Interpreter of Maladies
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- Create Date：2021-04-29 09:53:48
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jhumpa Lahiri
- ISBN：0006551793
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Summary
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。
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。
Reviews
Natalie Annette
，
Short stories。 Beautifully written。
Mehmet Kalaycı
，
I wanted to get to know the author by reading her most famous book before I started to read her works in Italian。 It's not my genre at all so it will be wrong if I say I liked the little stories。 I wanted to get to know the author by reading her most famous book before I started to read her works in Italian。 It's not my genre at all so it will be wrong if I say I liked the little stories。 。。。more
Amanda Brown
，
Beautiful stories filled with so much love and attention to the characters and settings。 So much so that I wanted to sit with Mrs。 Croft， eat Mrs。 Sen’s food， and listen to Boori Ma’s stories。
Mia
，
3。75 ⭐I reaaally enjoyed the first three stories
Katy M
，
I thought I was going to like this one more than I did。 I can't deny Lahiri's talent for crisp prose， but it just stayed a little too crisp for my personal taste。 Too many lists of things people ate or how they dressed or what books were on their shelves and not enough emotion。 I also found much of the dialogue unnatural。 I think maybe in a novel where I'd have more time with each character， I could tolerate this spare， emotionally reserved style。 But with so many short stories in such a short v I thought I was going to like this one more than I did。 I can't deny Lahiri's talent for crisp prose， but it just stayed a little too crisp for my personal taste。 Too many lists of things people ate or how they dressed or what books were on their shelves and not enough emotion。 I also found much of the dialogue unnatural。 I think maybe in a novel where I'd have more time with each character， I could tolerate this spare， emotionally reserved style。 But with so many short stories in such a short volume， I was left feeling a bit empty with the stories kind of jumbled in my mind， none completely clear。 And I don't think it was just because of the limitations of the short story: if I compare this with Borges' Ficciones for example （also a very short collection of very short stories）， the variety and imagination of his stories more than made up for their short length both individually and as a collection with each one fully alive and memorable。 While well-written and clearly the work of a very talented author， Lahiri's collection just didn't click for me stylistically。3。5 stars rounded to 4 because Goodreads gives us such a uselessly imprecise scale。 But please remember， this 3。5 is my personal preference。 If you like melancholy stories of characters caught in the liminal spaces bridging two cultures told in spare， precise prose， this is your 5 star dream collection。 。。。more
Samaria
，
“Interpreter of Maladies” es un libro de cuentos que ganó el premio Pulitzer de ficción en el año 2000 y fue escrito por Jhumpa Lahiri quien es una escritora estadounidense de ascendencia indiaMe di cuenta de este libro porque me lo recomendaron unas amigas de París y lo leí en francés a pesar que no es el idioma en el que fue escrito。 Debo confesar que pocas veces los libros de cuentos me cautivan mucho y no suelen ser mis libros favoritos， sin embargo este libro simplemente me encantó， es de l “Interpreter of Maladies” es un libro de cuentos que ganó el premio Pulitzer de ficción en el año 2000 y fue escrito por Jhumpa Lahiri quien es una escritora estadounidense de ascendencia indiaMe di cuenta de este libro porque me lo recomendaron unas amigas de París y lo leí en francés a pesar que no es el idioma en el que fue escrito。 Debo confesar que pocas veces los libros de cuentos me cautivan mucho y no suelen ser mis libros favoritos， sin embargo este libro simplemente me encantó， es de los mejores libros que he leído este año。 Casi nunca me ha pasado que en un libro de cuentos me gusten muchísimo todos los cuentos， sin embargo en este libro cada uno de los 9 cuentos me parecieron increíbles。 Todos los personajes principales son inmigrantes o hijos de inmigrantes de India。 La mayoría de historias （no todas） se desarrollan en Estados Unidos， y exploran la vida de inmigrantes que de alguna forma se encuentran entre sus raíces y este nuevo mundo。 Creo que mis dos cuentos favoritos fueron: “Mrs。 Sen's” y “When Mr。 Pirzada Came to Dine”， pero como les dije antes， todos son super buenos。 。。。more
Niki Jona
，
I have a very special place in my heart for books that can subtlety tug at my emotions for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on; each short story left me wanting entire novels dedicated to each character。 I loved how appreciation and insight into the complexities of what it means to be an Indian immigrant in America was understated yet consistent throughout the book。 My two favorite stories are “A Temporary Matter” and “Interpreter of Maladies”。
Erin C
，
