You might know Jhumpa Lahiri from the collection of stories Interpreter of Maladies, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize. Whereabouts, a book originally written in Italian and translated into English by the author herself, deviates somewhat from the subjects that were featured in her previous works, thay is primarily the stories of immigrants living their lives between India and the United States.
The novel is made out of short chapters presenting scenes from everyday life. This with might remind you of People from my Neighborhood, although the tone of that book, as well as elements of magical realism give it a completely different tone. The scenes here are arranged chronologically; we follow a certain period of life through daily meetings, reflections, and observations.
The anonymous protagonist of Whereabouts describes her life in an unfamiliar city that we can only infer is located in Italy, but really could be any city on any continent: the details are not important here. There are no proper names here, which gives the text a universal and oneiric atmosphere: in fact, each of us could be the protagonist of this novel.
Whereabouts is written in the style Lahiri is known for, minimalist and fairly simple yet lyrical, perfectly capturing the main theme: loneliness. Calm and meditative, sometimes ironic, the book will surely make you think.
