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In Other Words
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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review
Teresereading
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

Another book club read. Fascinating to have the Italian and English text side-by-side. Interesting exploration of her journey to write in Italian. Loved it, memories if my time in Rome in early 2020.

17 likes1 stack add
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violabrain
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

I love everything she writes. This is a remarkable meditation on language, reading, writing, art, identity, and so much more.

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GatheringBooks
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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TK-421 Love this! 4y
34 likes1 comment
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AileenRR
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Mehso-so

I hope it‘s not condescending to say that I felt proud of the author. My favorite chapter was The Wall, where she discusses how her husband‘s Italian is often perceived as better than hers, largely based on their outward appearances.

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Nikki_E
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

This was really short, as both the English and Italian versions are included. It was enjoyable, especially if you are a fan of Lahiri and the fact that she wrote this in Italian and had it translated.

55 likes1 stack add
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Nikki_E
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri

Next read. One of my favorite writers writing about the language I would most like to be fluent in.

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BekaReid
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

In Other Words is a self-portrait of sorts, a creative memoir of Jhumpa Lahiri's exploration of self through her study and love of the Italian language. It is beautifully written, and I drank it in. So many things resonated with me that I don't know where to start. But one in particular is the desire to see a precise, sharp image when looking in the mirror rather than the fragmented one that often reflects back.

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BekaReid
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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"I think that the power of art is the power to wake us up, strike us to our depths, change us. What are we searching for when we read a novel, see a film, listen to a piece of music? We are searching, through a work of art, for something that alters us, that we weren‘t aware of before. We want to transform ourselves, just as Ovid‘s masterwork transformed me."

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Megabooks
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

I understand falling in love with language. I went to college determined to make Arabic love me. Alas, it was just a 3 semester hookup, but I still remember it fondly.

Lahiri fell in love in college, too, with Italian. But she did not give up on her lover. Traveling to Italy a number of times, not only to marvel at the history, but also at the language. Throughout the book, I imagined the essays as a dialogue with and through her lover. 4⭐️ ⬇️

Megabooks @Cathythoughts it‘s on my TBR! I‘ll have to move it up. 5y
See All 19 Comments
Cinfhen Arabic? Wow!!! It‘s a hard language to read, write and speak. Super impressive. Great review and wonderful choice for #ArmChairTravel 5y
Megabooks @Cinfhen Thanks! I can still read it a bit, but the speaking is totally gone. 5y
Tamra 😆 Great mini-love story re: Arabic. 5y
Megabooks @Tamra I always try to keep my reviews exciting! 🤣 5y
alisiakae 🤣 I love your review. 😍 5y
Megabooks @4thhouseontheleft Thank you! 😁 5y
Suet624 I‘ve been watching Messiah on Netflix. I love the fact that they use so many different languages in each episode. Arabic is one of them. 5y
Megabooks @Suet624 Cool! Thanks for the heads up. I hadn‘t heard of that one. 5y
BarbaraBB Fab review 5y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB Thanks friend! I hope you had a good day! 😘 5y
BarbaraBB Yes! I had a meet-up with an old friend. Gave me so much energy catching up! Happy sleeping now! I hope you‘re having a good day too 😘 5y
Librarybelle I should read this one...I‘ve been so tempted to read it and just haven‘t officially picked it up. Maybe I will have to soon! 5y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB that‘s awesome! There‘s nothing like an old friend to brighten your day. 😁😁🥂 5y
Megabooks @Librarybelle Same here. I put it off for years, and it ended up being much more interesting than I expected! I‘m excited to see what she does next. 5y
readordierachel Fantastic review! 5y
100 likes3 stack adds19 comments
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merelybookish
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

I had no interest in reading this book when it came out, and only picked it up this time to fulfill a prompt for the Women in Translation Readathon. I'm so glad I did! What a beautifully written exploration of language, creativity and selfhood. Lahiri's brilliance and insight is stunning.
It was great on audio but now I want a hard copy to review some passages!
#witreadathon

