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The Summary:
Another collection of short stories. The first, Unaccustomed Earth, tells of a daughter and husband adapting to life after the death of the mother and wife. The second, Hell-Heaven, tells of a family who welcomes a stranger in complete friendship and trust only to realize that life has its own plans for people; they cannot always stay as they once were. I’ve yet to read the rest of the collection but only because I typically read short stories in small increments. Both of these stories focus on the traditions of Bengali people and how those traditions often collide with modern American life.
Comments:
Lahiri is an amazing writer. She never fails to uncover subtle truths in perfect prose. These two stories were beautiful and I look forward to reading the rest of the collection.
The Point:
I’m not usually a fan of short stories, but these have me hooked. I’m also looking into another piece by Lahiri called The Namesake. There’s a reason this woman won a Pulitzer Prize.
Jhumpa Lahiri is definitely my favorite short-story writer. She never gets too flowery or injects too many filler words with her writing, but she just somehow manages to paint the near-perfect picture in your mind.
I highly recommend her collection of short stories called The Interpreter of Maladies. It’s an amazing example of some of her, I think, best stories. (: I believe The Namesake is in there as well.
I couldn’t agree more. She gets it done without any excess or distraction, but there’s heart in it, too. I will check out her other collection, thanks! I’m rarely in the mood for short stories but they are nice to pick up every so often.
I LOVE Jumpa Lahiri, although i’m usually not a fan of shortstories collection
I read Interpreter of Maladies like five years ago.. And there was one short story Temporary Matters keep lingering in my mind, even now i still can remember the plot, and the emotion… She write beautifully, i have never fallin in love more to another author craft other than her’s… I really learn how to write by reading her book.. Unaccostumed Earth is the second book of her that i read, and I’m looking for another book of her The Namesake, but got no luck yet…
I really need to finish this collection. She is an excellent writer, I agree. Since you and Susan have both recommended The Interpreter of Maladies, I know that’s a must for my TBR list.
The Namesake was originally a novella but seems like it was rewritten and expanded upon. Do you have access to Amazon or The Book Depository (ships anywhere)? I know Amazon has it, at least— which is where I intend on getting it. Good luck!