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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
I enjoyed the realism of each of the stories in this collection even when that reality was uncomfortable or unpleasant. The title story haunted me in that sense. I noticed marriage was a recurring theme, and it was interesting to see how the characters in each story viewed it as almost all featured marriages were arranged. It was like a window into a culture, and I appreciated Lahiri providing that access.
A beautiful collection of short stories that follow the lives of people who have left India to find life and love in other parts of the world. It includes a story of a man who interprets sickness for a doctor who does not know the Indian language and of a woman who is so homesick that she reads and re-reads the letters from home. Lyrical language that captures human emotion and the relationships between people that make life so interesting.
"A Temporary Matter" ★★★
"When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine" ★★★★★
"Interpreter of Maladies" ★★
"A Real Durwan" ★★★
"Sexy" ★★
"Mrs. Sen's" ★★
"This Blessed House" ★★
"The Treatment of Bibi Haldar" ★★★
"The Third and Final Continent" ★★★★
These Pulitzer winning short stories are a collection of musings on being adrift: the state of those who find themselves in strange lands removed from past lives and the new realities they construct for themselves. The setting adrift takes place through immigration, marriage, displacement from political upheaval, the resolute passage of time. Melancholy pervades the book, as does a sort of removal, a film made of distance, as the stories of those adrift are told by those who surround them but do not understand them. We learn through proximity about brown immigrants through the eyes of white Americans; about displaced Bengalis from their new Indian neighbors; about Indian Americans through the eyes of Indians; about an ancient woman from her young tenant.
My personal favorite was "When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine", the story of a young Indian family's hospitality to a Bengali academic on fellowship in Boston as unrest in India threatens his family back home. A quiet portrait of an immigrant family creating community, this story juxtaposes the comfort found in fellow outsiders who back home would be on opposite sides of a brewing political conflict. Told through the eyes of the family's young daughter, I found this immigrant story to be beautiful, relatable, and humanizing.
However, I can't say that I particularly enjoyed many of the other stories. As they are all told with one level of separation, they tell more about perceptions of outsiders and offer less understanding of the outsiders themselves. Our lens becomes one of pity, disgust, or mild intrigue. We are not often meant to understand the oddballs in these stories, which makes for a somewhat apathetic and dehumanizing reading experience.
"When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine" ★★★★★
"Interpreter of Maladies" ★★
"A Real Durwan" ★★★
"Sexy" ★★
"Mrs. Sen's" ★★
"This Blessed House" ★★
"The Treatment of Bibi Haldar" ★★★
"The Third and Final Continent" ★★★★
These Pulitzer winning short stories are a collection of musings on being adrift: the state of those who find themselves in strange lands removed from past lives and the new realities they construct for themselves. The setting adrift takes place through immigration, marriage, displacement from political upheaval, the resolute passage of time. Melancholy pervades the book, as does a sort of removal, a film made of distance, as the stories of those adrift are told by those who surround them but do not understand them. We learn through proximity about brown immigrants through the eyes of white Americans; about displaced Bengalis from their new Indian neighbors; about Indian Americans through the eyes of Indians; about an ancient woman from her young tenant.
My personal favorite was "When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine", the story of a young Indian family's hospitality to a Bengali academic on fellowship in Boston as unrest in India threatens his family back home. A quiet portrait of an immigrant family creating community, this story juxtaposes the comfort found in fellow outsiders who back home would be on opposite sides of a brewing political conflict. Told through the eyes of the family's young daughter, I found this immigrant story to be beautiful, relatable, and humanizing.
However, I can't say that I particularly enjoyed many of the other stories. As they are all told with one level of separation, they tell more about perceptions of outsiders and offer less understanding of the outsiders themselves. Our lens becomes one of pity, disgust, or mild intrigue. We are not often meant to understand the oddballs in these stories, which makes for a somewhat apathetic and dehumanizing reading experience.
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
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
3.5 stars
There are 9 stories in this book and I was really moved by 4 of them : A Real Durwan, When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine, The Treatment of Bibi Haldar, The Third and the final continent. These were definitely the stories that I liked the best. The remaining five stories were subtle and sometimes somewhat slow but nice individually. Overall, this was not a bad read at all.
There are 9 stories in this book and I was really moved by 4 of them : A Real Durwan, When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine, The Treatment of Bibi Haldar, The Third and the final continent. These were definitely the stories that I liked the best. The remaining five stories were subtle and sometimes somewhat slow but nice individually. Overall, this was not a bad read at all.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I'd started this a few years ago and dropped it because the first story didn't live up to my expectations. Who wants to continue reading mediocre shorts when you can bail after the first one? This time I was sick in bed and had nothing better to do. The rest of the stories were worth coming back to. As a group, these told a rich and full story of immigrants & first generation Americans that transcends cultural boundaries. As a first gen Japanese American, I could easily see my family and myself in these though all centered around the Indian/Indian American culture(s).
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting and engaging, but not terribly fascinating
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes