Helpful Score: 10
Looking for a good collection of short stories to read on the beach for vacation? How about Interpreter of Maladies? This is a collection of short stories by American author Jhumpa Lahiri, whose parents are from India.
I've run into a few people who have also read this book, and they exclaim how much they enjoyed the stories. I concurred with them. Each story deals with immigrants from India as they adjust to life within the United States. The stories are quiet and unassuming at first, but after reading each one, a powerful wave of realization hit me each time.
Publishing companies do not usually publish a series of short stories by an unknown author. After reading Interpreter of Maladies, I can see why they made an exception. Many of these pieces are bound to become classics. I enjoyed each without exception.
I've run into a few people who have also read this book, and they exclaim how much they enjoyed the stories. I concurred with them. Each story deals with immigrants from India as they adjust to life within the United States. The stories are quiet and unassuming at first, but after reading each one, a powerful wave of realization hit me each time.
Publishing companies do not usually publish a series of short stories by an unknown author. After reading Interpreter of Maladies, I can see why they made an exception. Many of these pieces are bound to become classics. I enjoyed each without exception.
Helpful Score: 6
I didn't realize this book consisted of a collection of short stories, even though the title claims as much. I was pleasantly surprised. Great stories, overall! I was immediately captivated by the stories and found the characters to be very interesting. The stories were written from a different cultural perspective, one that I'm not too familiar with, but that was what made the stories appealing, different. My only complaint is that many of the stories seemed to end abruptly, without closing. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 5
Lahiri is so gifted, it's almost criminal. In few words and pages, she firmly brings her characters to life - typically Indians residing in America, wanting to come to the US, or, in the title story, visiting the land of their ancestors...as fully-integrated Americans. The story of Mrs. Sen - a thirty-something Indian lady married to a professor of mathematics at the nearby university who takes cares of 11 year old Eliot - was particularly touching, both in the odd blossoming of their friendship and, despite the details and particulars, the universal ways that we all often feel alienated from life.
Helpful Score: 4
Beautiful, lyrical collection of stories, with images that will occur to you unexpectedly for years afterwards.
Helpful Score: 4
This is a powerful book. The stories have insinuated themselves into me and the ones I connected with are continuing to pull at me, almost weighing me down, as if I've added something to myself. I'm not meaning to sound all philosophical, but I'm having a hard time explaining how these stories make me feel so I hope you'll forgive me if I don't make much sense.
Read my complete review here.
Read my complete review here.
Helpful Score: 2
I had to read some of these stories for a class I was in and I was engaged from the beginning. After the semester was over, I read the rest of them. What a great book! The title doesn't fo it justice at all. Even if you think you don't like short stories, you will change your mind. This is a wonderful book, and I can't wait to read "Unaccustomed Earth" her new short story collection..too bad they can't come up with better titles for her books. She is a treasure to read.
Helpful Score: 2
I often find that short stories leave me wanting much more, but this book really did contain short stories that I enjoyed. She is a great writer, and I can see why the book won a Pulitzer Prize.
Helpful Score: 1
Beautifully written, engaging stories
Helpful Score: 1
The author is an amazing story teller. Travel to India and live through the eyes of another without leaving home.
Helpful Score: 1
One of the most beautiful collection of short stories.
Helpful Score: 1
Exquisite stories rendered with a skill that's absolutely amazing.
Helpful Score: 1
2000 Pulitzer Prize winner. This short story collection has a rather slow start, but is overall a good, enjoyable read. Several of the stories left me hanging, but on a whole Lahiri is a great writer.
Helpful Score: 1
THis is a delightful short story collection that I very much enjoyed. She is a gifted writer, giving the reader a bird's eye view of the Indian culture.
Helpful Score: 1
***** Fabulous book. I don't generally like reading short story anthologies, but Lahiri is a master storyteller. Don't miss this one.
Short stories, some sad, and others sadder.
LOVED this collection of stories. Jhumpa's ability to express the thoughts of her characters is outstanding. Young, old, Indian or American, she captures the human spirit of her characters with sympathy and superb writing style. I highly recommend this book!!
Excellent stories, very thought provoking.
Loved reading different stories of immigrant life. Very well written
Interpreter of Maladies is filled with short stories that are beautifully written. The characters are richly developed, memorable and touching. Each story was on a different facet of life with new characters. I enjoyed all of the characters as they experienced life and learned to view events/people from different perspectives over time. This is the second book that I have read by Jhumpa Lahiri and I am looking forward to reading her third book soon!
good book of short stories by a Pulitizer Prise winning writer.