DrSabrinaMoldenReads I loved this one too 5y
Ruthiella I‘ve loved her fiction (particularly her two short story collections and I normally am meh about short stories). I‘m excited to get to this. 😀 5y
saresmoore I just started it, but I‘m really enjoying the audio as well. It‘s inspiring and insightful. 5y
See All 16 Comments
merelybookish @Joyfulmimi I'm not surprised! Our tastes are similar! 😊 5y
merelybookish @Ruthiella It's made me want to read some of her fiction. Ive only read The Lowland, which was okay but didn't blow me away. 5y
merelybookish @saresmoore I'm sure you'll enjoy it! It's also shorter than I was expecting. About halfway she switches to Italian. 5y
DrSabrinaMoldenReads I LOVED “ (edited) 5y
BarbaraBB Great review. I wasn‘t that impressed by The Namesake but am planning to read The Lowland later this year. 5y
merelybookish @Joyfulmimi Then I'll probably love it too! 😀 5y
merelybookish @BarbaraBB Thanks! I read Lowland for TOB years ago. I didn't love it at the time BUT I still remember things about it which says something! 5y
DrSabrinaMoldenReads I struggle with feeling different than most others so I really relate to women, especially authors who are “different”, like ...Who wants to write a book in a another language? 🤪 5y
AlaMich I loved this book because moving to another country to master the language would be a dream of mine. 5y
merelybookish @Joyfulmimi Interesting! I thought it sounded dull or pretentious. But I was wrong! 5y
merelybookish @AlaMich It would be one thing to learn a new language, another to write a book in it! 😯 Do you have a language you'd want to learn? 5y
AlaMich @merelybookish I‘ve been studying Spanish for about a hundred years now. 😊 I was lucky to study in Mexico for two months, but I‘ve gotten rusty. 5y
merelybookish @AlaMich I spent a month in France with a family when I was 14. That was probably the most bilingual I've ever been/will be. 5y
69 likes5 stack adds16 comments
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saresmoore
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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I like to have a lot of options, so here are my choices for the Women in Translation Readathon, Aug. 25-31. The tagged book is one I plan to listen to on walks and during chores. I‘m really looking forward to this! Thanks for bringing it to my attention, @merelybookish ! #witreadathon

The NYRBs that are hard to see are: White Walls by Tatyana Tolstaya and Little Reunions by Eileen Chang.

merelybookish So many good choices! (And pretty covers!) I've started listening to the Lahiri and it is beautiful!! (And humbling!) 5y
saresmoore @merelybookish I‘m looking forward to Lahiri‘s book, but I‘m also a bit intimidated by it! 5y
AlaMich I loved In Other Words!! She was living my dream life in that book, pulling up stakes and moving to another country just because she had a burning desire to master the language. So envious... 5y
saresmoore @AlaMich It‘s so incredibly brave! I can‘t imagine, but I appreciate that I will get to live vicariously through her writing. 5y
94 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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merelybookish
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Here's another readathon! This one to celebrate Women in Translation month. It's hosted by @kdwinchester of @thereadingwomen and booktuber Matthew Sciarappa. The goal is to read works by women in translation but they gave a few prompts. I have the Lahiri ready to go!
Tag #WITreadathon if you decide to participate!
For more info https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m11uD1rZruc&feature=youtu.be
@Andrew65 @TheReadingMermaid @Clwojick

Andrew65 Thanks for this information, I will have a look at it. 😊👍 5y
sisilia I loved the tagged book 😍 5y
saresmoore Now THIS I can get excited about! I‘m in! 5y
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merelybookish @sisilia Good to hear! 5y
merelybookish @saresmoore Yes! Join me!! I am going to finish a book I have in progress (which fits the 5 year gap), listen to the Lahiri, and try for at least one more. The first prompt is hard to find! 5y
saresmoore Does the back cover count? 😅 5y
merelybookish @saresmoore Works for me! 😛 5y
49 likes8 comments
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Andrea313
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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BookishMe
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Late response to #TuesdayTidbits tags

📚 The more I feel imperfect, the more I feel alive. Jhumpa Lahiri

🎦 To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.
(Finally watched Walter Mitty last night. This replaced Carpe Diem I had in mind)

📚 Children agree 'film' is one of the numerous ;o and movie characters! ;p

*If anyone still wants to play😄😊🤗

Tanisha_A Love that statement by Lahiri! 6y
BookishMe @Tanisha_A yes yes... Being flawed is easier to embrace 6y
33 likes2 comments
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Tanzy13
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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SassyBookworm ❤️this 6y
youneverarrived ❤️ 6y
48 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Deborah42
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

This book is a first for Lahiri—her first autobiographical work and also her first book written in Italian. She chronicles her love affair with the Italian language. She is still learning Italian, so for this project, she wrote the Italian and then let someone else translate it into English. I listened to the audiobook version and loved the dual-language format.

