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Cover of Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Interpreter of Maladies

  • 211 pages · about 4 hours
  • First published 1999
  • 29 editions

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1 About this book

Title: Interpreter of Maladies. "Interpreter of Maladies" is a collection of nine short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri, exploring the lives of Indian and Indian-American characters who are grappling with issues of identity, displacement, and the complexities of human relationships.

Here’s a brief summary of each story in the collection: "A Temporary Matter": A couple, Shoba and Shukumar, reconnect during nightly power outages, revealing secrets and grappling with the stillbirth of their child, ultimately leading to a heartbreaking revelation.

"When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine": A young girl, Lilia, learns about the political turmoil in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) through the eyes of Mr. Pirzada, a family friend who comes to dinner every evening while his own family is trapped in the conflict. "Interpreter of Maladies": Mr. Kapasi, a tour guide in India, develops a brief emotional connection with Mrs. Das, an Indian-American tourist, as they share personal stories during a day trip.

  • Asian Americans
  • Self-help
  • East Indian Americans
  • Social life and customs
  • Short stories
  • Authors

2 About Jhumpa Lahiri

Born 1967

Jhumpa Nilanjana Sudeshna Lahiri (Bengali pronunciation:; born July 11, 1967) is a British-American author known for her short stories, novels, and essays in English and, more recently, in Italian. Her debut collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies (1999), won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Hemingway Award, and her first novel, The Namesake (2003), was adapted into the popular film of the same name.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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