Lots of beautiful stories。 I didn't read the fine print -- just picked up a copy sitting at home and was expecting a novel。 I was engrossed at the end of the first story and thought it was a great start to a book。 I think it's a 4。5 instead of 5 for me， because I didn't fully connect with the characters given how little time I had with them。 Maybe that's a feature not a bug of short stories？ Lots of beautiful stories。 I didn't read the fine print -- just picked up a copy sitting at home and was expecting a novel。 I was engrossed at the end of the first story and thought it was a great start to a book。 I think it's a 4。5 instead of 5 for me， because I didn't fully connect with the characters given how little time I had with them。 Maybe that's a feature not a bug of short stories？ 。。。more
Priyal
，
Lahiri never lets you down。 As a Indian-American， there are very few Indian authors that create literature that we can truly connect to。 It is a completely different experience when reading an Indian-from-India-Author versus a Indian-American author。 I have lived and breathed each short story in this book。
Megha K
，
This is one of those books I had heard a lot about， but sadly， it failed to meet my expectations。 Each story in #interpreterofmaladies gives a perspective of the #immigrantlife of Indian Americans as well as their Indian counterparts in the 1970s and 80s。 The stories are set in a time when maids could walk into your house anytime and play with your kids， a time when landlines were a sign of luxury and people still cooked with kerosene。 However， there isn’t a lot of variety in the stories。 In all This is one of those books I had heard a lot about， but sadly， it failed to meet my expectations。 Each story in #interpreterofmaladies gives a perspective of the #immigrantlife of Indian Americans as well as their Indian counterparts in the 1970s and 80s。 The stories are set in a time when maids could walk into your house anytime and play with your kids， a time when landlines were a sign of luxury and people still cooked with kerosene。 However， there isn’t a lot of variety in the stories。 In all the stories based in America， the women are always at the mercy of men， constantly in the kitchen cooking fish or curries， while the men themselves are， more often than not， college professors。 I understand this must have been the predominant scene of Indian immigrants to the USA during the 70s and 80s， but as a reader， I would have liked to see some diversity in this collection of nine stories， which gets a bit too predictable at times。 While I am aware， intellectually， that these stories are supposed to make me feel something， something deep and soulful， but in all honesty the stories hardly touched me and had no effect on me whatsoever。 When I read of a father watching his country broken and tattered in the war， with no clue about the fate of his wife and daughters， I wanted to feel his pain。 When I read of a couple reconciling after a long silence， I wanted to wipe their tears and lend a shoulder。 But the author never gives you that opportunity to completely connect with the characters。 The stories end just when you want them to begin; want them to be explored further。 Reading this book felt like words being interpreted in my mind， and that is all。 The only thing I liked about the book is that it gave me the immigrant Indian perspective of the state of affairs during the 70s in which the stories are set。 We don’t fight wars with our neighbors anymore， and though we hear a lot of rhetoric in the media， wars are avoided as much as possible。 My generation has no experience of what it means to watch your country crumbling down on TV millions of miles away。 We do not know the longing one feels while waiting for years before they have saved enough for a visit to their homeland。 But these things have changed so much now， that many a times I felt a generation gap while reading the stories， whether it were the ones based in America or the ones based in Bengal。There is no doubt #JhumpaLahari ‘s writing skills are admirable and distinct。 She describes every scene beautifully， and makes you feel like you are there， in the centerstage of her story。 However， I wish she explored the human nature and relationships more in depth， the way she does with the surroundings。 I wish she took one step further and implored each character a little more， dug deeper into the intricacies of their thoughts， so that the stories didn’t feel empty and the writing impassive。 。。。more
Talks On Lines
，
BRILLIANT， SUPERB and all of those superlatives I know。 This is a collection of short stories and each of them competes to outnumber the other one。 The Real Durwan stands as my personal favorite due to many connections but the others are equally appealing。 A must-read for everyone。
Lauren
，
