claudyne's review against another edition
5.0
I love Lahiri’s ability to make you feel as though you know the characters in a few sentences.
walshero's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite collection of short fiction since The Laws of Evening by Mary Yukari Waters. Poignant little gems of stories. Just good stuff.
katharina90's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This collection offers a glimpse into the lived experiences of Bengali immigrants in the US while also covering a wide variety of other themes.
I found the stories consistantly interesting, reflective, and at times moving. There's also a certain straightforwardness to the author's writing style that I like.
I found the stories consistantly interesting, reflective, and at times moving. There's also a certain straightforwardness to the author's writing style that I like.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Miscarriage
diannastarr's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Jhumpa Lahiri's prose in this piece is an absolute delight and, at times it felt like I was reading sheet music. Her ability to set a scene is incredible and every single short story felt just as strong as the last with compelling characters that act as vessels into the Indian American experience. Personally, When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine, Sexy, and A Temporary Matter stuck out the most for me. Yet no matter someone's life experiences, at least one of these nine short stories will tug at the heart strings. I read this at work while on the clock and it's a great way to pass the time during slow shifts. I plan to buy myself a paper copy of this piece to mark up and annotate when I get the chance to pour over another reread
sharonskinner's review against another edition
3.0
Short stories are not my usual fare, but these provided a lovely window into Indian/American cross culture.
kurwaczytaj's review against another edition
4.0
Sbírka několika krátkých povídek, ve které vystupují muži a ženy z Indie a to buď ve své "staré vlasti" nebo v daleké Americe.
bryonyporter's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
cheetahpig's review against another edition
4.0
Interpreter of Maladies is Jhumpa Lahiri's first book, which is astounding since it has a more confident authorial voice than other books I've read by very-well established writers. Lahiri wields language with grace and elegance, but also with a sharpened pick-axe of honesty and close observation that chips away at the outward appearances that surround human relationships. In this respect, she reminds me of Rohinton Mistry (and not just because they both write about India, although Indian culture does seem to call to writers and readers in a unique way). Mistry seems to notice absolutely everything and is able to write about it in a way that makes your heart swell, and Lahiri can definitely fit within that tradition. What I respect most about both Mistry and, now that I've read one of her books, Lahiri, is their ability to completely skip past all the trite observations about human nature that might tempt a less-talented writer. Even in their very early works – Swimming Lessons and Interpreter of Maladies, respectively – you can already tell that both authors have skipped the prerequisite of having a bad first book and have jumped right into the buoyancy, sadness, and complexity of mature storytelling.
Some of the stories in this collection are better than others: I especially enjoyed “A Temporary Matter,” “Interpreter of Maladies,” and “Mrs. Sen's,” which are populated with characters who suffer from the most corrosive of emotions – regret, guilt, disappointment. I think many authors can write convincingly about joy and serendipity (sometimes it seems like these emotions write themselves), but it takes a very meticulous and hard-working author to capture the thousands of unmistakable details that make up a single moment of regret.
Another way in which Lahiri reminds me of Mistry is in her ambivalence towards India. Both writers feel a deep emotional and physical attachment to India, but their writing is never nostalgic; they are seeing with both eyes open. I've often wondered how difficult it must be to write about one's own past or the past of one's cultural group without slipping into facile nostalgia, which is the Lotus Land of human emotions, a comfortable but ultimately perverse and distorting state of being from which the only escape is some kind of awakening slap. Both Mistry and Lahiri recognize the false comforts of nostalgia and write authentically and fully about their characters' homeland – I don't say they write “objectively” since each of the stories is refracted through a specific character's subjectivity, but they do write honestly without cringing.
I look forward to reading more of Lahiri's books, including her first novel, The Namesake. One way in which it would be very hard for her to compete with Rohinton Mistry is in maintaining the narrative stamina and precision necessary to write a novel that's as good as her short stories. We shall see.
Some of the stories in this collection are better than others: I especially enjoyed “A Temporary Matter,” “Interpreter of Maladies,” and “Mrs. Sen's,” which are populated with characters who suffer from the most corrosive of emotions – regret, guilt, disappointment. I think many authors can write convincingly about joy and serendipity (sometimes it seems like these emotions write themselves), but it takes a very meticulous and hard-working author to capture the thousands of unmistakable details that make up a single moment of regret.
Another way in which Lahiri reminds me of Mistry is in her ambivalence towards India. Both writers feel a deep emotional and physical attachment to India, but their writing is never nostalgic; they are seeing with both eyes open. I've often wondered how difficult it must be to write about one's own past or the past of one's cultural group without slipping into facile nostalgia, which is the Lotus Land of human emotions, a comfortable but ultimately perverse and distorting state of being from which the only escape is some kind of awakening slap. Both Mistry and Lahiri recognize the false comforts of nostalgia and write authentically and fully about their characters' homeland – I don't say they write “objectively” since each of the stories is refracted through a specific character's subjectivity, but they do write honestly without cringing.
I look forward to reading more of Lahiri's books, including her first novel, The Namesake. One way in which it would be very hard for her to compete with Rohinton Mistry is in maintaining the narrative stamina and precision necessary to write a novel that's as good as her short stories. We shall see.
lizsg's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ayeshaa9998's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25