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Interpreter of Maladies
Jhumpa Lahiri. Houghton Mifflin: 1999 (paperback). ISBN: 039592720X. 198 pages.
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About the Author
A page of detailed biographical information on Interpreter of Maladies, including excerpts from interviews in which Lahiri interprets her own work.
Born in London and raised in Rhode Island by her Bengali Indian parents, Lahiri has a unique multicultural perspective: "I don't know if I always succeed, but I think that what draws me to write is that desire to be able to interpret between two cultures."
All in the Family
A synopsis of the literary traditions and genres with which Interpreter of Maladies is affiliated and a brief explanation of these connections, giving your book group the opportunity to understand Allende’s novel in a larger literary perspective.
Indian writers -- Salman Rushdie foremost among them -- have made a huge splash in the U.S. You'll discover how Lahiri fits into this group of writers and how her celebrated first novel plays with multiple and shifting points of view.
Talk Back to the Critics
Excerpts of some major critical reviews of Interpreter of Maladies from authoritative journals, newspapers, and magazines. We encourage your book group to enjoy the opportunity to argue with expert opinion.
Critics love to argue, and argue they do when it comes to the role of "the exotic" in Lahiri's stories. Here are a few comments to get the ball rolling:
1) "There's no nostalgia for Indian traditions in Lahiri's stories. Lahiri doesn't revel in the exotic" and 2) "Lahiri chooses to embrace the exoticism of Indian culture rather than portray it as just one more facet of America's melting pot."
Character Tree
A list of major characters and their dominant characteristics and values, showing characters’ relationships to each other.
So many sweet and salty characters in these stories, and so many, many interesting parallels between characters in different parts of this collection. Check this section to refresh your memory about the significant immigrants and natives in each of Lahiri's wonderful shorts.
Streams of Themes
A breakdown of potential major discussion themes in Interpreter of Maladies, including ways these themes are interconnected.
The majority of Lahiri's characters are strangers in a strange land, first or second generation immigrants carefully navigating the swampy waters between cultures. In this section, we'll help you begin to think about the specific ways in which East meets West in Lahiri's stories.
Doorways to Discussion
A chronologically and thematically organized list of discussion questions, which function to explore, in a logical and thoughtful manner, the questions and possibilities that Interpreter of Maladies evokes.
In a certain sense, each of the stories in this collection has its own interpreter-like the title story's interpreter of maladies. Who is the cultural "interpreter" in each story, and what function does he or she serve in this specific context? Flip to this section for more tempting brain teasers.
Taste Test
A selection of other books on subjects similar to those in Interpreter of Maladies to consider for future book group meetings or for private reading.
Are you ready for another exquisite short story collection? Or would you like to catch up on other winners of the Pulitzer Prize? We'll get you started in this section.
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