Interpreter of Maladies
by Jhumpa Lahiri
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jhumpa LahiriEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-05-22
ISBN: 0618101365
Number of pages: 208
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Book Reviews of Interpreter of Maladies
Book Review: "Interperter of Maladies" a taste of culture.
Summary: 5 Stars
Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies" is a taste her own Indian culture. Though Jhumpa was born in London in 1967 and raised in Rhode Island. Both parents' are Indian, her father a librarian and her mother a teacher. She traveled often to India to visit relatives. It makes you wonder where she would get the ideas for her short stories. The nine tales that are written describe the cultures of India, and also that of America. Each story is filled with the up's and down's of everyday life. The one exception is that it tells of Indian immigrants and their struggles not only with their individuality, but also with life itself. With each page that is turned, there is grief, pain, joy and laughter. We find ourselves wrapped up in each individual's life. Lahiri has shown through her writing that she has a strong sense of her roots. She describes what it is like to try and replace a traditional way of life, with that of a different one. These stories are about sorrow and loss. For example "A Temporary Matter." Here is a story of a couple trying to deal with the loss of an unborn child. Within their sorrow, separation, denial, and guilt, they try to reach out to each other. In "Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine." Here is a man who comes to a family's home, who practices a totally different culture. There is uniqueness between Mr. Pirzada and this family, yet they have one major thing in common, they are from India. They are more alike than they are different. The most intriguing story in "Interpreter of Maladies" is "A Real Durwan." Here is a story of a homeless woman who has the responsibility to watch the gate, and for that she is allowed to sleep under the mailboxes. She isolated, and lonely, yet she feels responsible for the other people. When a sink is stolen from the hotel, the others blame her; they needed her as a scapegoat, and an excuse. It is only because she is different, that she becomes the sacrifice. For that she is cast back to the streets, with nothing. This story is touching, and also true to life here in America. Though Jhumpa Lahiri tells the plights of Indian culture, there are similarities here in America. The only difference is the skin color. The stories were strong and yet sensitive. It touched every aspect of life. We go from feeling sorry for Mrs. Sen, a lonely woman with such a burden of taking care of a little boy, and Shukumar and Shoba who mourning the loss of a child; to finding ourselves relieved when Mr. Pirzada family was okay. The book was like a roller coaster ride of emotions. An interpreter of Maladies was an enjoyable book. Anyone who can put such passion in words deserves the Pulitzer Prize. Two thumbs up for "Interpreter of Maladies," a book well written and understandable. It is a book worth passing on to another.
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