[IIL]∎ PDF Gratis Jasmine Bharati Mukherjee 9780802136305 Books

Jasmine Bharati Mukherjee 9780802136305 Books

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Jasmine Bharati Mukherjee 9780802136305 Books

[Also posted on Good Reads] I was assigned this book for a Ph.D. level course on Travel Narratives taught at the University of Arizona. I was quite excited for this book, as it is praised as being one of the "best" novels about immigration to have come from an Indian author. In academia, there is a lot of talk about how wonderful and life-changing this book is. But after reading it, twice, I have to say: Kind of average.

The story is about a young woman named Jyoti. Jyoti grows up in India and is eventually married, and living a happy life with a young husband that she loves. However, a tragic attack widows Joyoti and she decides that she will fulfill her husband's dream of going to America for school. She enters America illegally, and her journey as an immigrant is one of bleakness. When she arrives in America, she starts calling herself Jasmine. She eventually starts working for a family with one child as a live-in-nanny. As it turns out, she falls in love with the husband, and when the couple separates it seems like Jasmine can once again be happy. Instead, she flees to Iowa, where she ends up marrying a man named Bud. The couple adopts a Vietnamese boy named Du and Jasmine, now going by the name Jane, ends up pregnant with Bud's child. Again, more bleakness --and she realizes she loved Taylor (her former employer) all along. At the end of the novel, she gets to decide if she wants to stay with Bud or flee to California with Taylor and his daughter.

Overall, this is a good book about immigration, identity, and how hard it is for "outsiders" to fully engage with American culture. There are several scenes within the novel that are wonderful in expressing the turmoil female immigrants face--specifically in terms of sexual assault. But all of the scenes that present this material are in the front half of the book. Even though the novel goes back and forth between three stories (the three different times in her life), the first half of the book is still far more engaging than the second half. For me, the last half of the book seemed to drag on, and I actually ended up deducting a star for this.

I think there are several genres that this book stands out in: Indian literature, immigration studies, stories about identity, etc. But that doesn't mean that this book should be over-praised just because it is a breakout Indian novel. There is still a lot that is lacking for me to give it more than 3 stars. For example, I'm not really sure how strong a heroine Jasmine actually is. She seems to run from her troubles, and never seems to want to settle anywhere--in fact, even by the conclusion of the book I'm still unsure if she has finally decided what she wants her life in America to look like. Again, the second half of the novel also drags on a bit, and while I was somewhat interested in the Iowan farmer's problems that are brought up in the second part of the novel, this sub-plot also seems a bit unnecessary.

Is it a good book? Absolutely. But I don't think that it needs all of the hype that it has been given. There are certainly (to date) some other books that deal with issues of identity, immigration, assimilation, etc., that have clearer story lines (though not Indian literature). Did I enjoy reading it? I loved the first half, but the second half was just okay. Is this something that you may get assigned in class? Yes. But that doesn't mean that everyone is going to fall in love with this book. As much as I wanted to love this book, I set it down just feeling kind of okay with it.


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Jasmine Bharati Mukherjee 9780802136305 Books Reviews

Arrived on time. As described.
Reading for a college class, it actually is really good. Worth a read.
a book
I recently taught a class on Mukherjee, and this novel was a huge hit! I love the way Mukherjee uses the idea of incarnations as a springboard for the narrator's transformation. I also love the way she ties in the story of Kali (goddess of death) into her tale. If you are rusty on your knowledge of hindu gods, you may want to look a few references up.

