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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 813.54 EAN: 9780395927205 Edition: 1 ISBN: 039592720X Label: Mariner Books Manufacturer: Mariner Books Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 208 Publication Date: June 01, 1999 Publisher: Mariner Books Studio: Mariner Books Editorial Review: Amazon.com: Mr. Kapasi, the protagonist of Jhumpa Lahiri's title story, would certainly have his work cut out for him if he were forced to interpret the maladies of all the characters in this eloquent debut collection. Take, for example, Shoba and Shukumar, the young couple in "A Temporary Matter" whose marriage is crumbling in the wake of a stillborn child. Or Miranda in "Sexy," who is involved in a hopeless affair with a married man. But Mr. Kapasi has problems enough of his own; in addition to his regular job working as an interpreter for a doctor who does not speak his patients' language, he also drives tourists to local sites of interest. His fare on this particular day is Mr. and Mrs. Das--first-generation Americans of Indian descent--and their children. During the course of the afternoon, Mr. Kapasi becomes enamored of Mrs. Das and then becomes her unwilling confidant when she reads too much into his profession. "I told you because of your talents," she informs him after divulging a startling secret. I'm tired of feeling so terrible all the time. Eight years, Mr. Kapasi, I've been in pain eight years. I was hoping you could help me feel better; say the right thing. Suggest some kind of remedy.Of course, Mr. Kapasi has no cure for what ails Mrs. Das--or himself. Lahiri's subtle, bittersweet ending is characteristic of the collection as a whole. Some of these nine tales are set in India, others in the United States, and most concern characters of Indian heritage. Yet the situations Lahiri's people face, from unhappy marriages to civil war, transcend ethnicity. As the narrator of the last story, "The Third and Final Continent," comments: "There are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept." In that single line Jhumpa Lahiri sums up a universal experience, one that applies to all who have grown up, left home, fallen in or out of love, and, above all, experienced what it means to be a foreigner, even within one's own family. --Alix Wilber Product Description: Navigating between the Indian traditions they've inherited and the baffling new world, the characters in Jhumpa Lahiri's elegant, touching stories seek love beyond the barriers of culture and generations. In "A Temporary Matter," published in The New Yorker, a young Indian-American couple faces the heartbreak of a stillborn birth while their Boston neighborhood copes with a nightly blackout. In the title story, an interpreter guides an American family through the India of their ancestors and hears an astonishing confession. Lahiri writes with deft cultural insight reminiscent of Anita Desai and a nuanced depth that recalls Mavis Gallant. She is an important and powerful new voice. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - One of the best books I've ever readTo give a frame of reference, some of my favorite authors are Margaret Atwood and Barbara Kingsolver. I have searched and searched for another introspective, intelligent, strong female voice, and finally I have found it. I plan on buying every one of her books and keeping them forever. In this book alone, my wisdom cache has increased, certainly the mark of a great book. Rating: - Excellent collection of storiesThis is one of the best collections of short stories that I have read. Many of her characters stayed with me long after I finished the book. I also enjoyed "The Namesake" and can't wait to read her latest book. Rating: - Lovely storiesI'm a fan of Lahiri's and enjoyed Namesake as well. Check it out for yourself and I'm sure you will agree. I too am tired of reading stories of the "Indianness" of being Indian. So as an Indian I appreciate this. Rating:  - Dark and macabreThe book was very well written, but I found it to be a little too dark and macabre for my tastes - not exactly something you'd want to curl up and sink into... Rating: - Some great stories, others not memorableI liked most of these stories. The first story, "A Temporary Matter," made me cry and lament a tragic failure of people to communicate and understand one another. The last story, "The Third and Final Continent," was equally moving, and restored my faith that there is innocence in love. Overall, Lahiri's keen understanding of the nuances of relationships is impressive. In her brief stories, the complicated relationships between the characters are remarkably well-developed. She is equally deft ... Read More |
