Saturday, March 10, 2012
Read any good world lit yet?
I just finished Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri and loved it! When I started listening to it, I didn't know it was a series of short stories (all with Indian or Indian-American protagonists), and may not have chosen to read it if I had. However, I ended up really enjoying the stories individually and as a whole. Although some contain references to drinking and/or sex, I think overall it would be accessible for high school students. Lahiri's writing is beautiful and this text lends itself to discussions of imagery/descriptive writing, as well as perspective. Themes include identity; one's relationships with parents, siblings, and spouse; dealing with loss; difficult decision making; and the journey.
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Hi Julia,
ReplyDeleteI also read Unaccustomed Earth. I agree that it was beautifully written, but I also found most of the stories quite sad. (Had to take a break after the story of the drunken brother). I preferred her first work Interpreter of Maladies.
Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart are great titles for cultural clashes with the British entering Africa. There is also a modern novel, East of the Sun about young British women entering India in the 1920's. Another great read is The Paris Wife about the expats in Paris focusing on Hadley Richardson's interpretation of The Lost Generation. Great Blog:) Jodi
Hey all! I have always been partial to books about India and countries in Africa - certainly stories by the Nigeria-born Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche would work in a World Lit. Class. Some Indian titles could be The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga and Gifted by Nikita Lalwani. These latter two have more modern themes that could be easily understood by high school students.
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