This is also the story of her quest for identity and belonging.

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DrSabrinaMoldenReads
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

I found this book to be captivating on several different levels. She is certainly brilliant, a Pulitzer-prize winning American novelist of Bengali descent, who chooses to immerse herself in a new language, writing her first memoir in that language. If that is not enough, she eloquently delves into the emotional meaning of all this...about her search for identity, needing to belong and not be different, speaking MY language. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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DrSabrinaMoldenReads
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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What a lovely book! So amazing and interesting! I want to stay home and read the whole thing.

34 likes2 stack adds
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JacintaMCarter
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

#2018Book44
If this doesn't inspire you to get off your butt and learn a new language (or any new skill, really), then I don't know what will.

73 likes6 stack adds
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BooksAtNight
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Starting this #audiobook for #ReadingWomenChallenge (written by a woman and translated by a woman). My first Lahiri and I am smitten with her writing already.

DivineDiana I too love her writing. 💗 7y
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BookishMe
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Gathering #words - I'm constantly hunting for words.
#JhumpaLahiri
#quotsyJan18

readinginthedark Me too! I feel like I‘m always searching for the right word. 7y
BookishMe @readinginthedark have you read this book? It pays homage to words... I remember having to inhale deeply in reflection, almost every other page! 7y
readinginthedark I haven‘t, but it‘s on my TBR! 7y
BookishMe @readinginthedark 👍🏼👍🏼 7y
23 likes1 stack add4 comments
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ValerieAndBooks
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Our local used bookstore that benefits the senior center now has Wacky Wednesdays— all Books (except specially priced) are $1 each! I was only going to look for Brookner (see last post) but ....!! I was only able to stay for just a few minutes and that‘s a good thing for my wallet!!

Especially excited for the Ferrantes. I‘ve read the first, already have the second, and now these!!

And the Lahiri is signed!

DivineDiana Wow! Great haul! 👏🏻📚👏🏻 7y
rachelm Wow!!! The second and third Ferrantes were my favorite ❤️❤️❤️ 7y
Hollie Nice haul! 7y
See All 13 Comments
LeahBergen Wow! You lucky thing! 👏🏻 7y
batsy What a great haul! Love the moody tones of the Brookner cover. 7y
ValerieAndBooks @DivineDiana that bookstore gets a lot of good donations (maybe not in every genre but definitely the ones I like). On High street in the Parkway shopping center. 7y
ValerieAndBooks @rachelm can‘t wait to get to them — need to prioritize #2 though!! 7y
ValerieAndBooks @Hollie 😊📚📚 7y
ValerieAndBooks @LeahBergen they always have something for me to take home 😆! 7y
ValerieAndBooks @batsy I‘m intrigued by that title, definitely. Have you read Brookner yet? 7y
DivineDiana @ValerieAndBooks Thank you! Need to visit! 😉 7y
batsy @ValerieAndBooks I've only read her first one and really liked it! After her passing I read so many interesting articles about her books, and they so sound like my kind of books... 🙂 7y
batsy After Brookner passed on, is maybe what I wanted to say (if Android had an edit button for the comments 😆) 7y
83 likes13 comments
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RebeccaH
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Three-word titles for today's #riotgrams with @bookriot

This stack is some of my favorite nonfiction.

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kdwinchester
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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I posted the second half of my August Wrap Up today. So. Many. Books.

https://www.youtube.com/c/KendraWinchester

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mhillis
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Stopped at the book store on the way home📚I have been wanting to read In Other Words since it came out! Ready for #litsypartyofone #septembermostanticipated #fallintobooks

AlaMich I really enjoyed In Other Words...it's definitely for language nerds 🤓 7y
mhillis @AlaMich Me too! I read it in one sitting and already want to reread it🤓 7y
52 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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HardcoverHearts
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

What a delight! For people who love words, thoughts, meaning & identity, this is a lovely read. I have always been a fan of her work, but I am a devotee now after this story. She is a deep thinker. And lucky for us, she has shared her thoughts with us on her obsession with learning, speaking & writing in Italian. Highly recommended for those who like to understand intellectual pursuits, love language or those struggling to learn another language.

batsy Sounds wonderful! 7y
32 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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HardcoverHearts
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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I find this whole process she has undertaken to be extremely interesting- a writer learning and then writing in a foreign language, in this case Italian. I admire her work. She can evoke a sense of place and a deep understanding in her prose. I am excited to start this one for #boutofbooks!

