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Quarantine: Stories

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 103 ratings · 31 reviews

With buoyant humor and incisive, cunning prose, Rahul Mehta sets off into uncharted literary territory. The characters in Quarantine--openly gay Indian-American men--are Westernized in some ways, with cosmopolitan views on friendship and sex, while struggling to maintain relationships with their families and cultural traditions. Grappling with the issues that concern all g...more

Paperback, 224 pages

Published May 31st 2011 by Harper Perennial (first published 2010)

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Jul 03, 2012 jo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4class, queer, short-stories, south-asian-diaspora

taken one at a time, these stories are nicely constructed and even, on occasion, truly powerful. taken as a collection, this book is unfortunately repetitive. it seems that some of the same themes get repeated over and over. in most of the stories the protagonist is an indian-american gay man with a white boyfriend. while the white boyfriend is generally rather nice, the indian-american guy is dislocated, unhappy, frustrated, and in a funk. since this happens over and over, after a bit one gets...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Wendell rated it 3 of 5 stars

If Madison Smartt Bell is telling the truth when he writes, on the cover of Quarantine, that the book is the “best first collection I have read in over twenty years,” one can only conclude that Bell doesn’t actually get all that much reading in, at least not of first short-story collections. What Quarantine has going for it – which, it is essential to realize, is not a literary quality at all – is a kind of demographic novelty. When’s the last time you read stories by a gay author about gay Indi...more If Madison Smartt Bell is telling the truth when he writes, on the cover of Quarantine, that the book is the “best first collection I have read in over twenty years,” one can only conclude that Bell doesn’t actually get all that much reading in, at least not of first short-story collections. What Quarantine has going for it – which, it is essential to realize, is not a literary quality at all – is a kind of demographic novelty. When’s the last time you read stories by a gay author about gay Indian-American men? Never, probably (although one doesn’t like to forget Vikram Seth’s stellar “novel in verse," The Golden Gate, published in 1986 and also its author’s first book).

Still, there’s something out-of-the-everyday in the concept, especially for the morass that gay fiction has become, and so one is beguiled enough to open the covers and dive in. And that, unfortunately, is where the magic largely begins to reveal itself as a series of not-very-clever parlor tricks. Mehta tries, without success, to duplicate David Leavitt’s masterful evocations of family arrangements and derangements in Leavitt’s earliest fiction; he attempts a sort of Carveresque minimalism in which, beneath the surface of a story in which nothing whatsoever actually happens, deep and meaningful currents roil; mostly, that doesn’t much work, either. Mehta has also been reading his Jonathan Franzen and his Jhumpa Lahiri, the latter of whom demonstrated, in her most recent book of stories, that it is possible to be a terrific writer and an enviable craftsperson and yet fail to understand when you’ve drawn too many times from the same well.

But Mehta cannot escape three significant flaws in his writing. First, this is graduate-writing-program writing in its purest form; it probably impresses writing teachers for hitting all the points of technique they’ve been teaching, but it is far from profound. Mehta demonstrates little depth and even less insight, and he doesn’t quite seem to know how to lend even a touch of humanity to characters who behave clumsily, bluntly, thoughtlessly, caddishly, selfishly.

Second, notwithstanding the ways in which Mehta appears to want to locate himself “outside” the mainstream (because his characters are gay, because they are Indian-Americans), he traps them in stuffy, middle-class worlds that, except for what the characters eat and the fact that they occasionally drop Hindi phrases into their conversations, are a fairly standard literary depiction of American bourgeoisie WASPlandia. (Mehta, of course, is ethnically Indian, but was born and raised in West Virginia; if you listen to his interview on YouTube, you can only giggle at how much he sounds like every other well-educated, post-gay, American thirty-something, complete with the standard-issue linguistic tic of making every statement sound like a question.) In other words, notwithstanding the fact that reviewers of the book seem to feel compelled, to a man, to trot out the phrase “breaks new ground,” it isn’t clear what new ground Mehta has actually broken. (There is usually a muddled assertion or two about “identity,” as if the word actually meant something.) Yes, a new demographic constituency has been depicted in fiction; if that’s fiction’s job, then Mehta has done it. Still, the marketing and niche-i-fication of the book strike me as a relic of the late-80/early-90s when it seemed to make sense to talk about the first black gay novel or the first novel about AIDS. There’s a kind of schizophrenia, moreover, in Mehta’s insistence in numerous interviews that he is writing about characters who “just happen to be gay” (where have we heard that before?) even as the book is fluffed and blurbed and reviewed as though the gayness of the characters were central to the writing.