Such a delicate touch and yet she conveys so much。 Reread Lahiri's first book and was again awed by her。One complaint: poor choice of narrator for the audiobook！ A white woman with the wrong tenor generally who also mispronounced so many words that an Indian， Indian-American， and/or a Bostonian would pronounce correctly！ She sounded like a nice Midwestern white woman with a voice for radio who was excited to be reading this book aloud because it was just all so foreign and exotic but also relata Such a delicate touch and yet she conveys so much。 Reread Lahiri's first book and was again awed by her。One complaint: poor choice of narrator for the audiobook！ A white woman with the wrong tenor generally who also mispronounced so many words that an Indian， Indian-American， and/or a Bostonian would pronounce correctly！ She sounded like a nice Midwestern white woman with a voice for radio who was excited to be reading this book aloud because it was just all so foreign and exotic but also relatable。 Why oh why wasn't this narrated by an Indian or Indian-American who could have read it with a quiet sense of gravitas and sincerity and urgency。 。。。more
Javier
，
What a great book。 The stories from the immigrants point of view are a gem。 Very touching and inspiring。 I could not put the book down！
Alyssa
，
it’s crazy how immersive these stories are in only 10-15 pages
Cathryn Conroy
，
These nine very different short stories have one thing in common: They are all stories of love and loss， happiness and sadness as people adjust to the human condition。 From adultery to abandonment， loneliness to falling deeply in love， each of the stories in this stellar， Pulitzer Prize-winning collection by Jhumpa Lahiri is absolutely brilliant。I thought "When Mr。 Pirzada Came to Dine" was the most poignant and imaginative of the collection。 It told of the crushing heartache of the 1971 civil w These nine very different short stories have one thing in common: They are all stories of love and loss， happiness and sadness as people adjust to the human condition。 From adultery to abandonment， loneliness to falling deeply in love， each of the stories in this stellar， Pulitzer Prize-winning collection by Jhumpa Lahiri is absolutely brilliant。I thought "When Mr。 Pirzada Came to Dine" was the most poignant and imaginative of the collection。 It told of the crushing heartache of the 1971 civil war in Pakistan， but it's all seen through the eyes of a 10-year-old Indian girl who lives in Massachusetts and the man who dines with her family daily as he worries about his family caught in the crossfires of the war。My favorite was "This Blessed House" about Indian newlyweds who move into a house and keep finding Christian paraphernalia hidden in the home—from a porcelain effigy of Jesus to a 3D postcard of St。 Francis to a statue of the Virgin Mary。 The husband is annoyed， while the wife thinks it's hilarious。 How they resolve it says much about their marriage。This is an extraordinary collection of literature that is a delight to read。 。。。more
Shaun
，
"Interpreter of Maladies" is a powerful collection of stories。 I spent hours reading about the Bangladesh Liberation War after reading "When Mr。 Pirzada Came to Dine"， a conflict of which I am ashamed to admit that I had never previously been aware。 "Sexy" was an empathetic story of a young woman's relationship with a married man that was not judgmental towards her。Lahiri frequently tells stories from the perspective of someone near the central character of the story。 "Mrs。 Sen's" is a story abo "Interpreter of Maladies" is a powerful collection of stories。 I spent hours reading about the Bangladesh Liberation War after reading "When Mr。 Pirzada Came to Dine"， a conflict of which I am ashamed to admit that I had never previously been aware。 "Sexy" was an empathetic story of a young woman's relationship with a married man that was not judgmental towards her。Lahiri frequently tells stories from the perspective of someone near the central character of the story。 "Mrs。 Sen's" is a story about a married woman's isolation seen from the perspective of a neglected child that the eponymous character babysits。Themes of these works include dissatisfaction with heterosexual relationships and arranged marriages， social isolation in an unfamiliar culture， and a lack of sympathy and support for women who are in situations outside of their control。 Lahiri's prose and characters are finely crafted， and I intend to read more of her works。 。。。more
Mary
，
She is a great writer and this book is no less well written as any of her others。 But I remembered why I don’t like short stories。 I want a happy ending or at least a satisfying one。 I often think when I’m reading a book that I know is supposed to have a happy ending， “How in the world are they going to fix this mess？？ I’ll be super impressed if they can。。。。” But with the short stories it seems like the author just said。。。。。 nah， this crap is doomed。 I’ll just move on to another story and stick She is a great writer and this book is no less well written as any of her others。 But I remembered why I don’t like short stories。 I want a happy ending or at least a satisfying one。 I often think when I’m reading a book that I know is supposed to have a happy ending， “How in the world are they going to fix this mess？？ I’ll be super impressed if they can。。。。” But with the short stories it seems like the author just said。。。。。 nah， this crap is doomed。 I’ll just move on to another story and stick this one in my book of short stories that will leave the reader feeling empty and hopeless。 Thanks Ahole。 。。。more