BooksForEmpathy Same! I listened to this one when it came out and was so fascinated by her. I love everything she does. 7y
30 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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kdwinchester
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

Lahiri started writing essays in Italian about her experience writing in a new language. This bilingual edition of those collected essays features Italian on one side and English on the other. Instead of translating the essays herself, Lahiri resists the temptation edit her essays in English, and Ann Goldstein, the translator of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels, translates the book instead.
(Con. on IG https://instagram.com/p/BX_d3GCBY3m/ )

celtichik I loved this one as well, I thought the Italian/English combo was so cool even though I don't speak a lick of Italian. 7y
Kmmsellers I loved this book! 7y
minkyb Loved this! 7y
122 likes7 stack adds3 comments
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Dwan
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while. I'm tempted to reread it now, but I need to let Lahiri's thoughts soak through my own, really. This book is about about identity, about creativity, about the place of self in the creative process. It's not going to be for everyone. It's beautiful and incredibly personal, and I treasure having read it.

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Dwan
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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This.

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Emiller
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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My current non-fiction read

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BookishMarginalia
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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A lovely thought: writing as homage to imperfection 🤓🙌🏼

159 likes5 stack adds
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Chelsey
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
Pickpick

I've rarely heard from someone who feels about a foreign language the way I do and Jhumpa Lahiri takes that even to the next level. I am sad for her because the writing was stilted and awkward and I know how much that must frustrate her. I'm giving it a pick for the metaphors and the passion. #blameitonlitsy #blameitonbookishmarginalia

EloisaJames I was so disappointed in this book. Didn't you feel that she wrote it too fast (or something)? 7y
BookishMarginalia @EloisaJames Yes. It's not polished, though I must admit in the Italian it does sound much better! 7y
Chelsey Possibly, although it's sounds like she got it down very quickly and then went through multiple times with the assistance of others. Also she was not her own translator, so the person who translated it did so warts and all. If it were me, I know I would be tempted to polish up the English version, but then it wouldn't have been a true translation. I completely understand the juxtaposition of being able to speak a second language fluently but not 7y
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Chelsey ... so fluently that one can express oneself literarily. Knowing the she was writing in a second language my bar for fluency was low and I was pleasantly surprised. Also to find someone so excited for a language is refreshing and comforting, because it means I'm not the only odd duck out there. I've been learning Spanish for 17.5 yrs at this point. I have a good accent and can comfortably carry on a conversation, but there are still gaps. 7y
EloisaJames @Chelsey I've been speaking Italian (to my inlaws) for over 20 years and still speak like crap, so I shouldn't criticize! I guess I think that she could have done/said more, but it's so easy to look for what you want, rather than what the author offers! 7y
28 likes1 stack add7 comments
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BookishMarginalia
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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How learning a foreign language is a way into other cultures, although the perception of "otherness" may always remain. #JhumpaLahiri

AlaMich This was such a great book! I was so jealous of how she just dropped her life and hauled her family to Italy TO LEARN A LANGUAGE. PERIOD. That would be living the dream for the linguistics nerd in me. 7y
LinhHermione Love this quotation! It reminds me of Trevor Noah's memoir when he talked about how just speaking lots of languages meant so many different communities in apartheid South Africa accepted him, even though he had a different skin colour to them 7y
Peddler410 My daughter is in the Chinese Immersion program in our school district and I find myself drawn to learning about the culture -- beyond what she is learning. Several years ago I studied American Sign Language and spent time in the Deaf community. Language is such an amazing gateway to getting to know another culture. 7y
198 likes6 stack adds3 comments
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BookishMarginalia
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Mehso-so

Very quick read. Lots of quotable sentences about reading and writing, language and identity. Overall, though, I was craving more. More depth, more nuance. This book started out life as short essays for a newspaper, and it shows. It's also a translation of the author's self-admitted simple Italian. As such, it is not up to the standard of past Lahiri books. Still, with the right mindset and expectations, an interesting, enjoyable read. ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

LiteraryinPA Helpful review! 7y
rachellayown Great review! I felt the same way! 7y
Jas16 Completely agree! 7y
BethFishReads I wasn't all that taken with this either 7y
176 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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Chelsey
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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#blameitonlitsy @BookishMarginalia after your post I immediately checked my library and it was available. Already started it and the author is an absolute kindred spirit!!

