Roman Stories

by Jhumpa Lahiri
Roman Stories cover
Good Books rating 4.0
Short Story Collections
Technical
  • ID: 3744
  • Added: 2025-10-20
  • Updated: 2025-10-20
  • ISBN: 9780593469903
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2024-06-18
  • Reviews: 3

Roman Stories, the first short story collection by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri since her bestselling Unaccustomed Earth, presents Rome as both a setting and a character. Each of the nine stories delves into the city's multifaceted nature, exploring themes of identity, community, and cultural shifts. From the perspective of a caretaker's daughter reflecting on her immigrant past in 'The Boundary' to the tensions of a changing city in 'The Steps,' Lahiri's narratives capture the essence of Rome's social and cultural variegations. The collection, written in Italian and translated seamlessly by Lahiri and Todd Portnowitz, draws inspiration from Italian masters like Alberto Moravia and Dante Alighieri, offering a profound exploration of home, belonging, and transformation.

Reviews
The Melodramatic Bookworm · 2024-01-06
Powerful 4.50

A powerful exploration of immigrant life, xenophobia, and finding community in Rome.

The reviewer praises Lahiri's ability to weave stories that reflect the struggles and triumphs of immigrants in Rome. The collection is seen as a testament to the human spirit's resilience and the search for belonging in a foreign land.

Quick quotes

    In writing these Roman Stories, Lahiri talks of immigrant life, conditioned hate and xenophobia, finding community, starting over, the things we carry with us.

    There is a dark side which these stories consistently point to, like an open wound throbbing with a sense of mourning, racist hatred, loneliness.

    The four stories here offer the gut-wrenching reality of living in a place that doesn't always welcome you.

Karissa Reads Books · Karissa · 2023-11-28
Connected 3.50

A collection of short stories set in Rome that feel connected despite not being linked narratively.

Karissa finds the stories to be beautifully interconnected through their setting in Rome, highlighting the city's role as a central character. She appreciates how the stories explore themes of belonging and displacement, though some may feel disjointed.

Quick quotes

    This is a collection of short stories that aren't necessarily linked but feel like they are.

    They are all set in the city of Rome and many of them share the same streets and landmarks.

    Roman Stories left me with the sense that it's not Lahiri's best work.

The Guardian · 2023-10-19
Vivid 4.00

The collection vividly explores themes of home, exile, and belonging through the lens of Rome.

This review highlights how Lahiri's stories delve into the complexities of immigrant life and the search for community in Rome. The reviewer praises the vivid storytelling and the emotional depth of the narratives, which resonate deeply with themes of displacement and identity.

Quick quotes

    The Pulitzer winner's vivid collection of short stories crackles with indignation as it explores the meaning of home and the cost of exile.

    The stories often feel long-wound and unrewarding, but even non-Lahiri lovers will concur that the third section delivers.

    Roman Stories recalls Interpreter of Maladies in its clear, crisp prose and attention to detail, full of careful observations from daily lives.

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