Interpreter of Maladies

Unlike most readers and reviewers, I am not gaga over this collection. In fact, I am amazed that several of the stories even saw the light of day. I'm going to puke if I read one thing more about "exotic" Indians, with their fish and meat curries, and mustard. And the urban characters she writes about seem like cardboard cutouts (like the guy in the first story who is depressed because his wife has bought him a sweater as a gift) and somewhat snooty. From the literary perspective, it seems that Lahiri has neither had enough experience of real pain or sorrow, nor does she possess the empathy needed for imagining it.

And she should stick to writing about people in America - she simply has no depth to write about India, a country she knows little about (not that I would fault her for that - she is an American).

The last story in the book is the only story that moved me and that is the only one that makes me think Lahiri has genuine glimmers of talent. But the collection, was by no means, deserving of any major award.

Discerning readers should keep in mind that something need not be good simply because it got an award. Especially in the case of the Pulitzer. Please, ...if Thomas Friedman, the Emperor of hacks and jerks, can get one, then why not anyone else?

Over-rated, unbelievable and trite (5/14 people found this helpful)

Sorry, I disagree with all the reviews (and the Pulitzer prize panel!) - I found these stories dull and just not credible. The dialogue, the things people did, the things they thought - just none of it worked for me. I also found the writing passionless and forced, with oddly jarring words and images that made me think of the author at her computer rather than drawing me further into the story.

There's an odd sense of dislocated time that I don't think was deliberate, for example a girl in present day New York having an affair with an Indian had never heard of Bengal and thought India was somewhere myserious that didn't really exist, like Atlantis. Really?

I also have a major problem with a writer who describes someone as 'polishing off' their drink. How this won the Pulitzer is beyond me and a sad indictment on the state of literature today.

Kind and sensitive (2/3 people found this helpful)

Jhumpa Lahiri's writing is exquisitely simple and elegant. The stories convey immense kindness and the characters are shown in such sensitive and compassionate light that they feel like friends or neighbours rather than fictional types. The best book that I have read in many, many years.

Very interesting (5/6 people found this helpful)

A wonderful collection of short stories about people and relationships. It is a hilarious mix of India and America, of traditional and modern, love, jealousy, grief, loneliness and dreams. Ms Lahiri successfully cut across cultural boundaries through characters that imprint themselves in the minds of readers of al backgrounds. It is understandable why Ms. Lahiri won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the O. Henry Award and the Pen/Hemingway Award in her first published work. She possesses a huge vocabulary and unique writing style. I also recommend For the Relief of Unbearable Urges, The Usurper and Other stories, The Catcher in the Rye. Short stories like these are a rare gift to the reading world.

Revealing and Heart-warming Cultural Short Stories (15/19 people found this helpful)

There are eight heart-warming, revealing, personal human interest stories in this small volume which make it quite clear why Ms Jhumpa Lahiri received the Pulitzer Prize in literature. Her stories are vivid and colorful descriptions of human experiences and life situations. Some are light-hearted and humorous, others serious, some are everyday occurrences; all leave a deep impression on the reader who is a little wiser, kinder and more compassionate after having read them.

The reader will long remember the nights that the electricity went out in a neighborhood where Shoba (female) and Shukumar (male) lived. They became emotionally distant after the still born birth of their baby. On the first night, Shukumar prepared a traditional Indian dinner which the couple had not eaten for a long time, not since they grew apart due to the impact of this personal tragedy. Shoba started a little game, of revealing something to her husband that she said he never knew about her. He was expected to reciprocate. Shukumar began to have more intense feelings of love toward his wife after these revelations began. In fact, even after the electricity was fixed ... they continued their "candle light suppers" and "secret revelations". Shukumar was in for a big surprise one night when Shoba laid before him, one of her 'secret revelations'. Read the story to find out what he discovered ...

In another story, we are introduced to Mr. Pirzada, originally from a region of India, which later was partitioned to become Pakistan. He routinely visited an Indian family for dinner and to watch TV, particularly the news, to learn of developments in his homeland. He was a research botanist at a local university and lived in sparse surroundings. He left his wife and seven daughters in the region of India which broke out in war and afterwards became Pakistan. He won a research grant at a prestigious University in his specialty. During his visits to this family, he brought treats and candies for the little girl. The little girl was raised in the USA and primarily learned only US history. Much later, she discovered the reasons Mr. Pirzada visited and his strong affection for the little girl. She hoarded her treats in a secret box, and carefully doled them out to herself to make them last. The war had ended and Mr. Pirzada's research was competed. He returned to Pakistan and sent the Indian family a letter, explaining that all was well, his wife and daughters survived the war. Life was being built anew. It was only then the little girl realized the importance of these visits to Mr. Pirzada and to herself as well. Watching the news, learning about developments on the otherside of the globe reminded him of his wife and family. Providing the little girl treats had somehow connected him closer to his own little girls. There are other equally enchanting stories in this book which leave the reader filled with a warm glow. All the stories in the book reveal significant details about people's lives with sensitivity and compassion. Each is a slices of human life, which unravels deep emotions that are delicate threads which connect the person or people to their culture and to humanity as a whole. This is an excellent book and receives my highest recommendations. Erika Borsos (bakonyvilla)

Jhumpa Lahiri

Reader Reviews:

Over-Rated and Over-Feted Lahiri (1/4 people found this helpful)

Over-rated, unbelievable and trite (5/14 people found this helpful)

Kind and sensitive (2/3 people found this helpful)

Very interesting (5/6 people found this helpful)

Revealing and Heart-warming Cultural Short Stories (15/19 people found this helpful)

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