tea.n.books !!! You can borrow twenty titles? I'm so jealous! 7y
CouronneDhiver Oh wow! That is a lot of titles... I'm only allowed 10 at a time. 7y
Chelsey I can borrow 25, but as they're E-books and audio books they expire right at the 3 week mark and if I check out too many at a time I go into a panicked reading frenzy 😂 @tea.n.books @CouronneDhiver (edited) 7y
BookishMarginalia 😄It's a super fast read! 7y
21 likes4 comments
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BookishMarginalia
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Demolishing a moist, delicious carrot cupcake with luscious cream cheese frosting, with a pumpkin spice coffee chaser 🙌🏼🤓

MyBookLife That looks like a great moment!! 7y
howlinglibraries Carrot cake AND pumpkin spice? We would get along great. 😂 7y
JessClark78 Looks and sounds delicious. 😋 7y
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BiblioVirgo Looks so good 😍 7y
Jinjer Mmm that combo is one of my faves! Dreaming of Fall... 7y
BooksForEmpathy Ohhh yummmm!! 7y
222 likes1 stack add6 comments
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BookishMarginalia
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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176 likes1 stack add
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BookishMarginalia
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Six months before moving to Rome, Lahini decides to read only in Italian. This is her description of the effects of that decision on her reading self. #Knopf #JhumpaLahiri

SarahDorra I wonder if this helped her more than textbooks, but I'm sure it did :-) 7y
Moonpa Such a wonderful "memoir". Lahiri did the audio - English and Italian(of course). Really enjoyed it. 7y
Chelsey That's fantastic. I am fluent in Spanish and other than the Bible and Bible commentary I rarely read in Spanish. I love the English language and use of beautiful language makes me giddy happy but my Spanish vocabulary isn't very artistic. I find myself bogged down and frustrated trying to untangle sentences that I feel like I should understand but don't. 7y
173 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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BookishMarginalia
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Morning coffee at happy place @TheBookmarkPR - the perks of being a teacher enjoying the summer break! 😁🤓

BooksForEmpathy Loved this book! 7y
emmekamalei I really enjoyed her descriptions of learning a new language. 7y
Bookworm83 There is nothing better than summer break reading! 📚📚📚 7y
BooknerdsLife I've heard good things about thus book, need to put it on my tbr! 😊 7y
174 likes5 stack adds4 comments
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GuiltyFeat
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

Probably for completists only. I have read all of Ms Lahiri's books and loved them for their dispassionate detached prose and universalization of the feeling of being an alien.

Here she takes it to the next level by writing in a new language. Originally published in Italian, this is an autobiographical tale of self-alienation layered on top of a lifetime's experience of being "other".

No one writes about being an outsider like Jhumpa Lahiri.

LitLogophile Love the term "completists" 7y
52 likes1 stack add1 comment
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AlaMich
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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I think uprooting your whole family and moving to Italy so you can continue studying Italian qualifies as #obsession. In a good way (IMO). #maybookflowers

MayJasper Good for you 😀 7y
40 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Carleneishere
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Watching season 2 of Master of None reminds me I need to read In Other Words!

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AlexandraGriffin
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

Audiobook
I found this book absolutely fascinating, and inspiring, to listen to. Lahiri's love affair with the Italian Language is beautiful, and makes me want to take up journaling in French.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ of 5

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BookishMe
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

#35BookParty 2
My first #JhumpaLahiri book that welcomed my 40th with me... That quiet night with some of most poignant lines
this book is a gift when I first traveled without family.
And I promptly packed it for the following trip. That cemented need to pack a book or two, for vacations.

Librarybelle What a nice connection! 8y
BookishMe @Librarybelle indeed! Memories and warm feelings every time I hold this book. Have you read this or any Lahiri book yet? 8y
Librarybelle @BookishMe I have not, though The Namesake is on my to read list! 8y
BookishMe @Librarybelle same here! 8y
10 likes4 comments
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Robothugs
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Playing catch up with my photo challenges. #womenintranslation
#samebookdifferentcover - I don't own any 😩
#artificialintelligence
#aprilbookshowers

36 likes3 stack adds
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Moonpa
In Other Words | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

I'm slowly getting into audiobooks and have focused on shorter non fiction. I love Lahiri's work and though I am not usually interested in the writers themselves, this work brought sharper focus to her fiction. Her love for the Italian language, her sense of displacement no matter which language she speaks; Lahiri is articulate, honest and engaging.