Interpreter of Maladies
Jhumpa Lahiri
1999
198 pages
********************
I’ve had this book sitting around for years…long enough that whenever I’d see it mentioned I’d think I’d already read it.
Going into it, I didn’t realize that it was a collection of short stories. Luckily, they’re on the longish side, since I’m not normally a fan of short stories (although, interestingly, I did like Olive Kitteridge, which also won the Pulitzer Prize, and is also short stories (although connected ones)). But wow, most of the stories in Interpreter of Maladies are serious downers. Good, but not necessarily full of good things.
I think my favorite might have been the title story. Mr. Kapasi is a tour guide on the weekends, but his primary job is as an interpreter for a doctor. He interprets the patient’s maladies. While he finds his job mundane, a dissatisfied American-Indian housewife thinks his job is romantic. As Mr. Kapasi shows the Das family the sights one weekend, he becomes infatuated with Mrs. Das, who believes that he can solve her maladies. They are both headed straight for disappointment.
“The Third and Final Continent” was perhaps my favorite of the stories. Not surprisngly, it also had a happier outcome than the other stories. It was also the final story in the collection, so I was able to finish the book on a positive note.
Almost all of the stories are told from the perspective of Indians, or Indian emigrants. The stories are set in both the US and India. Marriage and relationships are a frequent focus, as are the lives of women…as wives and mistresses and those marginalized by society, as well as women who are learning to cope with new lives.
Despite all the unhappiness in the stories, I still liked the collection as a whole. The characters were so vivid, with their problems and worries, and Lahiri frequently used Boston and Cambridge as a setting. Since I just walked the Freedom Trail a few months ago, it was fun to revisit it in fiction. And I was especially tickled when I came across the Mapparium in “Sexy.” Even the freaky acoustics played a part in the story. I’m always happy when I get to travel back to places I’ve seen, even when it’s via books.
I absolutely love her writing. Her stories aren’t at all happy (well sometimes they have moments of joy or enlightenment at least) but she is so good at using beautiful language to get right to the heart of the matter. And her maladies that she considers in these stories are not generic…they are very personal and specific and heart-rending. I’m interested to read her full length novel and see if she holds her own with that.
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The enlightenment piece is part of why I kept reading. I liked the personal insights that the characters found, even if they were hard truths.
I’m not normally a fan of short story collections either, but this one was fantastic. I think some authors are just better at stories than others, and Lahiri has the story mastered. My favorites were A Temporary Matter and Mrs. Sen’s. The only one I didn’t like was The Treatment of Bibi Haldar.
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The ending of that one was weird. I didn’t care for the whammo, instant fix.
I read this book such a long time ago, but remember loving it for it’s intricacy. The writing was fantastic and made me a lifelong fan of Lahiri. I do have her newest collection here in my stack, and want to give it a go, but reading time has been short lately, and I have had to make do with audios. I am glad that even though the majority of the stories were sad, you liked the book anyway. Great review today!
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Thanks! And rumor has it the new book is even better. *sigh*
I really enjoyed this book- I think Lahiri does much better with short stories than novels, personally. And sometimes I can really fall in love with short stories, if they’re written well. I really enjoyed Katherine Mansfield recently, for example. Short stories tend to be more bittersweet and wistful, though.
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I’m not normally a short story reader…I associate them with assigned reading in high school.
I liked this one a lot too, even though they are definitely downers in spots. It’s even one I’d re-read.
And I had no idea Olive Kitteridge is short stories. Or maybe I knew and forgot. Either way, I downloaded it a while back and need to read it.
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You haven’t read OK???
I’m in the middle of reading it right now and I agree that the stories are depressing. I had to pick-up a lighter read jujt to shake off some of the saddness. I do love her writing though.
I almost stopped after the second story…I wasn’t really in the mood. But her writing is just so good!
Glad to hear this one worked for you –try her full length novels –very very good.
I’ve enjoyed all of this author’s books. I am not really a short story fan either, but this one I enjoyed.
Diane@BibliophileBytheSea´s last [type] ..Mailbox Monday
I read The Namesake so long ago I’ve forgotten it.
I liked this book too, but I haven’t read it in years. So I guess, a reread is in order. I agree the stories were all very depressing. I read it during my pre-US college years, and I remember thinking that US life was so depressing! LOL!
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I can see how it would give the impression that if you came to US bad things would happen…car accidents, loneliness…
Hah I love and hate books like that which you’ve had around so long you can’t quite remember if you’ve read them or not… sounds like it was interesting though so that’s good!
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I know…I think it’s a conspiracy by those unread books.
Hummm. Oddly enough, your thoughts have made me curious about the book. I like the setting and I like really good characterizations, so despite the downer atmosphere, I may give these stories a try.
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I’m surprised you haven’t read it!
I usually stay far, far away from short stories but maybe I’ll give this one a shot.
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It’s worth it. Totally.
I really liked this and highly recommend Unaccustomed Earth, too.
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No! Not another book!!
I think Lahiri is a master of the short story. She ruined me for every other short story writer. I think her book of stories, Unacccustomed Earth, is even stronger than this book.
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That was mean…trying to get me to add another book to the TBR pile.
I LOVE to travel back to places in books that I’ve visited in real life. I read her The Namesake this summer and it was heavily set in New England as well. I started to read this one, but only got through the first story. Hit too close to home at the time (literally was at the doctor’s when I read it) and haven’t picked it back up. One day…