Mukherjee also does an excellent job of portraying the modern immigrant experience -- through a compelling tale.
Total flexibility allows Jasmine to survive a tortured path from India to NYC to Iowa despite the fact that few really understand where she comes from and the memories that haunt her.
Let me start by saying that this is not typically the type of book I enjoy reading under any circumstances. When I found out that this was part of the required reading list for class, I was not a happy camper to say the least. However, after I started reading this book I was drawn in and became interested in finding out what was going to happen next. Although I wouldn't have picked this book out myself and probably wouldn't purchase it again, overall, it was a good read. It also arrived in excellent condition at a very reasonable price.
Don't let the cheesy cover fool you, this book is amazing. It is brutally honest and intense, as well as impossible to put down. The story revolves around a woman with a multitude of identities, one to fit each phase of her ever changing life. "Jasmine" (aka Jyoti and Jane) is a woman who survives poverty and ignorance in a small Indian village, only to be rewarded with brutality. Her journey to America is beyond taxing, and what she must do to survive it is harrowing, if not downright shocking at times.
Jasmine is faced with much turmoil and many choices, none of which are easy. Her life is far from conventional, but it says volumes about what it must be like to forge a new life in a new place with an identity that even she is not certain of.
I found that the ending was a little abrupt, but other than this, I have no complaints. Mukherjee is a vivid and serious writer, one who will leave you with an often times visceral reaction.
Warning I have heard some complaints about the beginning chapters being mildly confusing concerning character introductions, but I assure you, if you stick with it, what she is doing will become clear quite quickly. This author's technique of introducing characters is very unique and effective and gives the reader a real sense of time without being exactly linear.
[Also posted on Good Reads] I was assigned this book for a Ph.D. level course on Travel Narratives taught at the University of Arizona. I was quite excited for this book, as it is praised as being one of the "best" novels about immigration to have come from an Indian author. In academia, there is a lot of talk about how wonderful and life-changing this book is. But after reading it, twice, I have to say Kind of average.

The story is about a young woman named Jyoti. Jyoti grows up in India and is eventually married, and living a happy life with a young husband that she loves. However, a tragic attack widows Joyoti and she decides that she will fulfill her husband's dream of going to America for school. She enters America illegally, and her journey as an immigrant is one of bleakness. When she arrives in America, she starts calling herself Jasmine. She eventually starts working for a family with one child as a live-in-nanny. As it turns out, she falls in love with the husband, and when the couple separates it seems like Jasmine can once again be happy. Instead, she flees to Iowa, where she ends up marrying a man named Bud. The couple adopts a Vietnamese boy named Du and Jasmine, now going by the name Jane, ends up pregnant with Bud's child. Again, more bleakness --and she realizes she loved Taylor (her former employer) all along. At the end of the novel, she gets to decide if she wants to stay with Bud or flee to California with Taylor and his daughter.

Overall, this is a good book about immigration, identity, and how hard it is for "outsiders" to fully engage with American culture. There are several scenes within the novel that are wonderful in expressing the turmoil female immigrants face--specifically in terms of sexual assault. But all of the scenes that present this material are in the front half of the book. Even though the novel goes back and forth between three stories (the three different times in her life), the first half of the book is still far more engaging than the second half. For me, the last half of the book seemed to drag on, and I actually ended up deducting a star for this.

I think there are several genres that this book stands out in Indian literature, immigration studies, stories about identity, etc. But that doesn't mean that this book should be over-praised just because it is a breakout Indian novel. There is still a lot that is lacking for me to give it more than 3 stars. For example, I'm not really sure how strong a heroine Jasmine actually is. She seems to run from her troubles, and never seems to want to settle anywhere--in fact, even by the conclusion of the book I'm still unsure if she has finally decided what she wants her life in America to look like. Again, the second half of the novel also drags on a bit, and while I was somewhat interested in the Iowan farmer's problems that are brought up in the second part of the novel, this sub-plot also seems a bit unnecessary.

Is it a good book? Absolutely. But I don't think that it needs all of the hype that it has been given. There are certainly (to date) some other books that deal with issues of identity, immigration, assimilation, etc., that have clearer story lines (though not Indian literature). Did I enjoy reading it? I loved the first half, but the second half was just okay. Is this something that you may get assigned in class? Yes. But that doesn't mean that everyone is going to fall in love with this book. As much as I wanted to love this book, I set it down just feeling kind of okay with it.