A Pulitzer Prize winner that (for a change) is a great read! I normally don't like short stories, but I really enjoyed this collection. Highly recommend!
I read this book before traveling to India. It had been suggested by my college travel office. Particularly liked the short story about the newlyweds.
Love here story telling, simple everyday stories, but well told.
Beautiful thought provoking book / short stories. Will make you change the way you look at people, especially those who are indigent or of another culture than yours.
Excellent book, amazingly written. Wonderful for those of us who loved Lahiri's "The Namesake," but have time only for short stories.
I'm disappointed to say I didn't really like this book. To me it felt a little cliched and heavy-handed. I didn't really care for the author's slow, plodding writing style either. I guess it just wasn't my cup of tea--I was hoping for the moving experience others had, but it just felt like a chore to read.
I enjoy short stories. Jhumpa Lahiri writes stories as if she really lived these experiences. I wish I could write as well as she writes, instead, I'll read her books.
This book is a lovely collection of poignant short stories. Each delves into the issues of culture and its impact on the characters' lives.
Great group of short stories that travel both back and forth throughout Indians living in both the United States as well as in their native lands. Had to read this for a literature course at Salve Regina University, very good book. My favorite short story is called "Sexy" and because it takes place at my favorite city in the world (so far) which is Boston, Massachusetts.
This excellent short story collection transcends words on a page by drawing multifaceted, sometimes heartbreaking portrayals of its subjects. The details are beautiful, the characters come to life, the stories a so engaging and moving... Truly gorgeous prose. A must-read!
This is a very well written book of short stories. Jhumpa Lahiri has a wonderful way with words and I would love to read an entire book by her. I was left wanting more from several of the stories, because even though the stories were short, you felt as though you knew the characters. I plan to read more by this author
I had added this book to my paperbackswap.com wish list after seeing it on some recommended reading list. When the book became available to me on paperback, I saw that the sender had "Unaccustomed Earth," also by Lahiri, available so I requested that book as well. Perhaps my expectations of "Interpreter" were high because the book had won the Pulitzer Prize. As I started reading this collection of short stories, I wondered how on earth this book was even nominated for a Pulitzer, much less won. I found the stories uninteresting and uninspiring. I seldom give up on a book. I was determined to finish it. However, the thought of doing so filled me with dread rather than eager anticipation. The book is 198 pages. I had read the first five stories (through page 110) and had gotten a couple pages of the next story under my belt. I realized I didn't want to waste any more time reading this unfulfilling book--I have about 30 other books on my bookcase that are waiting for me.
I'm not sure if I will read "Unaccustomed Earth" as I expect it may be as dull and uninspiring as "Interpreter of Maladies."
I'm not sure if I will read "Unaccustomed Earth" as I expect it may be as dull and uninspiring as "Interpreter of Maladies."
short stories
This is a powerful book. The stories have insinuated themselves into me and the ones I connected with are continuing to pull at me, almost weighing me down, as if I've added something to myself. I'm not meaning to sound all philosophical, but I'm having a hard time explaining how these stories make me feel so I hope you'll forgive me if I don't make much sense.
Read my complete review here.
Read my complete review here.
Since there are so many reviews of the book itself, I will review the narration of the audio version.
First, I was distracted by the narrator's style. Her odd, unnatural, and often nasal enunciation of words was annoying. The amaturish and undulating style of her reading the sentences made me wonder if the author picked a friend or family member who wanted to break into the business. This narrator has no business doing this work. Additionally, the narrator certainly did not capture the emotions of the characters.
Secondly, the producers decided to add music to signify the ending of one "chapter" and the beginning of antoher. However, the chapters in the audio version did not coincide with the stories in the book. The music breaks only served to separate the book in to 6 equal parts, which was in the middle of a story.
While the narrator did read at a decent pace, the up and down vocalizations, the inability to capture sentimental or sad emotions and her odd enunciations made this narration one to skip.
First, I was distracted by the narrator's style. Her odd, unnatural, and often nasal enunciation of words was annoying. The amaturish and undulating style of her reading the sentences made me wonder if the author picked a friend or family member who wanted to break into the business. This narrator has no business doing this work. Additionally, the narrator certainly did not capture the emotions of the characters.
Secondly, the producers decided to add music to signify the ending of one "chapter" and the beginning of antoher. However, the chapters in the audio version did not coincide with the stories in the book. The music breaks only served to separate the book in to 6 equal parts, which was in the middle of a story.
While the narrator did read at a decent pace, the up and down vocalizations, the inability to capture sentimental or sad emotions and her odd enunciations made this narration one to skip.