Finally, and most damaging to the literary project, is that fact that there is a monotony to the stories and to the characters that wears exceedingly poorly. As a result, the fact that they are gay and Indian-American truly does fade into the background. Unfortunately, what rises into view instead is the realization that they are self-absorbed, shallow, and all but insensate to their experience. The epiphanies they have (and modern short fiction lives and dies on this appalling notion of the obligatory epiphany) are banal and, almost without exception, unearned. In the least successful story, “Yours,” the relentless reporting of details and of stilted conversations, all of which add up to precisely nothing, is an insurmountable irritation; and the clunky metaphor of driving (at the end of a long, adolescent tizzy spurred by jealousy, the protagonist decides his lover isn’t going to leave him after all and drives off into a snowstorm, “[pressing his] foot on the accelerator”), sends a mediocre story right over the cliff.

Mehta is going to write better books. His biggest challenge, however, is going to be finding a way out of the corner he’s painted himself into with this one.(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Cole rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: s-university, lgbt-lit, asian-american-lit

Mehta's collection of short stories range from descriptions of gay Indian American men's relationships to the struggles of Indian family members adjusting to a new life in the United States. The questions of race and sexuality are key components in most of the short stories and the plots are refreshing and interesting. Although many of the stories focus on the themes of family, belonging, and the separation between Indian and Indian American experiences, they all provide a slightly different tak...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Gretchen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I enjoyed these stories. The writing is minimalistic, I would say, but I like that since it goes well with the stories which are like snapshots of a certain time in each character's life (there are not really any endings when the story ends). And while the characters are not ones that I really could say I typically have a lot of similarities - indians, homosexuals, grandmonthers, etc - I nevertheless did connect with them, and wanted to keep reading each story to see what happened. The books is...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories

Quarantine is Rahul Mehta’s debut short story collection. Nearly all of the nine stories in it center around gay Indian-American male protagonists who are trying to navigate the murky overlap between sexuality and cultural heritage. With the exception of “Citizen,” all of the stories feature second- or third-generation young men whose beliefs and lifestyles are often at odds with those of their close relatives. Mehta masterfully uses restraint, honesty, and humor throughout his stories, producin...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Nick rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed these nine short stories about Indian American gay men in West Virginia, New York City, India, and upstate New York. Occasionally they end in ways that are clearly meant to be meaningful -- protagonist chooses spaghetti instead of Indian food after visiting his family; symbolism? -- but mostly they're more subtle than that (that's the title story). While sometimes I felt like he didn't give old people enough credit -- his first generation immigrant Indian elderly characters are often s...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love a good short story collection. I'm always hesitant to pick them up, but always glad when I do. The stories here are about more or less lonely gay first generation Indian-American men, and they run the gamut of coming to terms with a native culture that feels somewhat alien to navigating the more selfish impulses of desire (infidelity, a resistance to compassion/empathy, etc). At times the settings and themes can feel repetitive - many stories involve aging grandparents or are set in subur...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Virginia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2011books, short-stories

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via the Goodreads First Reads program. (Awesome!)

Let me preface this review by saying that I liked this collection of short stories a lot. They were all very well written and edited, etc. I love the quality of this author’s writing. Individually, each story was interesting and engaging and compelling.

As a collection, however, it became obvious that the main characters featured in each of the stories were more than a little autob...more Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via the Goodreads First Reads program. (Awesome!)

Let me preface this review by saying that I liked this collection of short stories a lot. They were all very well written and edited, etc. I love the quality of this author’s writing. Individually, each story was interesting and engaging and compelling.

As a collection, however, it became obvious that the main characters featured in each of the stories were more than a little autobiographical. There were several hallmarks of the author’s life that were repeated throughout: the American son of Indian immigrants living in West Virginia, he lived in New York City as a young gay man, returned to India to care for/visit relatives, then moved to upstate New York to further his career. Each character in each story is ostensibly different – they have different names, and different personal details, but they all seem to have lived an identical life path to that of the author. I understand the advice is to “write what you know,” but it gets to be a little much for the reader, especially when reading the entire book in one sitting.

Which is what I did, because the writing was so great.