Kerry Jones
，
Easy to predict I would love this book。 It charmed me and twisted me。 So many different types of vulnerability。 It was a master class in writing about things people cannot and do not say。 My favorite story was the one about the man from Daka。 Excellent audiobook reading too。
Anjana Prabhu-Paseband
，
A book of short stories with striking characters。 Each protagonist is made with a tinge of nurture， a dollop of culture， a sense of belonging and lots of saudade。 The characters are products of the exposure they have experienced。 The feeling of belonging to a place or even to themselves with contradicting societal ideas is portrayed beautifully。 Most characters dream of their motherland （or fatherland） in a non-satiable nostalgia。 What makes this beautiful is the innocent longings of each indiv A book of short stories with striking characters。 Each protagonist is made with a tinge of nurture， a dollop of culture， a sense of belonging and lots of saudade。 The characters are products of the exposure they have experienced。 The feeling of belonging to a place or even to themselves with contradicting societal ideas is portrayed beautifully。 Most characters dream of their motherland （or fatherland） in a non-satiable nostalgia。 What makes this beautiful is the innocent longings of each individual。 In the confusion with which they live， they cannot easily identify their station in life。 This confusion in turn gives hope through longings。Jhumpa Lahiri has done a great job describing this saudade; I rarely remember reading and noticing sentence structures。 All I remember is how those characters felt。 。。。more
Melanna
，
Oh I loved these short stories！ I was sad when each ended。
יהודה טראוב
，
Moving from one country to another is a difficult task and much more so if it involves moving from one culture to another。 Even though I am not from India， this wonderful collection of stories of emigrants sreminded me of many of the experiences that we underwent during our own first couple of years after arriving in America。Like the protagonist in "The Third and Final Continent"， we first arrived to the United States in 1969， just days before the landing on the moon and we watched it on a neigh Moving from one country to another is a difficult task and much more so if it involves moving from one culture to another。 Even though I am not from India， this wonderful collection of stories of emigrants sreminded me of many of the experiences that we underwent during our own first couple of years after arriving in America。Like the protagonist in "The Third and Final Continent"， we first arrived to the United States in 1969， just days before the landing on the moon and we watched it on a neighbor's television since， like him， we did not have one of our own until much later。 Then we mingled mainly with people from our country， we continued to eat our national delicacies and we wrote letters home every week， just like Mr。 Pirzada in "When Mr。 Pirzada Came to Dine"。 A few years later， during our visit to our homeland we started to behave just like the Das family in "Interpreter of Maladies"。 And so on and so on。 Jhumpa Lahiri's sharp eye that catches every minute detail is fascinating and thus we are granted a very delicate and enjoyable description of people's hybrid life and feelings in a foreign country。Like the 103 year old Mrs。 Croft who repeatedly says "splendid" （with regard to the lunar landing）， I can say the same about this entire book。 。。。more
Yash Mittal
，
A collection of short stories of Bengali immigrants in the US ~
Tanishka
，
"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。"Do you understand the concept of love？ Not the love that two romantic partners share， but a love which accepts you， understands you， fights with you， and above all challenges you。 In Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies， each character seeks just one simple thing - love "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。"Do you understand the concept of love？ Not the love that two romantic partners share， but a love which accepts you， understands you， fights with you， and above all challenges you。 In Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies， each character seeks just one simple thing - love。 A love beyond societal conventions， a love for your habitat， which perhaps only immigrants can understand better。 As the Pulitzer prize winning author of this beautiful work of art said， "Love， I think， asks no questions: there’s no why， you just love， and loving is enough。"Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of nine short stories， and each story will leave a profound effect in your heart。 All the stories portray nuances from Bengali culture， but are not overly imposing。 My personal favorites are 'A Temporary Matter，' and the title story。 A Temporary Matter talks about the remorse for what could never be， a crumbling marriage， and of two people who have lost their way to each other。 The title story， Interpreter of Maladies， means literally what it is， a man translating people's illnesses to a doctor of another linguistic background。 Maladies， poorly interpreted can't be ignored。The author's simple description of life as it is， the quirks and distinct nuances of every personality， will keep you hooked to the end。 Every story leads its solitary， independent life， not meant to coexist， but regardless of that， sharing the empathetic storytelling ability that Lahiri possesses。 。。。more
