Women From Away

Year Three Book Three: 

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

December 17, 2015

Laura R: My first 5! This book has all the right things: it’s well written, it’s sad, and it’s about India. At first I was not looking forward to reading a compilation of short stories. I thought the stories would be too short to connect with. I finished the first story in one go, and was immediately excited to read the rest of the book. The author did an amazing job writing characters with depth and emotion. Some of the stories ended abruptly, but they still seemed complete. I was surprised to feel a connection to some of the characters, even though on the surface, I have nothing in common with them.

Amy: I give this wee book a 5 out of 5. I was skeptical that this collection of short stories could captivate my attention as I had a firm belief that short stories only belong on beach vacations! But Jhumpa Lahiri got me right from the beginning. I was shocked at how the strength of Lahiri's writing could draw me in in just a couple of pages!! This may be a wee book, but it is mighty! 

Steph: I give this book a 5 - the first 5 I have ever given! It is the mark of a good writer when he or she can pull you in and create believable, real characters. Not only does Lahiri do this, but she does it within a few short pages. I have always been fairly wary of short story collections. For some reason, I got it into my head that I just didn't like them. However, I think I might have been wrong. Lahiri is such an amazing writer, who can pull you in and attach you to the - sometimes likable, sometimes not - characters. You follow each character and invest yourself in his or her story without even knowing it. Her stories are set in India and the United States, but the humanity of the characters surpasses setting. They are raw and they make the same decisions that I could see myself making - feel the same feelings that I have felt. I am very curious about Lahiri's other work and, especially given her ability to work magic in the span of a few short pages, am very excited to see what she can do over the course of a whole novel. A must read for sure!