's why she hasn't stopped at her
achievements in the English literature scene.
Challenging the status quo is the only definitive way of
growing and In Other Words is Jhumpa Lahiri's way of showing how fearless you
need to be to live up to your full potential.
