Interpreter of Maladies

By: Jhumpa Lahiri

Narrated by: Matilda Novak

Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, Fiction, 2000

With accomplished precision and gentle eloquence, Jhumpa Lahiri traces the crosscurrents set in motion when immigrants, expatriates, and their children arrive, quite literally, at a cultural divide. The nine stories in this stunning debut collection unerringly chart the emotional journeys of characters seeking love beyond the barriers of nations and generations.

A blackout forces a young Indian American couple to make confessions that unravel their tattered domestic peace. An Indian-American girl recognizes her cultural identity during a Halloween celebration while the Pakastani civil war rages on television in the background. A latchkey kid with a single working mother finds affinity with a woman from Calcutta. In the title story, an interpreter guides an American family through the India of their ancestors and hears an astonishing confession.

Imbued with the sensual details of Indian culture, these stories speak with passion and wisdom to everyone who has ever felt like a foreigner. Like the interpreter of the title story, Lahiri translates between the strict traditions of her ancestors and a baffling new world.

©2000 Jhumpa Lahiri (P)2000 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Moving and authoritative pictures of culture shock and displaced identity." (Kirkus Reviews)
"The crystalline writing in the nine stories of this Pulitzer Prize-winning debut collection dazzles. These sensitive explorations of the lives of Indian immigrants and expatriates touch on universal themes, making them at once specific and broad in their appeal. Narrator Matilda Novak's light voice is fine for stories written by a young woman, and the hint of melody in her reading is typical of Indian voices." (AudioFile)

Great listen

I really enjoyed this collection. The characters were interesting and their stories kept me engaged. I definitely would have listened to more about each of them.

nice compilation of short stories

I enjoyed this compilation of short stories about a variety of Bengali and Indian immigrants . Anyone who is interested to hear different perspectives on the commonly shared theme of being far from home would enjoy this audible book. I also like the variety of readers.

Great book

This was a wonderful book that shared a variety of stories connected with Indian cultural, generational changes and cultural discovery.

Very entertaining

Great read! Hard for me to track at times as I didn’t always follow the transition in stories but kept my interest

Wonderful

5 stars for the author's prowess. What a wonderful collection of open ended short stories. I loved the stories. The stories are wonderful and enjoyable, some sad, some pleasant. These stories hit close to home as a Bengali American, totally relatable.
Overall 3 stars because I hated the narrator as she mispronounced so many simple Indian pronunciations. Also like there aren't any Indian narrators that could have been used for a more authentic feel?

Unremastered audio

This performance has not been remastered for Audible and retains the awkward cuts from the end of the disks it was recorded too. This is completely subpar and I will be returning what otherwise would have been an otherwise masterful collection.

Great stories, poor production

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Interesting, vivid, and moving stories of a culture I did not know much about. They kept me engaged and wanting to know more.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator was fine. I agree with previous reviewers about the other problems. The bizarre and intrusive inclusion of random music in the stories, even in the middle of a section of dialogue, was incredibly annoying and confusing. Also, there is not enough space between the stories, certainly no more than 2 seconds. There is no time to reflect on the story, or to let it breathe before the next one starts. Sometimes I wasn't sure if it was just a pause in the current story. I would dive for the pause button but always too late. This really detracts from the power of the stories.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend that people read this the old-fashioned way. The stories are not well-served by these production choices. They deserve better.

Engaging and thought provoking

I enjoyed these stories immensely. The fact that they were in short story format was perfect. Each was a perfect time for a long dog walk or a dinner prep. Sometimes I avoid reading or listening to a book that I only have a short amount of time to devote to. Also, some of the stories weighed heavy on my heart, so kudos to the author, if I was taken on s longer journey with a novel it would be too intense for me. Beautifully written.

Best takeaway: Every small thing in life matters

This book is the perfect read for any and every age group, culture or gender. Such relatable stories with simple characters make you connect with them on a deeper level and experience their lives. The book captures the small things in life that we might think do not matter, yet affect us strongly.

Rich and colorful writing.

Short stories, some moving, most thought provoking, a couple of them disturbing. Richly descriptive (I craved Indian food the whole time while reading it) however overall it was a colorful reminder of how shallow and tedious life is. Still enjoyed it.

I started out with audible but then had to switch to reading. I could not follow the reader, I thought at times the reading felt choppy and at times it was too fast. At the end of each story there is no pause or any type of warning that a new story is about to begin, making it really confusing.