ralentina reviewed Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
A collection of excellent depressing stories
4 stars
Content warning Medium spoilers!
I inherited from @tascha a certain antipathy for Jhumpa Lahiri, which was increased by seeing her interviewed in an online event during which she came across as full of herself and patronizing. But no amount of antipathy can obscure the fact that this is a great book: subtle, gripping, thought-inducing. My favourite stories (in order of increasing heartwrenching-ness): - The title story, about an indian driver/tourist guide and his crash on a younger American mum, depressed and alienated by her own children. - "A Temporary Matter", a super-sad, sweet account of a breakup caused by the loss of a child. - "A Real Durwan", about a Bengali refugee who has found work as an informal cleaning lady / concierge in a low-middle class building, until the residents decide they need to climb up the social ladder of respectability and evict her.