A pleasure to read.” -Emily Zhao, The Harvard Crimson In what felt to her like a dangerous leap of faith, she lets her insights stand naked and alone, garbed in neither character nor plot-and all the more beautiful and true for their lovely guilelessness. As a milestone in Lahiri’s career, In Other Words embodies a tremendous feat: the relinquishment of the mastery and comfort of the old, and the complete, unsparing immersion in the new. Even while it resonates with haunting vulnerability, overall the book never feels too densely confessional. She expresses and reframes sentiments about the nature of love, both romantic and maternal, through the lens of her relationship to Italian, and offers fascinating peeks into her world. Her joy in working with language emanates from every page the uncomplicated frankness of her voice allows her to cover a satisfyingly wide range of subjects. In Other Words artfully and touchingly paints Lahiri’s journey into a new life.
Lahiri reached out to Italian when English stopped offering her the solitude she craved as a writer now that she has left Italy we must wait to see where the arrow of exile points her.” -Joseph Luzzi, The New York Times Book Review Dante’s words seem relevant when speaking about In Other Words, a book that is everywhere about displacement and the discoveries it can lead to. In Other Words ends at a crossroads, with Lahiri set to leave Rome and return to America, not knowing what will come of her affair with Italian. The bilingual format is appropriate: All the personal experiences are connected to linguistic ones, all the linguistic issues refracted through the author’s life. In Other Words presents the same author with a different voice-a new expressive vein. Lahiri’s exuberant tone may surprise readers used to the understatement and quiet grace of her acclaimed novels and short stories.
Why abandon the English language that made her famous, and move with her family to Rome? Because she was in love. It is fitting that Italy, a nation with no unifying language for centuries, should inspire a writer of Jhumpa Lahiri’s stature to organize her reflections around the concept of exile.
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