I've just finished a really good book. "The Interpreter of Maladies" is written by Jhumpa Lahiri, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000. (Also nominated that year was "Waiting" by Ha Jin which i read awhile ago and enjoyed, though it did not make as big an impact as this book). The author also wrote "The Namesake" (that's an english word for those of you who were thinking otherwise...) which has been made into a film by Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding). Read the book a few years ago but haven't caught the movie yet, hope to when I'm on leave next week.
The book is a collection of short stories, mainly about Indians living or interacting with the West, and as contrived as that sounds, this book is anything but. The first story had me hooked. It is a short, simply written tale, but with such poignancy and pain that I've been thinking about it everyday since. I immediately gave it to two friends to read, and when they came back to me the expression of identification and realisation on their faces said it all. The story connects with the reader on such a basal level that it doesn't even feel like you're reading someone else's story. And the little rollercoaster of hope and despair painted is so real that when you finish the story you just feel so personally affected. Without giving too much of it away, this story is for anyone who has ever been in love and wondered how something so magical could ever be lost.
The rest of the stories are not as emotional, but they are quiet observations on human nature and I think the reader will find something to identify with in each one. To me that's what makes a story engaging.
I'm not sure if I've described the sentiment of the book well, but I hope I have made you want to give this book a try, because it really is one of the best reads ever. I'm going back to read The Namesake again.
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2 comments:
I read "Interpreter of Maladies" and also enjoyed it tremendously. A lot of writers write the same story over and over again in different books. Jhumpa Lahiri is the opposite – practically every story starts with an Indian family who lives in Massaschusettes. But the families go on to have such different experiences and each short story has its own theme. I didn't like "The Namesake" as much though. Jhumpa Lahiri is master of the short story, but not of the novel quite yet.
Please lend me The Interpreter of Maladies! Want to go for a long walk this weekend? When are you guys free?
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