Gorgeous and insightful

Beautiful stories that make you cry and smile and generally discuss the different relationships between people and a country they move to.

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Delightfully written and sensitively read

Such exquisite insight into the human condition.

Diverse stories written so well

Having spent time in India …. And knowing the culture a little probably added to my enjoyment.

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Short stories

I am not sure what I was expecting but this was a compendium of really quirky but interesting short stories all with a Bengali background. I really enjoyed them.

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I wanted to like it but...

But it did not touch my heart.
I learned things about Indian culture. But it was not for me. I wanted to like it because the author is such a nice person judging from the videos I have seen with her.
As far as the narrator goes I don’t understand why the only “accents” she ever attempted was broad American but never even a single “indian” accent.

I changed it to a three. But had put a two at first. I will not recommend the book to anyone. Nor do I fee
Robbed for having listened to it.

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Weird guitar music in between

Only really liked the first story. Guitar music at random, was distracting from the stories.

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A Beautiful introduction to the talented author!

Interpreter Of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Book Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my first introduction to Jhumpa Lahiri and what a great way to be introduced to a new author than reading their short stories first? JL is probably my most highly recommended author by you guys and I can NOW see why. She’s got a magnificent talent and her writing is mesmerising.

The first story, A Temporary Matter, was my favourite. It left me wanting to know more! I loved how JL describes the most simplest of things (candle, heat, hair), but in-so that it sounds like beauty personified. The story itself? I really thought it would be a great book at first, but the shortness and lack of clarity and no end, it made the characters feel more natural and as if they were somewhere in India and facing this reality.

Though, When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine was definitely my second. Based around Mr Pirzada visiting from Dhaka, 1971, it was poetic and informative on a favourite subject of mine as many of you might know by now, The Bangladesh Independence War. Although not a TOO much in depth deep dive into it (as these were short stories, not an informative book about Bangladesh lol), the story excluded from it was beautifully crafted.

The titular story was aite. No exciting story line other than two married people testing the limits of unfaithfulness. But I appreciate the interpreter’s job and his lust for excitement in his most uneventful life. My second favourite had to be the last story, The Third and Final Continent. It was just so wholesome and heartwarming.

But all the other stories were magnificent: I felt sorry for Gori-Ma. I felt pitiful for Miranda having been a marriage wrecker and Dev is absolute trash. The traditional kitchen tool: a blade attached to a wooden slab that Mrs. Sen uses to chop things, we call it a Daa. This being appreciated in the Sen family. And more stories that were either heartwarming, heartbreaking or just flat out descriptively stunning and beautifully written.

I really appreciated JL’s way of writing and involving the reader as if they were in the world themselves. Her means of world building were astonishing and outstanding that it makes me want to read a long form book of hers!

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A pleasant read

A vivid book from a talented author. I bought this in error while searching for another book of hers. I was caught out just as I was when I read it years ago, it's short stories!

It would be helpful if the stories were clearly delineated in this audio book as the transitions weren't always clear.

The performance was clear and I wouldn't mind hearing this reading in some other books if appropriate. However I found her American accent very distracting and somewhat annoying especially when reading stories set in India. I have never heard an American story in an Indian accent so I found this equally as ridiculous. Without being stereotypical I feel a better selection should have been made.

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3 people found this helpful

I can't stand the reader

The book and stories are amazing. But the performance is terrible.
At times she's reading fast
then she sounds robotic
then she pauses in odd places
she uses emotive tones in the wrong places.

I love the stories and the book, but the performance was the worst.

also when she tries to pronounce names and indian words, it's even worse

oh gosh and when she tries to do an Indian accent, it's a joke. Just don't do it. it's offensive!

And there's random guitar music for so e reason. quite annoying and distracting

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Delightful vinaigrettes

Agree that the narrator's voice didn't match the cultures, but reading the author's varied background perhaps it was fitting. Beautifully visual writing with stories that make you ponder, smile, feel slightly depressed, raise an eyebrow, and yet relate to along with it. Full stars.

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Great work let down by the performance

Great stories by the author but the narrator here is not suited for this work. I’m sure her other work is great, but here not so much.

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