I REALLY wish that this story had been included in the collection, as an afterward or epilogue – the author writing clearly as himself.
http://randomhouseindia.wordpress.com...
I desperately hope that this author considers writing an actual memoir. After reading this book, I want to know more about HIS life story, his thoughts and feelings and experiences. The stories in this book had an air of superficiality, since they were skimming the surface of the lives of strangers – they lacked the depth and emotional insight the author can clearly portray when writing about himself.

From my perspective, as someone who is not Indian-American, gay, or a man, the most powerful and touching stories were the second and third in the collection. “Floating” describes an American couple on a trip to India, where they connect with a young artist, and only fully discover who he really is after they return home. “Citizen” is about a woman and her grandson, who is helping her study for the US citizenship exam.

My least favorite story was “Yours” – it was a little too personal and had a narrow first person perspective, without really engaging the reader or connecting with the audience.

I wish the author had gone more into depth about what it means for these men to be disconnected from their “cultural in-group” (as it says on the back of the book) – in many ways it was unclear if the issues that they struggle with are due to cultural or generational differences. It is clearly intentional that all of these threads are woven together in the book, but I wish that the author had used the individual stories better to tease these themes apart and explore them individually.(less)

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Sep 12, 2012 Donald rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good effort for a first time author. He sticks with what he knows. All the stories are from the perspective of an American born boy of East Indian parents (and grandparents - who appear in most of the stories). I especially liked "Floating", the only tale that takes place in India. It opens with, "His clothes make me think he is one of us." One of us in that he is American born? One of us in that he is gay? One of us in that he is in a relationship with a non-Indian? It was the only story with a...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Colleen Bryant rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, first-reads-giveaway, short-stories, compilation

I won this book from a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway, and it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. Quarantine is a collection of nine short stories relating the lives of gay Indian-American men. It alternates between being set in America and being set in India.

The stories were all so good, and I found myself entranced by the characters over and over again. I wish that some of them had been made into longer stories. I was disappointed when I was not able to find out what happened to the charac

...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Jerry Delaney rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a great introduction to a wonderful writer. These are the stories of the children of immigrants who are balancing the western customs they grew up with and the Indian customs of their parents. We see the appeal of both cultures. It's certainly not a new topic in literature but Metha has his own insights to add.

When I started the book I planned to give it 5 stars but couldn't by the end. Although the protagonist of every story is a 20-something gay male of Indian descent, I don't think th...more

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May 10, 2011 Jim added it · review of another edition

Debut short-story collection explores the lives of gay Indian-American men caught between multiple cultures.

The quarantine in Mehta’s eponymous story is not a medical situation but a kind of forced cultural dislocation imposed, as quarantines often are, for the presumed benefit of those secreted away. Typically it’s the elderly parents of Indian immigrants who must endure a painful relocation to move in with their adult children who are bound by competing feelings of duty and guilt. Trapped in a...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Sara Habein rated it 4 of 5 stars

What links together Rahul Mehta's nine stories in Quarantine is the longing for connection. Each story's protagonist feels at least one degree removed from their own life, either through their romantic relationships or their familial situation. Writing from the point of view of Indian-American gay men, "otherness" arrives without effort as Mehta tackles themes of loyalty, tradition, and yearning. The stories are both immersive and contemplative, and exactly the sort of lonely romanticism that my...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Patricia rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is amazing. I cannot believe the depth of this author. The stories are about Indian Americans second generation and their adjustment to life here. Once again beautiful language, imagery and story lines. I think what I truly liked about this book is that it has universal themes. Yes the characters are Indian but their situations of dealing with family, parents aging, relationships and struggles with creativity can apply to anyone. Another voice that I will be reading on a consistent bas...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Soapykitty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

I really liked this collection of short stories.Evey story features a young Indian-American trying to balance culture and homosexuality.As an example in the first story the main charecter and his boyfriend visit his parents and stay a few days.His mom tells him not to tell his grandpa that they're a couple and has them sleep in the basement that has two beds instead of the bedroom which only has one.

I look forward to more books coming from this author.

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Jul 06, 2012 Fvck rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

Alright, alright, I get it, I get it! You're an overeducated, severely entitled East Coast homosexual who is so distracted by the work of dumping all his baggage on his parents/grandparents that he can't see how completely he's internalized these truly horrible classist, racist, bigoted, and sexist attitudes toward others -- and himself. But did you really need to reiterate that same point for 10 entire stories?

