Interpreter of Maladies (Edition 001)

Jhumpa Lahiri

This book at one point made me want to quit writing because I figured, "Well, she's doing exactly...more

This book at one point made me want to quit writing because I figured, "Well, she's doing exactly what I wanted to do, so why should I even bother?" It pretty much made me cry that someone was out there writing the sort of stories I wish I had been able to write. But then I realized that wasn't the point of the collection. The point is, everyone has stories to tell. I mean, I'm not even South Asian/Indian/Bengali, and I could relate to the whole second generation tension/relationship issues/inter-generational gap/alienation as an outsider thing. So, on the same note, this book made me want to write again, if only to try to tell the stories of my family or create new ones in similar veins. "The Third and Final Continent" really does remind me of my mother's stories about how cheap rent used to be and how strange it was to get used to things (back in the 70's, she couldn't even finish a Big Mac by herself, but now she puts it away with the best of them at the buffet) in this country. "Sexy" has the rather memorable line from a rather precocious (although we argued in my class that he was almost too precocious, like a plot device as opposed to a real character) child who defines "sexy" as "loving someone you don't know." Seriously though, this book is so amazing that I didn't even mind reading it for class...twice (for two classes) or writing a 12 page paper about the first and final stories. People will argue that this is much better than The Namesake. I have to admit, that Lahiri is stronger in short story format, sort of leaving lasting photographic memories with each quick stroke as opposed to drawing things out in an extended plot line. However, I would also recommend the novel along with the collection of short stories.   hide

This is a collection of short stories by an author who "was born in London of Bengali parents and...more

This is a collection of short stories by an author who "was born in London of Bengali parents and grew up in Rhode Island, USA." She's won a couple of awards for this book, including the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (the same prize To Kill a Mockingbird won in 1961). Usually, I don't like short stories because I think the author doesn't have enough time to develop the story and characters sufficiently. But I really enjoyed this book. Her style is light and accessible enough to be read easily (unlike catch-22, which keeps losing me every couple lines in its absurdity), and her stories are compelling. After each story, I just want to read more. They each illuminate different aspects of immigrant life adapting from Indian culture and is written beautifully to exude just the right hint of India that's exotic, but not overpowering. She tells each story with such sensitivity and effortlessly takes on the voice of each unique character. It is a brilliant journey, and a great book. I like! I'm not the only one who enjoyed this book: http://www.alifeinbooks.com/?p=87. This blog author is way cool! I wonder where she finds the time to read so many books...   hide

A debut collection of short stories that is a pleasure to read. The short stories give an insight...more

A debut collection of short stories that is a pleasure to read. The short stories give an insight into Indian culture exploring both life within India as well as those that have immigrated from their homeland. To be honest, I normally shy away from short stores due to the fact that I feel that character and plot developement can be lacking which results in characters without depth. This was not the case in Jhumpa Lahiri's novel. The characters were vivid and complex. The emotions displayed by the characters is brilliantly expressed without the writing itself being overly complicated.    hide

Jhumpa Lahiri (2000): "Interpreter of Maladies" Wonderful title, wonderful book. I felt this is...more

Jhumpa Lahiri (2000): "Interpreter of Maladies" Wonderful title, wonderful book. I felt this is a fresh new voice, telling me things I was not fully aware of earlier, from this group of fruitful but difficult cultural clashes.    hide

There is something almost indecent about how we, the readers, become an intimate observer in each...more

There is something almost indecent about how we, the readers, become an intimate observer in each of the stories. The stories are so vivid that one feels like a ghost, a silent observer, privy to the plight of the characters yet not being able to alter the course of the story. Ms. Lahiri writes with such economy of words, there can be no question that each word is carefully chosen to provoke a certain feeling just likes individual notes of a song evokes a certain response. A truly wonderfuly collection of stories that grabs you from the very first pages until the last word.    hide