About this title: Most of the short stories in this debut volume are about marriage in one form or another. A New York Times Notable Book in 1999, this book also won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Acceptable. Book is in good reading condition. Cover has wear at edges and corners, and may have creases. Spine has wear at edges and may have creases. read more
Description: Good. 1999-Paperback----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Mariner Books
Date Published: 1999-06-01
ISBN-13:9780395927205ISBN:039592720X
Description: Very Good. Appears to be unopened and unread. Text is clean, bright, and unmarked. No names, no remainder marks, no stickers. Binding is tight and square. No creases in cover or spine. Careful packaging and fast shipping. We recommend EXPEDITED MAIL for even faster delivery! read more
"Lahiri does some amazing stuff in this group of stories. She returns again and again to images of displacement, however temporary they may be, and the changing boundaries of maps both literal and personal. The writing here is graceful - it's easy to let it pick you up and just carry you along for a lovely ride. I also appreciate that her stories manage to be compelling without often relying on wildly desperate characters to tell them... she creates an overall quiet and observant group of people who draw us in and hold us with whispers and the motions of an ordinary day rather than with screams and outlandish gestures.
By the end of the book, however, I do begin to wonder if these characters will transition at some point from their roles as observers to something more involved in the world around them. They dine together, babysit each others' children, date and marry, tour marginally familiar cities, yet somehow maintain a carefully calculated distance from each other. Twinkle in "This Blessed House" may be the only character for whom this distance does not exist - she observes the world in a different way than the other characters here, as though every surprise it holds was concocted especially for her, and she throws herself into it with an enthusiasm bordering on giddiness. I wonder how others in these stories would look, speak, move, outside of their carefully constructed protective shells. Of course, if they weren't such interesting and well-rendered characters to begin with, I wouldn't still be curious about them beyond the pages on which they exist. Beautiful stories, highly recommended."
"I found this book on my shelf at home. I have no idea how it got there or how long it's been there, but I was curious enough to give it a try. It was beautiful! There is a bitter-sweetness about each, but it is offset by a sense of calm and peace. Sometimes tragic, sometimes hopeful, these tales are about the beauty of the human experience. For an author's first work, Interpreter of Maladies is amazing. Lahiri creates such richness, such fullness of character that it's hard to believe each story is only 20 or so pages. I really could spend an entire novel with each."
"Character-Rich Stories This collection of nine stories was the choice for our January book club. Jhumpa Lahiri is a talented storyteller and the topic of "maladies," which is woven through each tale, made for interesting discussion. The stories are character-rich and are set in both India and the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Regardless of the setting, Lahiri's description is filled with minute, sensory-oriented detail. The characters become three dimensional as they share what humors and ails them. All are quite memorable, making each story stand out as an individual accomplishment.
I enjoyed all nine, but among my favorites was "Blessed House," about a young Indian couple in a new home. They find what seems to be an endless stash of Christian artifacts and these statues, icons and effigies tickle the wife, Twinkle, and horrify the husband, Sanjeev. I also loved the final story, "The Third and Final Continent," told by a Bengali man who left India (Asia) in 1964, went first to London (Europe) and then Boston (North America) where he began is new life and faced his ultimate destination. What stands out most about this story is his experience with the 103 year-old landlady, Mrs. Croft, with whom he lived for several weeks prior to his wife's arrival. It teaches him a lot about relationships, particularly the relationship that becomes most important to him. Simply "splendid!"
Highly recommend for both excellent writing and outstanding storytelling."
"This book is a collection of soulful short stories of Indian immigrants living in the US and I think some stories where in India too, I read this book maybe in 2006 or 2007 but every time I think of a book that really touched me emotionally I think of this book or Alice Munro's short stories. I came across Interpreter of Maladies by chance, it was left at the lunch table at my office where co-workers exchange used items. I picked up and didn't read it for a while... After reading the 1st short story, I was immediately excited about the jewel I've found for free. Every story is about love and relationships and quirkiness of the human soul. Every story, regardless of being about love between lovers, or an old-lady working alone in an abandon building, reveals some kind of magic. With few books I cry while I read, and this one, in such a humanitarian point of view, made me cry a couple of times. I am really surprised to see how young is the beautiful author, because her words sound like those of an old soul. A must read. You'll appreciate every turn of the each story."
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