A review by misspalah
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

challenging dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

“I am not the only man to seek his fortune far from home, and certainly I am not the first. Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination.”
― Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies
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I love all the stories in this book. Although i rated them differently according to my preferences but there is not one bad or meh story in it. ‘A temporary matter’ dealt with a hidden guilt and grief shared by husband and wife after losing their kid altogether. The story titled ‘When Mr. Pirzada came to dine’ is the reminiscant memory of a young girl when her parents decided to house a foreign guest. ‘Interpreter of Maladies’ narrated a POV of tour guide towards an NRI family that he drove around in India. Since this is a main title for entire collection , i actually expected to blown over by it but it was not. The story was good but i love ‘A temporary Matter’ more. The fourth story titled ‘A Real Durwan’ highlighted the trust and betrayal dynamic in the close knitted community living together in the area. ‘Sexy’ is another favorite of mine - extramarital affairs was so overused in the short story but if its written right, it could be amazing just like this story. ‘Mrs. Sen’ narrated the story of a boy and her neighbour, the boy felt that he and Mrs Sen have this sort of bonding or camraderie for one another even up to the point keeping a secret for each other. For a story number 7 - This blessed house , while understand the whole point of it, i find it hard to connect with the story - probably because both of the characters is so unlikeable. Next story which is titled ‘The treatment of Bibi Haldar’ was equally witty, funny and devastating at the same time. It tackled the treatment of disability in the society and the stigma attached towards it. Oftentimes, the disabled were being abused, discriminated and some were even sexually assaulted. Last but not least, ‘The third and final continent’ is such a perfect conclusion for the whole anthology. A story of an immigrant managed to make it in the foreign land  never cease to amaze me. Sure, a cliche storyline but it was warmhearted nonetheless. 
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Individual rating for each story in the book :
  • A temporary Matter : 5/5
  • When Mr. Pirzada came to dine : 4/5
  • Interpreter of maladies : 3/5
  • A real Durwan : 3/5
  • Sexy : 5/5
  • Mrs. Sen : 4/5
  • This blessed house : 3/5
  • The treatment of Bibi Haldar : 5/5
  • The third and final continent : 4/5