Reviews

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

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namrata_jain's review against another edition

5.0

I went into this book with 0 expectations, because I decided to read it based on a recommendation and know nothing about it - now even that it was a collection of short stories.

And I'm glad I did, because it was a treat. Each short story is based on an immigrant in a different situation. Each protagonist is a unique character and has a unique story to tell.

Each story is written in a very nostalgic and poetic language. Even though they are short stories, the writer takes her time setting the scene and developing the characters, to a point where you start connecting with them.

But every story leave you feeling unsettled and upset, as if someone snatched a book from your hands and you only had the last chapter left to read. While the stories do reach their apogee, it feels incomplete because you want to carry the stories to a happier or a more conclusive ending.

And that's the reason why I think that Jhumpa Lahiri is an incredible writer - it's hard to create this feeling once and she did it again and again with each story.

I'm really looking forward to reading other books she's written.

bbqxaxiu's review against another edition

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3.0

favs, in order:
1. a temporary matter
2. the third and final continent
3. when mr pirzada came to dine
4. sexy

manasa_g9's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

ewelia's review against another edition

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5.0

I was already infatuated with Jhumpa, but I fell in love with her on a 5 hour train ride from Boston back home to Newark. It is on that very same train I am writing this and already mourning our time, cut too short from my impassioned read. What greater praise is there than finishing a book of many stories in one sitting? She’s staying at my bed side for when I’m feeling homesick for India.

dyno8426's review against another edition

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3.0

I liked this collection of short stories. They are gentle in their evocations and relatable in their observations, which makes you feel that you have seen such people around you, as probably the author would have once and inspired by them enough to let her feelings document themselves in fictions. Aptly titled, she reveals different maladies which affect the lives of characters in different stories and interprets them to us so that at least by listening to those who wished to be listened to, the pain and the suffering can be shared and lessened. And despite the melancholy in the hopes of the characters, with her nostalgic style, the author makes you feel optimistic at the end of each story.

litmiss502's review against another edition

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4.0

This book is really interesting in that it combines a portrait of both India and America without spoonfeeding the reader comparisons. The author simply juxtaposes the two cultures side by side and then lets the reader draw their own conclusions and connections. I think that this is a beautiful collection of stories that will make you laugh, make you cry, but above all, it will make you think.