Sara
，
I read this when it first came out， and I recently went through it again。 Loved it both times。 Maybe more the second time。 It’s astonishing to me that the author， who was still in her twenties at the time she wrote this， could convey so convincingly and at times so poignantly such a range of human experience。 A masterpiece of American fiction。
Mitra
，
فلسفه ای که در سادگی زندگی و کلمات پیچیده شده。 آن قدر راحت و روان که باجزئیاتش زندگی شان را تجربه می کنی。 دانه کشمش لابه لای برنج در دهانت مزه می کند و طعم تلخ تنهایی یا جدایی یا حسرت و غم را همراه با مسیر آشنای زندگی انسانی در میان آدم هایی که گویی همسایه هم اکنون تو هستند می چشی。 چقدر کلماتش قدرتمندند در عین سادگی، چقدر ترجمه روان و زیبا این انتقال معانی را راحت کرده است。هر 9 داستان مترجم دردها، مترجم دردهایی هستند برای ما که در مکانی دیگر در زمانی دیگر هستیم، اما در نقطه احساس شخصیت های داستا فلسفه ای که در سادگی زندگی و کلمات پیچیده شده。 آن قدر راحت و روان که باجزئیاتش زندگی شان را تجربه می کنی。 دانه کشمش لابه لای برنج در دهانت مزه می کند و طعم تلخ تنهایی یا جدایی یا حسرت و غم را همراه با مسیر آشنای زندگی انسانی در میان آدم هایی که گویی همسایه هم اکنون تو هستند می چشی。 چقدر کلماتش قدرتمندند در عین سادگی، چقدر ترجمه روان و زیبا این انتقال معانی را راحت کرده است。هر 9 داستان مترجم دردها، مترجم دردهایی هستند برای ما که در مکانی دیگر در زمانی دیگر هستیم، اما در نقطه احساس شخصیت های داستان می تپیم。 خود را از خواندن این داستان های زیبا محروم نکنید。 به خواندنش واقعا می ارزد。https://www。parastook。com/products/%D。。。 。。。more
Abhinav Anand
，
Published two decades ago， the book contains stories about the lives of people who left the country well before that time。 One would think of reading it now， seemingly implausible， but it did not feel so。 Yes， the stories are set in the distant past， unadorned and austere， but that's what touches you。 That is what makes it appealing。 Away yet feeling for it， remote but unsevered， far away yet very close。 Published two decades ago， the book contains stories about the lives of people who left the country well before that time。 One would think of reading it now， seemingly implausible， but it did not feel so。 Yes， the stories are set in the distant past， unadorned and austere， but that's what touches you。 That is what makes it appealing。 Away yet feeling for it， remote but unsevered， far away yet very close。 。。。more
Safar
，
Aku suka cerpen terakhir。 "Benua ketiga & terakhir"。 Kisah mahasiswa sekaligus pustakawan di perpustakaan kampus tinggal di kosan yang pemiliknya berumur 103 tahun。 Ibu kosnya， Mrs。 Croft， lucu。 Tokoh aku mempunyai istri bernama Mala。 Aku & Mala dari India kuliah di Amerika。 Kisah-kisah dalam buku ini menceritakan keterasingan dan tanah air。 Berlatar di 2 tempat: India atau Amerika。 Aku suka cerpen terakhir。 "Benua ketiga & terakhir"。 Kisah mahasiswa sekaligus pustakawan di perpustakaan kampus tinggal di kosan yang pemiliknya berumur 103 tahun。 Ibu kosnya， Mrs。 Croft， lucu。 Tokoh aku mempunyai istri bernama Mala。 Aku & Mala dari India kuliah di Amerika。 Kisah-kisah dalam buku ini menceritakan keterasingan dan tanah air。 Berlatar di 2 tempat: India atau Amerika。 。。。more
Afroza Mahazabin
，
It would be only fitting to put some words in and solidify what a masterpiece of a collection this was。 However， with me being the main cast in this show called "Words fail Afroza when she needs them the most"， that is not happening。 My only two cents （broke but managed nonetheless） for this will be， if you're a Bangali from this side or the other， the issues are brought up in these stories with such nuances， they will resonate with you。 If you're neither， it would still be a fantastic read to s It would be only fitting to put some words in and solidify what a masterpiece of a collection this was。 However， with me being the main cast in this show called "Words fail Afroza when she needs them the most"， that is not happening。 My only two cents （broke but managed nonetheless） for this will be， if you're a Bangali from this side or the other， the issues are brought up in these stories with such nuances， they will resonate with you。 If you're neither， it would still be a fantastic read to stand as your window into the life of Bangalis。 。。。more
Doug
，
A solid collection of short stories， keeping with a theme mostly of expatriated Indians living in America。 Gives you a sense of how it is for them。 Well written， I would like to check out some of her other work。
Susan Kovach
，
Beautiful stories but I think the last one was my favorite。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Interpreter of Maladies
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Interpreter of Maladies&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft