Interpreter of Maladies- Book Review

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Book Title: Interpreter of Maladies. 

Author Name: Jhumpa Lahiri. 

Publishers: Harper Collins India. 

About the Author: Nilanjana Sudeshna "Jhumpa" Lahiri, born July 11, 1967 is an American author of Indian origin who is best known for her short stories, novels and essays in English, and, more recently, in Italian.


My Rating: 5/5⭐


Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of nine short stories by Jhumpa Lahirihi. This book has received great laurels like the Pulitzer Prize and the Hemingway Award for Fiction. 

 I'd first read her 'Namesake' when I was a teenager and ever since I've remained totally floored by her writing style. So for the first week of #FemmeMarchAtWomaniyat I decided to re-read theses stories that brought her into the literary limelight.

Her stories are women centric for sure but more than feminism, I feel the beauty of her writing is in her eye for details; her impeccable English with superb vocabulary used to describe the smallest nuances; the beautiful thought- provoking or poignant endings to the stories which stir the deepest emotions. Her women are quirky, and her words weave such vivid mental imagery that the characters stand before your eyes like you've met them somewhere before.

The story which opens the  collection is my favourite, but the title story is also one of a kind. Although the stories are based on the people who hail from West Bengal, but they are contemporary stories, not entirely traditional.

 Despite being born abroad, and an American national, she builds the picture of the Bengali life smoothly, subtly, and sensitively. The description of the Buri Ma- an old woman's life in 'The Real Durwan' is absolutely on point. I felt like she was walking me through those lanes and the scene. 

All in all, a great Indian woman author whose works are definitely worth a read! 









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