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Jul 25, 2011 Sue Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories

I read this very quickly over the weekend after being impressed with (and touched by) Mehta's "Lives" column on the back page of the Sunday NYT. In terms of content, these stories reflect a very specific perspective I don't think I've seen: that of a second-generation gay Indian growing up in a depressed small town in West Virginia, a child of first-generation parents who have "made it" in the U.S.

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Dec 09, 2011 Jerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really great short stories, with a consistent, straightforward, honest voice. Like the focus on young gay couples and unusual settings (west virgina, etc.). Read this while in India and was quite a great backdrop for the few stories that took the Indian-American characters to homeland. Gave as a gift to Bhuvan Mehta, my tour guide on Out Journeys, when I finished.

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Sep 14, 2011 Sharneel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Knowing the author tainted my perspective as I kept seeing him in each story. Very autobiographical , the stories relate various insights and experiences he had during his evolution as a gay, Indian-American. The writing is inviting and open, so that anyone might walk into the scene and feel he or she was privy to what was happening. My personal favorites were the ones dealing with cultural insights. Some of the more sexual, gay issues were less palatable to me, but that is strictly a personal b...more

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Dec 08, 2010 Meenakshi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The stories left me wanting for more. Came across as a bit cheesy in the beginning but once you warm up to the book, its quite enjoyable

M

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Oct 17, 2012 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 24th-annual-lambda-lit-awards

This set of stories took a little while to warm up for me. Not that they weren't well written but just didn't grab my interest right away. I did decide to keep reading and did begin to enjoy the stories a more. I think my favorite story was #7, "What We Mean." It was a story filled with sad characters (sad as in actually sad) and revolves around a breakup. I would recommend this as a book to read & hope that maybe others will warm to as I did.

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May 07, 2012 Wils Cain rated it 4 of 5 stars

Short stories all involving gay Indian men. Very interesting with each of their unique battles/interactions with lovers, family, etc. in America and back in India.

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Aug 27, 2012 Trent rated it 4 of 5 stars

A wonderful debut of short stories, all featuring protagonists who are young Indian-American gay men.

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May 19, 2011 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

full review to come
short stories of a gay indian man
quick read

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Sep 25, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: firstreads

Mehta's writing style is pretty straightforward and minimalistic, but I instantly fell into each story. The characters are so well-developed, something newer authors often fail at in short stories. Through each story, Mehta skillfully explores issues of sexuality, tradition, family and culture, offering a refreshing perspective of the intricacies of day-to-day relationships. An excellent addition to Queer Literature and fiction in general. (Disclaimer: I received this book through Goodreads' Fir...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wondered if I would have trouble relating to this collection, since most of the stories are told from a rather specific perspective: young Indian-American gay men. But now that I've read it, I feel silly for even thinking that. The characters are wonderfully varied, and their stories are so beautifully written and true.
Quarantine is excellent. Blue Bookcase review coming in a couple of weeks.

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Apr 17, 2012 Lawrence rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Interesting enough take on a thoroughly Americanized generation of Indian American young gay men. West Virginia, NYC, LA are familiar to this generation as much as India, its customs, languages are foreign. The characters in the stories seem disconnected, adrift, less successful than their parents and resigned to that somehow. Young and trying to figure out one's purpose and largely unable to do so, that's a central theme of this collection.

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Apr 21, 2013 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay, short-stories

I just couldn't get into it. One or two of the stories caught my imagination, but most were flat and uninteresting. Also, I couldn't accept the premise that these were fictional stories; it certainly seemed like they were thinly-veiled memoirs of the author, his family, and friends. If so, they would have been more effective dirctly written as such: the fictionalization was too obvious and distracting.

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Nov 11, 2012 Reshmy Pillai rated it 3 of 5 stars

The subtleness and intelligence on exhibition in the book is a rarity in the genre and a must read for that very reason. Pick it up before the next Valentine’s Day; you will understand love better, beyond the glitz and glamour. Full review: http://thetalespensieve.wordpress.com...

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Oct 06, 2012 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rahul Mehta is an exciting new voice. These stories describe characters and situations that I haven't seen a lot in fiction, and which feel familiar from my life. Many of the stories go in unexpected directions, and the writing is great throughout.

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