Bibliofemme Reviews
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Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri 
(Published by Flamingo)
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Jhumpa Lahiri's collection of short stories Interpreter of Maladies would be one to recommend. This book flew of the shelf and into my hand on the wings of its stunning title. Later, I was pleased to find that as the pages drifted past, I was forced to ration the stories out-as they were better off given time to sink in.
Born in London and raised in Rhode Island, Lahiri explores and captures the lives of immigrants and expatriates with a strong humanitarian voice. Her method of bringing the reader in to this reoccurring theme through different characters and stories gives the process of immigration the wide and colourful spectrum it deserves. There are stories of love, homesickness, suffering, understanding, adaptation, misconceptions, giving and of returning home.
The stories are well paced and one is always left with food for thought. Several characters have remained vivid since I have finished the collection, particularly a certain Boori Ma, who was an example to us all of our own materialistic trappings. This is a good book to dip in and out of over a month or two, for a refreshing voice and great slice of life.
August 2005 |
