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Jhumpa Lahiri
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Interpreter of Maladies Kindle Edition

by Jhumpa Lahiri (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 8,195 ratings

Pulitzer-winning, scintillating studies in yearning and exile from a Bengali Bostonian woman of immense promise.

A couple exchange unprecedented confessions during nightly blackouts in their Boston apartment as they struggle to cope with a heartbreaking loss; a student arrives in new lodgings in a mystifying new land and, while he awaits the arrival of his arranged-marriage wife from Bengal, he finds his first bearings with the aid of the curious evening rituals that his centenarian landlady orchestrates; a schoolboy looks on while his childminder finds that the smallest dislocation can unbalance her new American life all too easily and send her spiralling into nostalgia for her homeland…

Jhumpa Lahiri’s prose is beautifully measured, subtle and sober, and she is a writer who leaves a lot unsaid, but this work is rich in observational detail, evocative of the yearnings of the exile (mostly Indians in Boston here), and full of emotional pull and reverberation.

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  1. Print length
    209 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Fourth Estate
  4. Publication date
    27 Mar. 2014
  5. File size
    748 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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  1. 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.
    Highlighted by 2,387 Kindle readers
  2. In its own way this correspondence would fulfill his dream, of serving as an interpreter between nations.
    Highlighted by 1,242 Kindle readers
  3. Something happened when the house was dark. They were able to talk to each other again.
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From the Publisher

bestselling short stories books;bestselling fiction books;short stories novels;top fiction books

bestselling short stories books;bestselling fiction books;short stories novels;top fiction books

bestselling short stories books;bestselling fiction books;short stories novels;top fiction books

bestselling short stories books;bestselling fiction books;short stories novels;top fiction books

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Review

"A writer of uncommon sensitivity and restraint."--Wall Street Journal "Lahiri breathers unpredictable life into the page, and the reader finished each story reseduced, wishing he could spend a whole novel with its characters."--The New York Times Book Review "Lahiri's touch is delicate yet assured, leaving no room for flubbed notes or forced epiphanies."--The Los Angeles Times "A writer of uncommon elegance and poise."--New York times "Dazzling writing, an easy-to-carry paperback format and a budget-respecting price tag of $12: Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies possesses these three qualities, making it my book of choice this summer every time someone asks for a recommendation...Simply put, Lahiri displays a remarkable maturity and ability to imagine other lives...[E]ach story offers something special. Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies will reward readers."--USA Today "[S]torytelling of surpassing kindness and skill."--The San Francisco Chronicle "Jhumpa Lahiri is the kind of writer who makes you want to grab the next person you see and say, 'Read this!'"--Amy Tan --

From the Publisher

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE 2000
"Jhumpha Lahiri is the kind of writer who makes you want to grab the first person you see and say 'Read this!' She's a dazzling storyteller with a distinctive voice , an eye for nuance , an ear for irony. She is one of the finest short story writers I've read." AMY TAN

"Another side of India emerges when Lahiri sets her stories solely in Calcutta - where her protaganists are not Harvard academics but stair sweepers and outcasts. The nostalgic mist of homesickness lifted, India emerges raw, chaotic and often harsh...After reading three of these stories, I found myself rationing the remaining six, to try to make the book last longer. A lovely collection." Victoria Miller, SCOTSMAN

"The genius of Jhumpha Lahiri's storytelling lies in her restrained drollery, her eye for details, and her tone of wise consolation." Anthony Quinn, HARPERS & QUEEN

"Dazzling writing...Simply put, Lahiri displays a remarkable maturity and ability to imagine other lives. Each story offers something special." USA TODAY

"Strong, subtle...a debut to relish." GUARDIAN

"Jhumpa Lahiri's strength as a writer stems partly from her ability to delineate in telling detail the mores of bith societies... There are at the moment many good writers of Indian origin who recall with troubled nostalgia a past they do not want to return to but somehow hope to resolve by explaining it in fictional form. Lahiri joind the ranks of those whose work goes further and illuminates human nature in general." TLS

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00I7JO14M
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fourth Estate
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 27 Mar. 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 748 KB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 209 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007381647
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 8,195 ratings

About the author

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Jhumpa Lahiri

Jhumpa Lahiri

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Jhumpa Lahiri was born in London and raised in Rhode Island. Her debut, internationally-bestselling collection, Interpreter of Maladies, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, the PEN/Hemingway Award, The New Yorker Debut of the Year award, an American Academy of Arts and Letters Addison Metcalf Award, and a nomination for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It was translated into twenty-nine languages. Her first novel, The Namesake, was a New York Times Notable Book, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, and selected as one of the best books of the year by USA Today and Entertainment Weekly, among other publications. Her second collection, Unaccustomed Earth, was a #1 New York Times bestseller; named a best book of the year by The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times, among others; and the recipient of the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Lahiri was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2002 and inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2012.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
8,195 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be an excellent collection of stories, with one review noting it's not a dud in the collection. The writing is skillful, with one customer describing it as a masterclass in crafting short stories. Moreover, customers appreciate the depth of the narratives, with one review highlighting how they illuminate the human condition and another noting the attention to character nuances.

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25 customers mention ‘Readability’21 positive4 negative

Customers find the book excellent and a pleasure to read, with one customer noting that there are no weak stories in the collection.

"...deceptively simple, and Ms Lahiri's short stories are a (gentle) pleasure to read...." Read more

"Not a dud in the collection, and 2-3 that really stay with you. She is a fine writer." Read more

"...So an excellent read and a masterclass in how to craft a short story." Read more

"...It is a pleasant read, the stories starting off downbeat and eventually becoming very optimistic, displaying clear comparisons about the impact of..." Read more

21 customers mention ‘Writing quality’21 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting it is skillful and easy to read, with one customer describing it as a masterclass in crafting short stories.

"Both the writing and the plotting are elegant and deceptively simple, and Ms Lahiri's short stories are a (gentle) pleasure to read...." Read more

"...She is a fine writer." Read more

"...Her writing is fluid like an essay but without the cold smart ass intellectuality that haunts many “literary” novels...." Read more

"She never feels warm as a writer, but these short stories have good plots" Read more

18 customers mention ‘Story quality’13 positive5 negative

Customers enjoy the stories in the book, with one customer highlighting how they stretch between traditional homeland and modern settings, while another describes them as haunting and lyrical.

"...stories collections usually suffer from: read in isolation, each story is interesting, even startling...." Read more

"...It is a pleasant read, the stories starting off downbeat and eventually becoming very optimistic, displaying clear comparisons about the impact of..." Read more

"...It is a surprisingly rich collection of stories of diaspora. As an Irish person who had lived abroad, this resonated with me...." Read more

"...Now for a few splashes of vinegar. The opening stories are far too long and my attention wandered...." Read more

8 customers mention ‘Depth’8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the depth of the book's stories, with one customer highlighting its wonderful portrayal of emotions and another noting its insightful exploration of human relationships.

"...Yet what the characters symbolize is universal and they illuminate the human condition; they stay with you long after you've read them...." Read more

"...And Jhumpa's power of observation and how she has portrayed emotions is so wonderful and it really touches your heart strings...." Read more

"...homeland and the American diaspora, bringing both to life with simple descriptions that pack a punch." Read more

"Beautifully written stories that have a depth that is often difficult to capture in short stories...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Character development’7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting its attention to the nuances of the characters, with one customer highlighting the unusual and convincing portrayals of expatriots.

"...Yet what the characters symbolize is universal and they illuminate the human condition; they stay with you long after you've read them...." Read more

"...I like her lack of sentimentality - she neither judges nor makes excuses for her characters...." Read more

"...Lahiri is quite good at making characters seem believable, although she seems to be obsessed with academics...." Read more

"Justly acclaimed, these stories keep the reader alert to the characters' idiosyncrcies. I was disappointed by only one, towards the end...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • WeAreWhatWeRead
    5.0 out of 5 stars Elegant and deceptively simple
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 December 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Both the writing and the plotting are elegant and deceptively simple, and Ms Lahiri's short stories are a (gentle) pleasure to read. The language is unfussy and so are the characters - ordinary people caught in snippets of their ordinary lives. Yet what the characters symbolize is universal and they illuminate the human condition; they stay with you long after you've read them. And Lahiri's observations are superb: fascinating, wonderfully detailed insights into exotic but everyday lives.

    The ruthlessly economical language, overall, does risk creating the impression of cold detachment. Jhumpa Lahiri lists the great Alice Munro among her literary heroes and the influence is easy to detect. I for one happen to love Munro therefore liked Lahiri very much indeed.
    And it's true, the book has the faults all short stories collections usually suffer from: read in isolation, each story is interesting, even startling. Each story is also masterfully complete and left me satisfied with the amount of detail about each character, and with the ending. But as a whole book, the stories become repetitive. I quickly found the characters to resemble each other throughout, and that I had read the same story too many times, in this book and elsewhere. The affair between a young woman and an older, married man has been done to death, surely, and so has the young or not so young couple falling out of love. Furthermore, here, unfortunately, the unrelenting stylistic simplicity (the very thing which, for me, defines great writing) ends up feeling a little like dullness, and the author's elegant objectivity could push the reader into feeling disengaged and therefore uninterested.

