Whereabouts

Whereabouts is a haunting portrait of a woman in a beautiful and lonely Italian city, exploring themes of solitude, trauma, and transformation. The novel is written in Italian and translated by the author herself, showcasing her artistic achievement and pushing boundaries.

Format: Hardback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 04 May 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

If art is the antidote to a year of solitude and trauma, then this novel is the answer. It is a superb work of literature that has garnered widespread acclaim from critics and readers alike. The Sunday Times has described it as "a rare kind of literary celebrity," Vogue has praised it as a "hypnotic disappearing act," and the Observer has hailed it as "a haunting portrait of a woman, her decisions, her conversations, her solitariness, in a beautiful and lonely Italian city."

The woman moves through the city, her city, on her own. She walks along its bright pavements, crosses over its bridges, passes through its shops, pools, and bars. She slows her pace to observe a couple fighting, to take in the sight of an old woman in a waiting room, and pauses to drink her coffee in a shaded square. Sometimes, her steps take her to her grieving mother, sealed off in her own solitude. Sometimes, they take her to the station, where the trains can spirit her away for a short while.

However, in the arc of a year, as one season gives way to the next, transformation awaits. One day at the sea, overwhelmed and replenished by the sun's vital heat, her perspective will change forever.

Whereabouts, first written in Italian and then translated by the author herself, is a rare work of fiction that brims with the impulse to cross barriers. By grafting herself onto a new literary language, Lahiri has pushed herself to a new level of artistic achievement. The novel is a dazzling evocation of a city, capturing a woman standing on one of life's thresholds, reflecting on what has been lost and facing, with equal hope and rage, what may lie ahead.

The New York Times has praised it as "an unusual literary and linguistic feat," while the Times Literary Supplement has described it as "a triumph of translation." It is a testament to Lahiri's talent as a writer and her ability to convey the essence of a story in a language that is not her own.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a novel that will transport you to a beautiful and lonely Italian city, where a woman struggles with solitude and trauma, then Whereabouts is the answer. It is a rare work of fiction that has garnered widespread acclaim and is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who reads it.

Weight: 282g
Dimension: 144 x 208 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526629951