Monday Book: Interpreter of Maladies

Last week I had a lovely time at Polly’s house with her book club – it was my first time to go. Polly is an amazing artist and I think I would have had just as fabulous a time if I had spent a couple of hours simply looking at her artsy home decor! We read Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, and Polly served an Indian rice pudding, cashews, chai tea, and other Indian inspired little treats. So of course I am totally sold on this group.

I completely enjoyed Interpreter of Maladies. It’s a Pulitzer Prize winning collection of short stories, and I think very worthy of the honor. Each story has something to do with India; usually the characters are NRIs in the United States. Lahiri just shows the lives of people who seem real, could be real, their struggles, cultural issues, generational issues, family and marriage issues. Oh, it’s so good. The characters break your heart and make you smile. We talked at the group about how we like the little details, and I was reminded of writing through a keyhole. I think it’s Anne Lamott who suggests imagining you’re looking through something tiny, like a keyhole, and writing what you see. So you get little details. You may not know what the room or the rest of the house looks like, but you know that the soap on the counter is a certain brand from India. I think Lahiri makes great use of this method and I see how it adds those little details that make the story more memorable. So: great stories, great writing, highly recommended.

Next: For the book club, Reading Lolita in Tehran, which I’ve just ordered on half.com. From the library since I’ve wanted to read it for awhile: The Bluest Eye. Loaned from a friend this very night who said, “You like disturbing books, right?” is Winter’s Bone. I’m not sure which one will show up on the review next week, but I’ve got some great reading on my plate.