In small text was the author’s name: Jhumpa Lahiri, and in smaller, the title: Interpreter of Maladies. Containing nine stories, all of them related to India– be it in a modern setting like Sexy or directly related to past historical events like When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine. (Beware: this review might contain spoilers!)

Let’s flashback for a bit. Upon one of my recent visits to the campus library, my eyes landed on a book quite out of place in its category; literary criticism — perhaps the librarian made a mistake in placement. That was when I decided to pick up this collection of short stories, all linked to the colourful country of India. This book, printed with letters much bigger and also thinner in width than my latest read (Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Victor Hugo), contains nine titles as follows:

1. A Temporary Matter
2. When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine
3. Interpreter of Maladies
4. A Real Durwan
5. Sexy
6. Mrs. Sen’s
7. This Blessed House
8. The Treatment of Bibi Haldar
9. The Third and Final Continent

I’m not going to go over all of the titles, just a handful of my favourites (or at least, ones that stuck to my mind. However good they are, I still can’t manage to truly ‘enjoy’ ironical stories; I guess I’m still a sucker for happy endings)

A Temporary Matter
Along with Interpreter of Maladies, this is my favourite out of the story collection. The story interests us with detailed descriptions of traditional Indian cuisine, in association to the main female character (Shoba)’s quirky need to prepare for everything. This story all too well documents how a match that used to seem perfect had fallen. (Feel free to skip the next paragraph full of spoilers!)

I realised it a bit late, but Shoba’s habit of storing jars of frozen meals for the future served as a great metaphor for her husband (Shukumar)’s approach to their marital problems. All Shukumar does when Shoba stops preparing these meals was exhaust them without replenishment, and that’s the same thing he does when their marriage starts falling apart.

When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine
Here, the author takes a different point of view from a child of an Indian immigrant family over at the United States. The typical Eastern need for a ‘family’ or associate of this family is satiated by routinely inviting Mr. Pirzada, a man separated from his family in Bengali, to dinner. Tied to historical events regarding conflicts between Hindus and Muslims, and separation of areas, this story is just as educative as it is touching. One of the things I appreciate is how, though the storyteller has a certain kind of maturity, she still maintains a childish character by the little illogical things she does (that children would do!).

Interpreter of Maladies
I guess the three first stories are really my favourite ones. Like A Temporary Matter, this story is of the heartwrenching sort. However, it differs from the first story of the set, which explores how a long-term relationship slowly cracks, to a fleeting love which… also cracked. Though the terms of love are completely different, I can really feel the same kind of exhausted feelings both have when they end. I’m not quite sure why, but Mr. Kapali, the old tour guide plus doctor’s interpreter in the story, is one of my favourite characters of Lahiri, because I can, in some way, relate to how he tires of a certain someone.

I almost forgot to mention the other ‘love’ (more accurately, non-love) between the two Das. However, I find it much too difficult to relate to Mrs. Das because of a certain way she treats her children. Sorry, Mrs. Das… I guess she is somewhat annoying, but purposely so.

Sexy
Well, I’m not really sure how to explain my feelings about this story. It explores one scenario that happens with two groups of people from different viewpoints. One is from the betrayed, and one is from the one the betrayer goes to. Also, the way that this scenario affects a child (Rohin in the story) is interesting, to the extent that he views the definition of sexy as “loving someone you don’t know” because of his father’s use of this word for his mistress.

Overall, I think that Jhumpa Lahiri’s style is very exquisite, in the same sense as Anthony Quinn’s opinion that the genius in her storytelling lies in “her restrained drollery, her eye for details, and her tone of wise consolation”. One can also feel that there is a certain message she puts in each of her stories; my favourite four happens to be the ones with meanings I get :p She also explores a very wide range of characters (from a proofreader as Shoba to a stair-sweeper like Boori Ma. Don’t forget the someone messed-in-the-head Bibi Haldar), yet they are all linked by one thing: India. Be they in Calcutta, be they from Dacca, be they immigrants in the United States or have gone through three continents, they all have unbreakable ties to their country of origin.

What I like most about Jhumpa Lahiri is how she inputs little aspects of the Indian culture: through the cuisine – basmati rice, etc., cosmetics and clothes – kohl, fez, and even the norms. One thing especially explored (in Mrs. Sen’s, mainly) is the difference between the traditions back home where one’s ties to those surrounding, as typically in the East, are tight compared to a new world where one can feel a bit lonely (no, not just a bit). Mostly because I feel some of these things, such as the emphasis on solidarity, resembles the ones found in Indonesia, and since I’ve spent some time myself overseas, I can relate to the feelings of some characters in this collection.

One thing I somewhat regret is the lack of happy endings. Not that stories need to have happy endings to be good, but to be presented eight stories full of irony only ended by one story with a mildly happy ending gives the vibe that Jhumpa Lahiri does not yet possess the capability to present a brighter view of the world. Well, I feel that a story does not need to always make a point by presenting a lingering, ironic punch. I would love to see what she’d be able to do with a happy ending.

Lastly, as for whether I recommend this book or not, how can I not say “HELL YES!!!”?

Jhumpa Lahiri is a Winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award, Winner of the NEW YORKER Prize for Best First Book, and Winner of the Pulitzer Prize 2000 for Fiction.

/end useless review