Interpreter of Maladies

Rating:
Summary: 9 Beautiful Stories
Review: I picked this book up randomly in my local book store. I love reading short stories, and though I had never heard of the author, the book held my interest during the first few pages. I was happy to find out later that this book does more than just hold your interest. There are nine really beautifully crafted stories in this book. Each one is unique, and simply draws the reader into the characters live, if only for a brief moment. I read a lot of short fiction, and it can be a really hard medium to master. I was happy to find out that Jhumpa Lahiri has not only mastered the medium, but added something more to it. Later I found out, though not to my suprise, that one of Lahiri's stories has been included in the Best American Short Stories for 1999. All of the praise which has been given to this book and its author are more than well deserved.

Rating:
Summary: Great writing!
Review: The writing is subtle and fluid, and the stories make a huge impact in a very short space -- hallmark of the master short story writer. It's like getting an accidental glimpse of another life through a window, sometimes with little or no resolution to the conflicts of the story, which is more realistic than the traditional "beginning, middle, end" paradigm. Not a word out of place. Loved it!

Rating:
Summary: A refreshing collection of short stories
Review: Jhumpa Lahiri's new book of short stories is an achievement in modern short fiction. Although her stories describe life in two countries (the U.S. and India) which are distinct in their character and nature, the stories seem to have an appeal which is close to the universal. Ms Lahiri's characters, their situations and their emotions are real, almost as if the people in her stories are living around us... No matter where we are. It's a refreshing treat for those who enjoy short fiction. And even more, for readers in India, as several stories in this collection contain nuances which are so quintessentially Indian.

Rating:
Summary: Lives up to the wonderful reviews and more!
Review: I have been reading through some of the previous reviews and I am amazed that there are people out there who could possible think that Jhumpa Lahiri does not write what is in her heart. These stories are alive with heartbreak, pain, and quiet joy. Her writing is not the type one reads, but absorbs. Her characters are so real I feel like I grew up with some of them myself, and I am also not South Asian. As for Jhumpa Lahiri trying to be "hip" by writing about South Asians, she is South Asian, and her collection of stories is obviously something which is extremely personal. I don't think that anybody who want to simply "cash in" would be able to creat such a beautiful collection.

Rating:
Summary: very subtle yet soul touching, tender yet gnawingly haunting
Review: The stories seem simple on the surface, but hauntingly touch deep within every immigrant's soul. Who has not felt lonely in a new country, a new culture and most importantly, in their relationship? Yet, it seems obvious that Shukumar and his wife can only communicate when lights are out. The darkness outside perhaps revealing darkness in their relationship. And the same darkness seems to bring some intimacy to their almost dying relationship. The still born child seems a blantant imagery of their unfruictified love. Shukumar's confession about holding the child, and the knowing the sex of the child seems to be the absolute breaking down of his wife's ego - a hidden yet powerful sense that she never spoke of. Very poignantly told, very haunting.

Rating:
Summary: Ok, but nothing great.
Review: I felt cheated after reading this collection of short stories. I fail to understand what all the hoopla is about. Lahiri's writing style is heavy handed, and the characters she creates are weirdly one dimensional. If you want to read something really gripping, try anything by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala or Bharati Mukherjee instead. Pass this over.

Rating:
Summary: Predictable weave to the end....leaving you unfulfilled!
Review: The one good thing about this book is that it added confidence to my writing....because if this is what gets published these days, a lot of us have a fair chance! This book was recommended to me by several friends and having just finished an amazing array of books written by SA writers like "A River Sutra" by Geeta Mehta, "Red Earth and Pouring Rain" and "Love and Longing in Bombay" by Vikram Chandra, "A Fine Balance" and "Swimming Lessons" by Rohington Mistry and "Malgudi Days" by R.K.Narayan...to name a few, I hurried to the amazon site and clicked Interpreter of Maladies on its was to my home. What a dissapointment! I kept waiting for the punch line......kept hoping that the story would not end in the way I was predicting it....but it did! Never has reading been as humdrum as Lahiri's latest! Unlike other critiques, I did not find the content of her stories cliche. I liked her subject matter but felt no connection, sorrow, joy, etc from the lives of her characters and infact, felt like I was reading an academic piece on relationships. Her style of writing is rehersed and leaves you feeling empty because instead of writing from her heart, it was written for an audience that she is trying to sell the hip SA-writer image to. If I were to play music to her stories, it would be a dull tap....tap....tap.....from start to end.....with no dramatic ups or downs....and certainly no finale to wait for!

Rating:
Summary: Very impressive
Review: I just finished reading these very compelling short stories by Ms Lahiri, and I congratulate her for lovingly bringing disparate identities in literary focus. The characters are mindfully drawn and events carefully constructed. One criticism of her work is the stories she sets in India. The American language she uses, does not fit the culture, one of many examples being that "padlock" is never a term used in India, just locks. India did invent its own use of the English language.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best of the year!!!
Review: This book was truly wonderful, I know many people who have read this book, and they all agree. It was moving,and I can't wait for more!!! Please, please, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Awesome book
Review: I usually dont read a lot of fiction but after reading this book I know I am missing out. I can't wait for her next book.