Lahiri has a serious gift for telling a story with elegance and wisdom. Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of nine short stories, each with a focus on Indian culture and what it means to be a foreigner. Normally I'm not a big fan of short story collections, but after I read The Namesake I wanted to explore more of Lahiri's works. I was not disappointed. Each story details the immigrant experience in a unique way. Among my favorites were "A Temporary Matter," "Interpreter of Maladies,""Sexy," "Mrs. Sen's" and "The Treatment of Bibi Haldar".
While each story can stand alone and depicts different view of the Indian American, they also work well in a collection as they are strongly connected in themes and motifs. Lahiri examines the subject of an immigrants identity in terms of it's mutability and disconnectedness; can an immigrant maintain his or her cultural identity while also adapting to their new, foreign lives? And if so, to what extent does this involve resistance to their new life, and at what cost? Is the formation of multiple identities, or even broken identities, worth the struggle?
While astronauts, heros forever, spent mere hours on the moon, I have remained in this new world for nearly thirty years. I know that my acheivement is quite ordinary. I am not the only man to seek his fortune far from home and I am certainly 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.
The stories in Lahiri's collection are both eye-opening and heartbreaking. I'd recommended this book to anyone interested in gaining a greater understanding of today's immigrant experience. Interpreter of Maladies won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2000.
Publisher: Mariner Books, 1999
Her collection, Unaccustomed Earth, is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI've only read The Unaccustomed Earth and liked it but not enough to go out of my way to read more of her stuff. This review really makes me want to pick up Interpreter
ReplyDeleteAmy, Since it's the only work of hers left that I haven't read, I'm sure that will be next!
ReplyDeleteRed, I haven't read that one but I probably will at some point. Not sure how it compares, but I did really like this one.
A Temporary Matter is one of my favorites in her book, too! Glad you enjoyed this book - it is one of my favorite reads. Lahiri is seriously a talented writer and this debut book certainly shows that - no wonder she won the Pulitzer :) Can't wait to see what she comes up with next!
ReplyDeleteI really loved both this one and Unaccustomed Earth. At some point I need to pick up The Namesake, but I saw the film and didn't really care much for it. :/
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
Nadia, I haven't heard of that one. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
ReplyDeleteTediousandbrief, I haven't seen the movie but I love the book.
I haven’t read any of her stuff, though I HAVE heard of her. This collection sounds very interesting though. Maybe I’ll put it on my TBR…
ReplyDeleteI loved this one so much.
ReplyDeleteIlevinso, You should!
ReplyDeleteAvid Reader, Me too! So happy I read it.
I saw that you were reading this and I wanted to start so I could join in a bit more than just.. "oh, I want to read it" (not that there's anything wrong with that!) but I didn't get to it. So, I definitely am looking forward to it. I really enjoyed The Namesake-- I loved The Namesake, so I'll be sure to come back to this discussion once I've finally finished it! Where are you in the classics challenge?
ReplyDeleteBeth, You should come back to this post after you read it. I feel like you always offer thoughtful insight in your comments when you have read it (not to say your comments aren't great when you have read it, but you manage to bring up points I hadn't considered when you have).
ReplyDeleteClassics Challenge - I finished my 19th century classic - Therese Raquin - and a book with a wartime setting (Slaughterhouse-Five). So it's five down, three to go: Middlesex, Little Women and a reread, tentatively The Awakening. How about you?
I loved all of the books by this author. I wish she had something new releasing soon. She grew up in my town, and even worked at one of the town libraries when she was in high school...LOL
ReplyDeleteDiane, I wish she had something coming out soon as well. That's crazy she grew up in your town!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this. Sounds like it might be a good book club read.
ReplyDeleteAnn
Brenna- I can't wait to see what you think of Middlesex. It's one of my favorite contemporary novels. I saw Virgin Suicides at the library yesterday and was tempted to get it, but decided against it since I have so much reading to do as it is.
ReplyDeleteI still have a re-read; Of Love and Other Demons, wartime setting: Suite Francaise, 19th century: Dead Souls and I'm still reading the banned: The Jungle. God, I don't know if I'll ever finish The Jungle. It's so incredibly depressing that I haven't been able to stomach it. I'm not sure with this new job and the schedule if I'll actually be able to finish by June. So little time...
But you look like you're flying through-- good job! :)
Cozy, I think it would be.
ReplyDeleteBeth, I'm really looking forward to Middlesex. I've heard nothing but good things about it.
It sounds like you are doing well with the Classics challenge too! Sorry about The Jungle, that sounds brutal. I'll make note to avoid that one. Also, I wouldn't stress about finishing by June since she extended it to December. You've got this fantastic new job that sounds like it's taking up more of your time than the old one, so it's totally understandable to extend the challenge to Dec. I know that Ben is (he actually was the one to suggest it).
I thought this collection was lovely. Lahiri's writing is so simple, yet her stories are so real and rich. I read Unaccustomed Earth when it first came out but wasn't as impressed. I'm hoping to read The Namesake at some point, and then I'll be eagerly awaiting Lahiri's next book!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite collections of short stories. I love her style and the small windows into lives very different (and not so different) from my own. I'm glad you enjoyed. I have not read either of her other works although Unaccustomed Earth has been sitting on my shelf for a while.
ReplyDeleteLahiri and this collection changed my mind about short stories - I never liked them before reading this collection. Her treatment of the immigrant experience is spot on. She has a real talent!
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