This is a powerful book. The stories have insinuated themselves into me and the ones I connected with are continuing to pull at me, almost weighing me down, as if I've added something to myself. I'm not meaning to sound all philosophical, but I'm having a hard time explaining how these stories make me feel so I hope you'll forgive me if I don't make much sense.
Read my complete review here.
Read my complete review here.
This is a powerful book. The stories have insinuated themselves into me and the ones I connected with are continuing to pull at me, almost weighing me down, as if I've added something to myself. I'm not meaning to sound all philosophical, but I'm having a hard time explaining how these stories make me feel so I hope you'll forgive me if I don't make much sense.
Read my complete review here.
Read my complete review here.
a wonderful read
A beautiful book of short stories. watch out, it will make you want to eat Indian food!
The stories were stunted and the writing mediocre at best.
A collection of short stories about the complex nature of love, in all of its forms
This is a great book of stories. They are subtle and engaging tales about culture, expectation, relationships and change. Although they are primarily about people from India, the themes are applicable to a broad range of people and situations. This is a truly enjoyable book.
Jhumpa Lahiri makes the ordinary extraordinary. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection of short stories. She really makes you feel like you're there, in the story, seeing, tasting, smelling, feeling everything. Awesome book!
Absolutely worthy of the Pulitzer it received!
Terrific stories by award winning author; Pulitizer Prize Winner
This book is amazing! I am not a fan of short stories but this book totally changes everything when it comes to that. The way she conveys the meaning of the story is literally awe-inspiring. The stories stay with you in a way that make you feel more alive. Really super book I highly recommend! This book makes me glad I made it my resolution to read all the Pulitzer Prize winners this year!
This is Jhumpa Lahiri's debut collection of short stories. They are very endearing stories of Indian-American experiences. Some take place in India, some in the US. Characters are appealing and interesting, I enjoyed the stories.
A great book of short stories. Heartfelt, very real, and well-written. A pleasure to read.
What a joy! Jhumpa Lahiri has become one of my favorite story tellers. This book is a collection of short stories.
Book of short stories. I do not normally like short stories but these were excellent. Gave a wonderful insight into the world of Asian immigrants.
a collection of stories of people displaced and discovering new ways of connecting. enjoyable and warm.
Wonderful short story collection. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
A good collection of stories. Interesting insight into Indian culture, and interpersonal relationships in general.
I'm not normally a short story fan, but Lahiri's short stories have the depth and weight of a novel. The title story was my first introduction to her writing, found in an anthology when I was teaching creative writing. I read it aloud to several of my high school classes. Rereading it now, it's just as brilliant and I noticed new details that I didn't remember from previous readings. The other stories are equally beautiful.
Each story deals with immigrants from India as they adjust to life within the United States. The stories are quiet and unassuming at first, but after reading each one, a powerful wave of realization hit me each time
a collection of short stories relaying the indian-american immigrant experience, with a bengali slant. i dislike the fact that she tends to stereotype the indian-american immigrant as a depressed woman yearning to return to her homeland, doing her best to reject american ways. lahiri has a knack for pointing out the little details that make you think.
This is a beautiful book of stories. I can see why it won the Pulitzer.
Interesting book that opened my eyes to lifestyles of Indians living in America. The book is deep, sad, and engaging.
This is a wonderful book that consists of short stories. It is a very smooth read.
this is a fantastic selection of short stories giving insight into Indian culture and experiences of immigrants in the U.S.
A great collection of short stories!!!
A magical collection of short stories from a gifted writer. It's no wonder she won the Pulitzer Prize for this.
I loved the author's style of writing and I thoroughly enjoyed this book of short stories. The stories are a glimpse into a different culture than my own. I found the book very interesting.
A collection of short stories. Nothing extraordinary, in fact some of the stories were boring, to be honest.
This is a wonderful collection of short stories by a very gifted writer. One of my favorite books.
Brings you into the lives of various characters for a brief glimpse of their lives. The last short story is the best I thought, and gives the book a more satisfying ending than I expected. Overall a quick read that really brings the reader in for every story.
Excellent short stories!
I loved this book!
Great book but different.
i really enjoyed the different stories in this book, though many of them were quite depressing.
I am taking a course in the spring. This is the first book to read for the course. Since it is a collection of short stories, I thought I would just read two or three. I liked the writing so much that I read the whole book. Excellent read!
This book foretells Ms. Lahiri's future as an author.
Loved it!!
Beautifully written and interesting stories.
Fascinating stories.
Short stories.
