In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri

Translated by Ann Goldstein

In Other Words is a revelation. It is at heart a love story of a long and sometimes difficult courtship, and a passion that verges on obsession: that of a writer for another language. For Jhumpa Lahiri, that love was for Italian, which first captivated and capsized her during a trip to Florence after college. Although Lahiri studied Italian for many years afterwards, true mastery had always eluded her.

Seeking full immersion, she decided to move to Rome with her family, for 'a trial by fire, a sort of baptism' into a new language and world. There, she began to read and to write - initially in her journal - solely in Italian. In Other Words, an autobiographical work written in Italian, investigates the process of learning to express oneself in another language, and describes the journey of a writer seeking a new voice.

Presented in a dual-language format, this is a wholly original book about exile, linguistic and otherwise, written with an intensity and clarity not seen since Vladimir Nabokov: a startling act of self-reflection and a provocative exploration of belonging and reinvention.

REVIEWS

"A writer of uncommon elegance and poise." ― New York Times

"A writer of formidable powers and great depth of feeling ."― Observer

"A fascinating account of her linguistic exile." - Erica Wagner ― Harper’s Bazaar

PRODUCT DETAILS
Paperback
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 978-1408866139
Pages: 256