    'Interpreter of Maladies' certainly cannot be described as unputdownable; in fact, it is best to put the book down after one, maximum two stories, and come back to it much later. That being said, there are a few stories to which I shall return with delight, for sure.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • CM14
    4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written short stories
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 November 2024
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    Not a dud in the collection, and 2-3 that really stay with you. She is a fine writer.
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  • J. Ang
    5.0 out of 5 stars Alien Nation
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 July 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of stories dazzles - even more so when one realises that this is Jhumpa Lahiri’s debut collection.

    While the stories are all centred on Indian characters, the geographical settings are far and wide. The binding theme that runs through these stories is alienation, by loved ones, the community, or by virtue of one’s displacement from their place of origin.

    In the opener, “A Temporary Arrangement,” a couple finds their moments of deepest connection come unexpectedly at the end of their relationship, when a nightly power shutdown grants them an intimacy and honesty much too late.

    A mentally disturbed woman, Bibi, believes the cure for herself is in the form of a life partner, whether it is in the traditional rituals, the conjugal relations it affords, or just the change in status. The narrative “we” affords both a female solidarity (sisterhood) against the societal mores and pressures as well as distance from the character, who is not like the rest of them, and as much as they sympathise with and help Bibi, are part of the (patriarchal) system. The ending is as surprising as it is a stark commentary on the roles of women.

    In the titular story, a middle-aged part-time tour guide finds himself enamoured with an Indian American tourist and fantasises that the connection he feels with her could carry beyond the tour. An unexpected confession rends that dream and reveals that he is quite alone in his one-sided feelings.

    In “This Blessed House,” a newly married couple discovers Christian artefacts in their new home in Connecticut, and their starkly different responses to these unexpected finds reveal a more fundamental problem in their relationship.

    In the other stories, characters try and often fail to adapt to their new surroundings, come to a new insight about their lives unexpected situations, and find that at times, one can grow to love another person despite their misgivings.

    Not a single dud in this collection, and I agree (belatedly) with some reviews that many of these stories beg to be fleshed out in novel form. The reward for coming late to the brilliance of Lahiri’s work is that I can now move on to read her novels and judge for myself if that potential is met.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Edge of Chaos
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift to Make the Ordinary Extraordinary
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 November 2020
    Verified Purchase
    For me, the common theme of this book is “Longing”.

    I like her lack of sentimentality - she neither judges nor makes excuses for her characters. She takes us on a journey from the self inflicted misery of her characters to later stories where her characters get it together.

    Her writing is fluid like an essay but without the cold smart ass intellectuality that haunts many “literary” novels.

    She has a gift to make the ordinary extraordinary.

    Now for a few splashes of vinegar. The opening stories are far too long and my attention wandered. Maybe her editor asked her to pad it out.

    Some of her description of clothes were too detailed and bordered on the tedious. Clothes descriptions should be enough to fit the character.

    I like the descriptions of food - they added to the ambience and were appropriate.

    Finally her use of rhetoric is very effective and writers should learn those valuable tools.

    So an excellent read and a masterclass in how to craft a short story.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Timothy D maby
    3.0 out of 5 stars Clear plots but a dry read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 February 2024
    Verified Purchase
    She never feels warm as a writer, but these short stories have good plots
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Alan Joseph
    5.0 out of 5 stars Short stories that I connected with
    Reviewed in India on 12 November 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The stories speak about human connections, especially Indian American lives in the early 2000s.

    Some stories were quite moving.

    Was a good read.
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  • uzithe9mm
    5.0 out of 5 stars 最高の小説のひとつ
    Reviewed in Japan on 9 August 2007
    Verified Purchase
    この本は、凄い。
    英語の小説で、ここまでのめりこんだのは久しぶり。

    短編集なんだけど、基本的な設定は殆ど一緒。
    外国（アメリカ）に暮らすインド人の話。
    多分、俺が読解した範囲ではメインテーマは「関係性」だと思う。
    夫婦の話であったり、喪失した（かもしれない）故郷であるインドとの関わりだったり、或いはアメリカとの関わりだったり。

    登場人物たちは全員、そういった蜃気楼のような「関係性＝関わり」に悩み、思い出し、とらわれたりしている。
    作者自身のアイデンティティがインドにあるからこそ書ける話しなんだろう。日本人には明らかに書き得ない。

    英語が分かるなら、是非英語で読んで欲しい。
    勿論、翻訳されたものも素晴らしいクオリティだ。
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  • Client d'Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice book
    Reviewed in France on 12 June 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Nice book
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  • Iolanda
    5.0 out of 5 stars l'ho adorato
    Reviewed in Italy on 11 November 2023
    Verified Purchase
    letto per letteratura inglese all'università, me ne sono innamorata
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  • Nick Mason
    3.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking. Good page turner.
    Reviewed in Australia on 2 August 2023
    Verified Purchase
    A very easy and joyable read.
    Report

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